Bundle up: Wintry mix on its way to disrupt Austin's warm weather

Coming off one of the warmest days of the year so far, wintry weather is expected to rain on the almost-springtime parade with possible freezing temperatures Wednesday and Thursday.

Temperatures in Central Texas will plummet from highs in the upper 80s Tuesday afternoon to temperatures 30 to 45+ degrees lower at the same time Wednesday. A Tuesday night cold front will merge into Wednesday morning as temperatures dip to 40 degrees.

Clouds will begin to set in Tuesday night and linger with small chances of rain and isolated thunderstorms through the weekend. Temperatures are expected to fall near freezing Wednesday and Thursday night with highs in the mid-40s.

Higher rain chances will come Thursday and Saturday night with near 50% chances of showers. A wintry mix could come into play along and north of US 90 Thursday through Saturday, with a mix of rain and sleet possible in the colder hours of the day.

Low temperatures will rise above the freezing zone Friday night, but highs will remain in the 40s until the sun peeks out once more to bring milder temperatures Sunday.

It seems Punxsutawney Phil may have been right about more winter weather, but spring-loving Austinites can still find solace despite the potential freeze. With average last freeze dates landing in late February to early March for most of the Austin area, this could be the last time to pull on that bulky winter coat.