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Rowers out on Lady Bird Lake during a hot Austin day. (Austonia)
Central Texas is set to bring the heat this spring.
The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center has a new outlook that points to La Niña lasting longer than expected. The climate pattern, which happens in the Pacific Ocean every few years, had mild effects on Austin back in November.
But now, it appears drought conditions could linger for a while and change springtime humidity, and Austin can expect hotter and drier weather than usual for this time of year.
The percent of normal rainfall map over the past 90 days shows just how dry it's been in western portions of south-central Texas. Drought continues to worsen and expand across the region. Significant relief over the next few months may be suppressed by continuing La Nina.pic.twitter.com/35Tq0s1JUf— NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWS Austin/San Antonio) 1646927492
Hints of upcoming weather patterns came in February, with a strengthening of below-average sea-surface temperatures across the central and east-central tropical Pacific.
As for how it impacts Austin, expect the dry and heat to last at least into the summertime. Plus, there’s a more than 50% chance it lasts through August.
After that, there’s a chance another La Niña phase could hit. The outlook noted a 45% chance of it compared to a 45% chance it stays neutral.
After the second La Niña winter in a row, weather blogs wonder if we’re headed for a three-peat, but note that they’re rare. Only two have happened since 1950.
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Popular
(Moriah Wilson/Instagram)
Austin police are investigating the killing of Moriah "Mo" Wilson after she was found with gunshot wounds inside an Austin home.
Wilson, a gravel and mountain bike racer, was visiting Austin from Colorado in preparation for the Gravel Locos race on Saturday taking place in Hico, a small town 2 hours from Austin.
On Wednesday, her roommate came home and found Wilson unresponsive with "a lot of blood near her,” police said. It is now being investigated as a suspicious death. No further information on the suspect or motive behind the killing are available at this time.
Wilson recently had become a full-time biker after winning a slew of races in the past year.
(Pexels)
Some of your favorite Instagram filters can’t be used in Texas anymore and Austinites are sounding off on social media.
Meta, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, announced on Wednesday that certain filters would no longer be available in Texas.
The change is a result of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit against Meta, alleging the company uses facial recognition technology that violates laws in Texas. A release from Meta says it stopped using facial recognition tech in November 2021 and denies Paxton’s allegations.
Some Austinites bemoaned the shift, saying some of their favorite filters were now unavailable.
This was my FAVORITE filter on @instagram and they done removed it cause I’m in Texas ! Like wowwwwww pic.twitter.com/uX60hdIC0Q
— Pinkyy Montana (@inkstar_pinkyy) May 11, 2022
i heard that instagram filters got banned in texas? what the actual fuck y’all better give me my favorite filter back
— lia 🤍 (@liatootrill) May 11, 2022
loved this stupid filter sm i hate texas pic.twitter.com/DXr9mmUc64
— birthday boy jeno 🎂 (@beabtox) May 12, 2022
But more often than not, locals joked about the ban.
Texas women seeing the filter ban on IG pic.twitter.com/yDMcP3Qtsr
— Christian (Anabolic) Flores (@christian_flo24) May 11, 2022
So, the state of Texas has banned filter use on IG? THE END IS NEAR. 😂
— THE FRANCHISE! Франшиза (@NYCFranchise718) May 12, 2022
And some in-between chose to show off some natural beauty.
I live in Texas, but no filter needed. 😉 pic.twitter.com/A6teRgYMKn
— bad and bruja (@starseedmami) May 11, 2022
filter, no filter..texas women still reign supreme.
— 🎍 (@_sixile) May 11, 2022
Finally, some are trying to cash in on the opportunity.
Texas IG users- if you want to filter your picture cashapp me $1.50 $ErvnYng
— Gemini (@ervn_y) May 11, 2022
Meta said it plans to create an opt-in system for both Texas and Illinois residents, who are facing the same issues.