We finally got to see measurable rain in Lubbock and across most of west Texas yesterday. A cold front interacting with Gulf moisture helped to bring in moisture amounts 200% of normal! There were many spots that came in with over one inch of rain. Officially here in Lubbock, we came in with .77". The Science Spectrum had 1.05". Even with all of the rain, we are still in a drought. The deficit has dropped to just over 1.25", better than it was yesterday (over 2.00"). There is going to be leftover clouds and drizzle through the morning, with cloudy skies and leftover showers/storms this afternoon. Coverage will not be as great as it was Tuesday, as it will only be 20% through the early evening.
Dry weather is going to take over as we head into the end of the week. We'll get sunny skies, with more wind. Temperatures will remain below average on Thursday, with higher temperatures expected on Friday. As we move into the Easter weekend, we'll begin to see even warmer air. In fact, Lubbock will be back into the low 80s for high temperatures on Saturday. However, another cold front will move in Saturday afternoon, which you'll notice by Saturday evening. Wind will be at 10-15 mph, with occasional gusts to 25 mph. So, the wind is going to be back, just what we want!
The photos below are the 8-14 day temperature and precipitation outlook. The bad news is that we will see dry air returning, with no rain expected just yet. In terms of temperatures, we will really look at highs near average. There is a hint of warmer air, but we're talking about mid-to-upper 70s for high temperatures. The wind will still be at 10-15 mph early on in the forecast period.
We're beginning to see La Nina break down. That is one reason why we finally got a low pressure system to pump in Pacific moisture, as well as some Gulf moisture. By mid-April, we should be looking at more opportunities to see some rain and storms. The down side is the threat for severe weather. Once La Nina weakens, we're going to see warmer air, which is unstable and more moisture. So, expect us to quickly jump into severe weather season in April.
