Overnight cloud cover, a La Nina weather pattern, and a Jetstream parked to the north is keeping us dry and warm.
SAN ANTONIO — Holiday weather was unusually warm, prompting many to remark, “It just doesn’t feel like Christmas.”
Warmer than average temperatures kept Frosty out of the freezer so far, but don’t let your guard down yet.
Friday marked another day of record or near-record heat across much of Texas, part of what has been an unusually warm winter. So what’s behind it? Meteorologists point to three main factors.
First is the overall weather pattern, particularly the jet stream. For much of the winter, high pressure has remained parked over Texas, while the jet stream has stayed more active to the north and west. That setup has kept colder systems farther north and allowed warmer air to linger over the state, resulting in quieter and warmer conditions than normal.
Second is cloud cover. Texas has seen frequent clouds during the overnight and early morning hours. That cloud cover acts like an insulating blanket, trapping warmth near the surface overnight. In the day time this cloud cover would typically limit warming, but we’ve seen more cloud cover lately in the evenings and mornings, with more sun in the days and afternoons allowing for more extended warming, which is a typical pattern we’d see during the summer months when the heat is extreme.
Finally, La Niña is playing a role. La Niña is marked by cooler-than-average sea temperatures in the tropical Pacific, which often brings warmer and drier conditions to Texas during the fall and winter. Due to the lack of precipitation, the risk of drought increases, which is what is happening right now for much of the Lone Star State.
Remember, even in a warm winter it only takes one brief pattern change to kick the warm air out and bring in the polar vortex, flipping winter on it’s head, bringing back memories of February 2021.