Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Feb. 10 21

 Area Forecast Discussion

Issued by NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

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FXUS64 KHGX 102350
AFDHGX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
550 PM CST Wed Feb 10 2021

.AVIATION [00Z TAF Issuance]...

LIFR to IFR conditions will prevail across the area through
tomorrow evening with CIGs of 300 to 400 ft and patchy, dense fog.
Visibilities below a mile will be possible through tomorrow
morning with LBX and GLS having the highest chances of
experiencing quarter mile visibility. Scattered showers and
isolated thunderstorms develop towards sunrise along the coast,
but the main chance of precipitation will arrive tomorrow evening
as a reinforcing front slides in from the west. This front will
approach CLL in the early afternoon, then slide towards the coast
through the evening reaching IAH/HOU around sunset. A line of
showers will accompany the frontal passage. Generally northerly
winds will persist through tomorrow.

Fowler

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION /Issued 418 PM CST Wed Feb 10 2021/...

.SHORT TERM [Tonight Through Thursday Night]...

The latest surface observations indicate quite a sharp surface
temperature gradient across SE TX as a surface cold front continues
to gradually sag southward. As of 3PM, the latest 2-meter
temperatures measured 39 at Caldwell and 79 at Angleton! Continued
moist advection has created an environment conducive for the
development of scattered showers and isolated storms today, with
this activity expected to continue through the evening hours as the
front reaches and clears the coast this evening. Have maintained
chance PoPs with the inherited forecast package remaining largely on
track. Lows this evening will reach the upper 30s across the Brazos
Valley and the 40s to lower 50s across the remainder of the area. As
temperatures lower this evening, it`ll likely be the last time we
see values over 60 degrees across SE Texas for quite some time as an
arctic airmass becomes the dominant synoptic feature over the
central CONUS.

An amplified 300mb longwave trough will continue to push eastward
this evening, with its associated upper jet streak expected to
become situated to our north/northeast by tomorrow morning. With SE
Texas remaining in the favorable right entrance region of this
feature, the resultant enhancement in upper-level divergence will be
favorable for more widespread precipitation development during the
day tomorrow. With PW values remaining in the vicinity of 1.5 in,
showers and isolated thunderstorms should persist through the
afternoon and into the evening. The total rainfall forecast remains
relatively unchanged with most locations expected to pick up 0.5 -
1.0 in over the course of the day.

Cady


.LONG TERM [Friday through Wednesday]...

Rain chances will be decreasing Fri morning through the afternoon
as the cold front pushes well into the Gulf. Strong high pressure
building down from the Plains will help to usher in a very arctic
air mass into the region at this time with frigid conditions exp-
ected to persist through the weekend and and at least through the
first half of next week. The other part of the story for the long
term portion of the forecast will be the increasing likelihood of
wintry precipitation mixed into all of this..lower chances on Sat
and perhaps higher chances Sun night/Mon.

Global models are continuing to trend cold for the weekend...then
even colder during the early part of next week as the strong/amp-
lified Arctic surface high is progged to track south in the Great
Plains. Did not go quite as low as some of the MOS has suggested,
but record lows will be entirely possible.

As for rain chances, models appear to be in decent agreement with
the timing/strength of these systems. The first shortwave appears
to move through SE TX on Sat, but with not so favorable low-level
moisture levels and upper support. Did include the mention of ice
pellets/sleet and freezing rain for mainly the far northern parts
of the FA for Sat morning/afternoon. Otherwise, will be expecting
isolated to scattered cold rains. However, things seem to be more
favorable for increased POPs for Sun night/Mon. The possible dev-
elopment of a coastal low and divergent jet structure aloft along
with the strong shortwave are all pointing to much better chances
for precipitation. The main question then becomes p-types. Latest
guidance indicates that surface temperatures will likely drop to/
near freezing across our northern/western CWA by midnight Sun, so
we`ll be starting off with freezing rain/wintry mix overnight. As
temperatures continue to fall early Mon, this could transition to
more of a snow/wintry mix through Mon morning. And so...the morn-
ing commute on Mon could be a very tricky one.

Looking even further ahead...guidance not really offering up much
by way of warming and/or drying. There are hints of another round
of rain/wintry mix for SE TX with the passage of yet another very
strong cold front and its associated shortwave. *whew* 41


.MARINE...

A surface cold front will push offshore this evening, bringing with
it a shift to northerly winds by tomorrow morning. Behind the
frontal boundary, an arctic airmass will become dominant over the
central CONUS for the foreseeable future, bringing frigid
temperatures and the potential for some winter precipitation to the
bays and coastal waters. Winds are expected to approach caution and
later advisory criteria by tomorrow night, with a further increase
in winds expected on Sunday as a developing area of low pressure
along the coast significantly tightens the pressure gradient. A Gale
Watch may be needed at this time. As this feature pushes into the
central Gulf, conditions will be favorable for the development of
winter precipitation, with sleet and snow showers remaining a
possibility on Sunday night and Monday. The forecast remains
relatively uncertain, however, so mariners are encouraged to
continue to monitor the latest updates over the next few days.

Cady

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...

College Station (CLL)  37  43  36  43  36 /  60  80  70  10  10
Houston (IAH)          49  53  42  47  39 /  60  70  80  20  20
Galveston (GLS)        56  59  47  51  43 /  60  70  80  30  20

&&

.HGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

TX...Dense Fog Advisory until midnight CST tonight for the following
     zones: Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula.

GM...Dense Fog Advisory until 3 AM CST Thursday for the following
     zones: Coastal waters from High Island to Freeport TX out
     20 NM...Waters from High Island to Freeport TX from 20 to
     60 NM.


&&

$$

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