First Warning: Coldest air of December arrives next week

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Are you tired of this unseasonably warm weather? Despite what the calendar may read, Central Texas continues to experience record-breaking warmth with high temperatures in the 80s (not ideal if you are trying to show off your new Christmas sweater).

If you are ready for a change, we have great news for you! A strong cold front is poised to move through our area early next week setting us back to reality and dropping temperatures closer to December averages.

Out ahead and along the approaching cold front expect showers and storms to break out. In fact, the chances are growing for strong to severe storms and a few tornadoes out in the southern Mississippi Valley. Expect there to be major travel delays from Tuesday morning through the evening. For now, the severe threat expands just east of our viewing area to only include east Texas. But check in with us daily for the latest information as we fine-tune our forecast.

Expect temperatures to drop to the low to middle 60s Wednesday afternoon. The first full day in the wake of our cold front. Humidity will also be gone at this point as well.

Temperatures will fall into the 30s and 40s Wednesday night and into Thursday morning. Expect a few areas, especially in the Hill Country to flirt with the freezing mark early Thursday.

This cooler pattern looks to hold even beyond our 7-day forecast. The Climate Prediction Center's outlook for week two shows a high probability of colder-than-normal temperatures. This would more than likely keep us in the 50s to 60s through the beginning of Christmas week!

Stay with the First Warning Weather team as we continue tracking the changes heading our way.