Cooler Weather - As Advertised

We've been talking for over a week now about how today through at least the first part of the weekend would be significantly cooler for a large chunk of the Plains, thanks to an advancing cold front. 

Here in central Texas, for example, after 2-3 days of high 80 to low 90 afternoon high's, we will be back into the 70s today.  Along with brisk Northerly winds, it will certainly feel a lot more like fall than is has for the past few days!

Below is the latest surface map, taken shortly after 7:30 central time this morning:

If you are unsure as to how to decode the station plots, please see the graphic below:

As you can see, significantly cooler air is flowing southward across the Plains this morning.  This airmass will keep temperatures much more fall-like across southcentral Texas today:

and again on Friday into Saturday:

Overnight lows tonight and Friday night will dip into the upper 30s across much of the region, for the first time this fall:

It certainly is nice to see the weather matching up with the calendar again!