Currently in Austin — November 9, 2023: Cold front day again

The weather, currently.

Pull out your sweaters and umbrellas, because Thursday brings a cold front through by mid- to late morning. The day’s high will cap out at 70 degrees by 9am, and then temperatures slide to the low 60s. Clouds and a gusty north wind in the afternoon will make it feel even chillier, and a 60% chance of showers could bring between a tenth and quarter of an inch of rain. Rain chances pick up to 80% overnight Thursday, with a low around 52. 

If you’re planning for the weekend, check out the fall color forecast. Foliage is just starting to starting to come into peak phase, especially further west and north of Austin. 

-Anne Hebert

What you need to know, currently.

According to the latest US drought monitor, California is now entirely drought-free for the first time since early 2020 — thanks to a series of beneficial rains brought in part by Hurricane Hilary and a growing El Niño.

Almost every major lake and reservoir in the state is currently filled higher than normal — a rarity for California in this era of megadrought. Some areas of the Sierra Nevada mountain range are more than 20 inches ahead in 2023 alone. The state also made it through peak wildfire season with hardly any major threats, thanks mostly to the wet soil.

In fact, state officials have begun to release extra capacity from California reservoirs to hold heavy rains that might come with El Niño this winter. The first potential atmospheric river of the season could arrive as early as this weekend.

— Eric Holthaus

What you can do, currently.

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