Posted: Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:49 PM - 11,177 Readers

By: Patrick George

It might have felt like spring on Sunday, but wintry weather is expected to return Tuesday, bringing perhaps the best chance of snow this season.

Forecasters are calling for a 60 percent chance of precipitation, a "wintry mix" that could range from a cold rain to ice to sleet to snow, on Tuesday.

Not much accumulation is expected in Austin — less than 1 inch — but areas north of Austin, including Williamson County, could see 1 to 2 inches of snow, according to National Weather Service forecaster Amanda Fanning. The wintry mix is expected to hit Tuesday afternoon and continue into the evening.

It's a big change from Sunday, when sunny skies and a high of 77 degrees at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport — which tied the year's highest temperature so far — brought out plenty of joggers, bicyclists and convertible owners in Central Texas.

Today will be cooler with sunny skies and highs near 60 degrees, but prepare to get out the winter jackets — and snow boots? — on Tuesday.

A "very strong cold front" will move through the area Tuesday morning, dropping daytime temperatures into the upper 30s, Chris Morris of the National Weather Service said. The mercury will dip to around 30 that night, so snow could form, but the ground will be too warm for it to stick to roads, forecasters said. On Wednesday, highs will be near 50, and overnight lows will be slightly lower than on Tuesday, Morris said. From there, temperatures will rise into the 50s on Thursday, with overnight lows around 40. Over the weekend, temperatures will climb into the 60s, but skies are expected to turn cloudy once again.