AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Central Texas is expected to be under the gun for strong to possibly severe thunderstorms early Wednesday morning.
An approaching cold front will push through the area towards sunrise on Wednesday, increasing rain chances and the possibility for strong to severe storms, with the main threats being large hail and strong winds.
Forecasters say the storms will likely move into the western Hill Country around 2 a.m., reaching the Austin metro by 4-5 a.m. and clearing the I-35 corridor by 8 a.m. Wednesday morning.
The latest update from the Storm Prediction Center has shifted Austin and much of Travis County into a "slight" risk for severe storms, or 2 out of 5. Nearly all of Williamson County and the western half of Hays County are also in the slight risk zone.
Windy conditions will prevail on Wednesday, with winds shifting around to the northwest. Strong gusts up to 35mph are likely, and the dry air behind the cold front will also bring an elevated risk of fire conditions - meaning outdoor burning of any kind is strongly discouraged.