A strong cold front will arrive tomorrow afternoon with significantly colder temperatures.
Warm and humid air mass in place for another 24 hours or so before a significant intrusion of cold air brings an end to the seemingly endless days of warm and humid conditions. Cold air mass is already moving southward down the plains and will arrive in TX late today and push off the coast Friday afternoon and evening. Trough associated with the incoming front will help yield lift along and behind the boundary on Friday afternoon and evening with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms developing.
Front will reach the College Station area by mid to late morning, Houston metro midday to mid afternoon and clear the coast by early evening. Temperatures ahead of the boundary will warm into the upper 70’s and low 80’s and then quickly fall into the 50’s behind the front and continue to fall into Friday evening into the 40’s. Gusty north winds of 15-20mph will occur post front with stronger wind near the coast where still warm Gulf waters help downward momentum transfer.
Showers and thunderstorms will end Friday evening from NW to SE as lift and moisture depart eastward. Clouds may be slower to clear and linger into Saturday morning. Cold air advection will remain stout into Saturday and highs will struggle to reach 60. Clear and cold Saturday night with lows into the 30’s and 40’s for all locations. If winds come down enough, may see frost in the Crockett to Livingston corridor, but think most locations will remain above freezing.
A series of fronts and coastal lows will bring an active week of weather next week. Old frontal boundary from Friday stalls over the NW Gulf and a coastal low forms near Corpus Christi on Sunday as a short wave approaches from the west. Clouds and moisture will quickly return late Sunday with rain chances Sunday night into Monday as the coastal system moves across our Gulf waters. Most of the rainfall will focus near the coast and offshore, but think much of the area will see at least some amounts during this period. Cold air will remain locked in at the surface so temperatures likely only in the 50’s on Monday.
Next front drops through the area on Monday night with more cold polar air surging into the area. Mya need to lower mid week temperatures some next week as this air mass looks equally if not a bit colder than the one for this weekend. Another coastal low possible by late next week with continued cold, cloudy and at times wet conditions.
Jeff Lindner
Director Hydrologic Operations Division/Meteorologist
Harris County Flood Control District
9900 Northwest Freeway | Houston, Texas 77092
346-286-4000 (main) | 346-286-4165 (direct) | 281-924-2091 (cell)
jeff.lindner@hcfcd.org | Twitter: @jefflindner1