Thursday, January 14, 2021

Jan. 14 20

 Area Forecast Discussion

Issued by NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

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000
FXUS64 KHGX 142341
AFDHGX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
541 PM CST Thu Jan 14 2021

.AVIATION [00Z TAF Issuance]...

VFR conditions are expected to continue through the duration of
the upcoming TAF period as mostly clear skies persist with dry air
filtering in behind a departing surface cold front this evening.
With the front clearing the coast, gusty northwest winds will
develop over the next couple of hours before tapering off
overnight. Tomorrow, moderate to strong northwest winds return
upon the advent of daytime heating. Gusts to around 30 knots are
possible at all terminals through the afternoon hours.

Cady

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 322 PM CST Thu Jan 14 2021/

SHORT TERM [Tonight through Saturday]...

A cold front is in the process of moving across SE TX. High
pressure will build into West Texas in the wake of the front and
this feature will bring a reinforcing shot of cold and dry air
into SE TX. Gusty NW winds will settle down this evening except
near the coast but there should be enough mixing to limit a free
fall in MinT values despite the CAA. On Friday, 850 mb temps will
be significantly cooler than today`s values and and MaxT values
will remain on the cold side despite full sun. MaxT values will
only top out in the upper 50`s. It will be breezy too as stronger
winds aloft mix to the surface. Dew points are progged to fall
into the teens so RH values will plummet to below 25 percent.
There could be some minor fire weather issues with the combination
of dry air and strong winds. High pressure will settle over South
Texas Fri night into Saturday bringing clear skies to the area.
With winds expected to decouple and very dry air over the region,
would expect MinT values to really take a dive. MinT values will
fall into the lower 30`s with some locations falling into the
upper 20`s. 850 temps warm a bit on Saturday and MaxT values will
probably warm a few degrees compared to Friday. Winds will be
lighter so it`ll probably feel a bit warmer as well. 43

LONG TERM [Saturday Night through Thursday]...

Surface ridging will continue to dominate the forecast area
Sunday and Monday. Highs will generally be in the 60s, slightly
warmer on Monday with highs near 70s across our far southwest
counties.

The main forecast concern over the extended period will be
Tuesday into the end of the week with potential for widespread
rainfall and some thunderstorms. Flow pattern aloft begins to be
dominated by an amplified closed low over the Desert SW and
ridging over the southeast CONUS. At the surface, a gradual
increase in moisture advection is anticipated starting on Monday
night as a surface low develops over south-central TX. Models, of
course, are all over the place on location of the frontal boundary
(or boundaries) and the axis of the heaviest precipitation;
therefore, uncertainty on details is high. PWAT values are quiet
high, near 1.7-2 inches, which is well above normal for this time
of year. In fact, the mean precipitable water from NAEFS and GEFS
are near 90th percentile of climatology from Wednesday through
Thursday. This may suggest the potential for excessive rainfall
during this period. Have continued with increasing rain chances
starting on Tuesday morning and continuing through Thursday.
Depending on the evolution and track of this system, rain chances
may linger through Friday. The GFS has been the slowest solution and
suggests precipitation through Friday. As of now, have kept rain
chances through late Thursday night. 05

MARINE...

Southwest winds will continue to strengthen this afternoon and
evening ahead of a FROPA currently extending from northeast to
south-central TX. Gusts around 20-25 knots have been reported over
the Gulf waters with seas between 5 to 6 ft offshore. The front
is expected to reach the coastal waters by 6PM this evening. Gusty
winds up to 35 knots and seas from 6 to near 8 ft are expected
through the night. A Small Craft Advisory is in effect for all
Gulf waters and a SCEC for Galveston and Matagorda bays. Wind
relaxes early Friday before turning gusty again throughout the
day. Given that, SCA headlines will likely be extended.

A strong and persistent offshore flow will produce below normal
water levels through Saturday. At this time, water levels will
briefly fall to around a foot below MLLW late tonight or early
Friday. With strong offshore winds persisting on Friday, water
levels could fall as much as 2 feet below MLLW and a Low Water
Advisory will likely be required Friday night into Saturday.

Onshore flow returns Monday afternoon ahead of the next system
moving through region Tuesday into Thursday. SCA conditions will
be possible with strong winds and elevated seas. Scattered showers
and storms are also expected. 05/43

FIRE WEATHER...

Have some concerns with regard to fire weather conditions on
Friday. Winds will increase with a bit of heating and stronger
winds aloft should mix to the surface with sustained NNW winds
between 15 and 20 mph with higher gusts. Very dry air will filter
into SE TX with dew points falling into the teens. This will
create RH values below 25 percent. Normally, under these
circumstances, elevated fire weather conditions could be expected
but the rain/snow event from last Sunday has left the
surface/ground fuels damp so not sure how fast a fire could
develop and move. If ground fuels do dry out quicker than
anticipated, there could be some issues with grass fires and other
fine fuels. Use caution if working with flammable materials on
Friday. 43

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
College Station (CLL)      65  36  57  33  59 /   0   0   0   0   0
Houston (IAH)              71  40  59  36  59 /   0   0   0   0   0
Galveston (GLS)            69  46  59  41  59 /   0   0   0   0   0

&&

.HGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...NONE.
GM...Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM CST Friday for the following
     zones: Coastal waters from Freeport to Matagorda Ship
     Channel TX out 20 NM...Coastal waters from High Island to
     Freeport TX out 20 NM...Waters from Freeport to Matagorda
     Ship Channel TX from 20 to 60 NM...Waters from High Island
     to Freeport TX from 20 to 60 NM.

&&

$$

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