Central Texas weather is about to pull off a classic weekend flip-flop. Austin temperatures will surge above normal on Saturday and to near-record levels by Sunday, before a strong cold front sweeps through and brings our last chill of traditional winter on Monday.
Austin, TX
Weather whiplash from cold front ahead for Austin: 5 graphics tell the story
Zara Graciliano of Guadalajara, Mexico, poses for a photo at the Congress Avenue Block Party during the South by Southwest Conference and Festivals in Austin on Thursday. The event space on Congress Avenue is open throughout SXSW and is free and open to the public this year.
So, get ready to break out the sunscreen and wide-brimmed hats, because the weekend will feature plenty of sunshine, breezy southerly winds and temperatures climbing well into the 80s and 90s on both Saturday and Sunday.
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Here are four maps and one chart that will tell the weather story this weekend.
The green colors indicate higher dew point temperatures and increased humidity across Texas vs. the brown and sandy colors, which highlight the dry line and drier air out west. Also, the lines show the wind direction coming from the south.
1. Humidity builds along, east of I-35
A system of high atmospheric pressure has now shifted east of Texas, allowing southerly winds to pump more moisture-rich air into Central Texas. This will bring dew point temperatures (an indicator of water vapor saturation in the air) up from the 40s on Friday to near 60 degrees on Saturday. Expect plenty of sunshine, gusty south winds and temperatures warming into the lower to mid-80s.
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A strong cold front will move into Texas as early as Sunday morning with blustery and colder temperatures behind it.
2. Cold front surges into Texas
A blustery, cold, and dry cold front will move across the Lone Star State on Sunday — first through the Panhandle during the morning, then into North-Central Texas around midday, before pushing into Central Texas during the late afternoon and reaching South Texas by Sunday evening.
Before the cold front Sunday, Texas temperatures will climb to the warmest we’ve felt so far this year, and then a blast of colder air will arrive.
3. Temperatures drop by double digits
Ahead of the front, afternoon temperatures Sunday will skyrocket into the 90s, thanks to compressional heating, which occurs when a parcel of air sinks, compresses and warms. This sometimes happens when southwesterly winds blow over the Hill Country and drop in elevation as the air moves into Austin.
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If that happens, we could see Sunday temperatures that would rival daily heat records for March 15 at both Camp Mabry and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Austin’s main climate observation sites. Camp Mabry’s record high is 91 degrees, set in 2016, while the airport’s record is 87 degrees, set in 1977. If those temperatures are reached, it would mark the hottest day so far this year, a degree or two warmer than the current high of 89 degrees recorded on March 3.
Behind the front, blustery north winds will send temperatures tumbling nearly 50 degrees from Sunday afternoon to early Monday morning. While we don’t expect freezing temperatures in Austin, don’t put away your winter jackets just yet.
Classic Texas weather ahead: warm Saturday, near-record heat Sunday, then a strong cold front barrels in to bring one last blast of winter chill to Central Texas by Monday. 🌡️➡️🧥 pic.twitter.com/sfKgjzAPoL
— Mary Wasson (@Mary_Wasson) March 13, 2026
“Monday morning has the potential for some locations to see freezing temperatures, with the National Blend Model (a composite weather forecast model) currently giving about a 20% to 40% chance for temperatures less than 32 degrees over our typically colder locations of the southern Edwards Plateau and Hill Country,” the meteorologists at the National Weather Service wrote in their forecast discussion earlier in the week.
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North winds will blow across South and Central Texas behind the front Sunday evening and will gust between 35 and 50 mph.
4. Gusts behind a wall of wind
As the cold front moves into Central Texas, a wall of wind will arrive with it. The gusts could prompt the weather service to issue a wind advisory, with one forecast model showing gusts as strong as 50 mph with the initial surge.
The National Weather Service issues a wind advisory when sustained winds of 31 to 39 mph are expected for at least an hour, or any gusting winds reach 46 to 57 mph.
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5. The week ahead
Gusty north winds will continue into Monday morning, bringing wind chill values, or “feels like” temperatures, down into the 20s across the Hill Country and keeping afternoon temperatures in the upper 50s.
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Next week, we will see a gradual warming trend and a strong ridge of high atmospheric pressure over the western United States will slowly build east with temperatures a little warmer each day.
WIMBERLY, Texas – The names of all five people killed in the Central Texas plane crash late Thursday night have been released.
Plane crash victim names
The latest:
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the names of the five victims in the Wimberly, Texas crash are as follows:
- Justin Appling (pilot)
- Hayden Dillard
- Seren Wilson
- Brooke Skypala
- Stacy Hedrick
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigators are on scene and serving as the lead investigative agencies, DPS said in their Saturday release.
What we don’t know:
The cause of the crash has yet to be determined.
Fatal Texas plane crash
The backstory:
Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra says first responders received the call just after 11 p.m. April 30 about an aircraft down in the Wimberley area.
The crash happened in a wooded area in the 200 block of Round Rock Road, near the area of Ledgerock Road and FM 2325, northwest of Wimberley. The NTSB says the crash happened at around 11:03 p.m.
A post-impact fire destroyed the plane, says the NTSB.
According to FlightAware, the plane was on its way to New Braunfels from Amarillo.
The aircraft has been identified as a Cessna 421C that had five people on board. All five are confirmed dead.
A preliminary investigation shows the plane was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of the crash, but there is no indication of a mid-air crash. A second plane traveling in the same area landed safely in New Braunfels.
Flight tracking data shows the plane had a normal takeoff, climbing to 17,400 feet, but just before 11 p.m., something went wrong. The data showed the plane suddenly started dropped, plunging more than 5,000 feet per minute. Within minutes, radar contact was lost.
The Source: Information in this update comes from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Five people were killed when a small private plane crashed and caught fire near Austin, Texas, according to state and local officials. A pickleball club identified the victims as members who were traveling to a tournament.
The crash happened at about 11:05 p.m. on Thursday in the Wimberley area, about 40 miles southwest of Austin, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety and Hays County officials. The FAA said the aircraft was a Cessna 421C.
Sgt. Billy Ray with the Texas Department of Public Safety said all five people on board were killed, including one pilot and four passengers. He also confirmed that the plane caught fire after the crash.
The Amarillo Pickleball Club identified the victims as Seren Wilson, Brooke Skypala, Stacy Hedrick, Glen Appling and Hayden Dillard. The club said they were members of its “Amarillo pickleball family” and were traveling to a pickleball tournament when the crash happened.
“Today, the Club has received terrible news that we all must mourn in the loss of five members of our Amarillo pickleball family,” the club said in a statement. “Please keep their precious families in your thoughts and prayers.”
Fire and EMS personnel remained at the crash site through the early morning hours, according to Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra. Preliminary information indicated the aircraft was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of impact.
Becerra said there was no indication of a mid-air collision. A second aircraft that was flying nearby landed safely in New Braunfels, a city northeast of San Antonio.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.
From street fairs to cultural celebrations, Austin is packed with action this weekend! Check out the best local spots for free food, live music, and family fun. FOX 7 Austin’s Amanda Salinas shares the details all in the FOX 7 Weekend.
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