Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Issued by NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
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610 FXUS64 KHGX 170834 AFDHGX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX 334 AM CDT Fri May 17 2024 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, MARINE, HYDROLOGY, CLIMATE... .SHORT TERM... (Today through Saturday Night) Issued at 334 AM CDT Fri May 17 2024 While rain chances do return later on today, we are not anticipating anything near as robust as Thursday`s line of storms. With a weak frontal boundary now sitting off of the coast, slightly drier air will remain in place for the areas that really need a break from the rain (Brazos Valley/Piney Woods). PW values remain elevated along the coast with the front still sitting off of the coast. This is important to note because of an approaching shortwave trough that will act as a lifting source for that moisture and generate another round of showers/storms later this morning into the afternoon hours along a coastal trough. There will be a capping inversion in place around 850mb that`s a little bit weaker closer to the coast. Between that and the environment being worked over from yesterday`s intense convection, it`ll be difficult for a storm to tap into the elevated instability. That`s why the SPC only has a marginal risk (level 1 out 5) of severe weather right along the coast. If a storm were to reach it`s full potential, then it could carry a strong wind/hail threat, but again this is not expected to be anything close to what happened yesterday. Most of the rain will fall along and south of the I-10 corridor, and with inland PW values remaining generally around or below 1.5" (75th percentile: ~1.57"), rainfall rates aren`t expected to be that impressive. Latest forecast shows an additional 0.5"-1.0" of rainfall south of I-10, which is definitely manageable. Rain chances gradually taper off going into late afternoon/early evening hours. With the rainfall and persistent clouds throughout most of the day, we`ll only see temperatures top out in the low 80s. Unfortunately, the low 80s are "cool" compared to the rest of the forecast period. The combination of surface high pressure bringing in drier air and ridging aloft building in behind the departing trough will equate to a period of above normal temperatures that extends into next week. High temperatures on Saturday will top out in the upper 80s to low 90s. Heat index values will make it feel more like the mid to upper 90s, especially along and south of I-10. On the plus side though, the increased subsidence means that rain chances are at zero. We know that there are still thousands of you without power around Southeast Texas from yesterday`s storms, and based on some of the damage to power/transmission lines this could extend for multiple days. The weather pattern is shifting into a hot and dry pattern starting on Saturday, so it is going to be important to have a way to stay cool. Be sure to check in on your family/friends/neighbors, especially those that are vulnerable, to be sure that they have ways to stay cool as well. If you are using a generator, PLEASE be sure to operate it outdoors in a well-ventilated area. A couple of tips for keeping your home cooler during the daytime: keep your windows and doors closed to prevent outdoor air from coming in and use blinds/curtains to keep the sunlight from entering. We hope that the power outages are resolved quickly for all of you. Stay safe, y`all. Batiste && .LONG TERM... (Sunday through Thursday) Issued at 334 AM CDT Fri May 17 2024 Make sure all safety precautions are taken during this forecast period (see the paragraph above) as temperatures and heat index values continue to rise. The combination of ridging aloft and onshore winds at the surface will help inland high temperatures initially in and upper 80s to lower 90s range on Sunday to edge a couple degrees warmer (into the low to mid 90s) as the upcoming week progresses. Heat index values will be on the rise too, initially peaking in the upper 90s to around 100 on Sunday then rising to generally around a 100 to 105 range Monday through Thursday. Some of our northern counties (mainly north if I-10 but more likely our far northern counties) could flirt with some heat relief generally in a Wednesday through Thursday time period as some showers/ storms develop up north and skirt across that area. And not forgetting our low temperatures, expecting Monday morning`s upper 60s to lower 70s to be the coolest morning with mid to upper 70s expected at most locations beginning Tuesday and continuing into the start of next weekend. Most of our climate site`s average monthly temperatures for May are already around 2 to 3 degrees above normal, and this upcoming heat will only boost these numbers upward. 42 && .AVIATION... (06Z TAF Issuance) Issued at 1158 PM CDT Thu May 16 2024 MVFR with occasional IFR CIGS will fill in over SE Texas during the early morning hours of Friday. Expect CIGS to gradually lift after sunrise, eventually returning to VFR levels later in the day. Areas south of I-10 may see scattered showers and isolated storms throughout the afternoon as another disturbance passes overhead. Rain chances taper off Friday evening. 03 && .MARINE... Issued at 334 AM CDT Fri May 17 2024 In the wake of yesterday evening`s storms, weakening north to northeast winds today will shift back around to the east and south over the weekend. There is another chance of some showers and thunderstorms today and tonight as a disturbance moves up the coast. If any stronger cells develop with this activity...they will probably be in the Gulf waters rather than the bays. Gradually strengthening south to southeast winds and rising seas can be expected next week. 42 && .HYDROLOGY... Issued at 334 AM CDT Fri May 17 2024 With generally 3-5" of rain falling across portions of the Brazos Valley/Piney Woods on Thursday, rivers expectedly responded and subsequently rose. This is on top of the minor to major river flooding that was already ongoing for parts of Southeast Texas, particularly along portions of the Trinity and Brazos rivers. The following river points are either currently in flood stage or are forecast to reach flood stage (as of early Friday morning): MAJOR// ------- - Trinity River (Liberty): Major Flood Stage - Trinity River (Riverside): Major Flood Stage (forecast) - Trinity River (Goodrich): Major Flood Stage (forecast) - Menard Creek (Rye): Major Flood Stage (forecast) MODERATE// ---------- - Trinity River (Moss Bluff): Moderate Flood Stage - East Fork San Jacinto (New Caney): Moderate Flood Stage (forecast) MINOR// ------- - Trinity River (Crockett): Minor Flood Stage - Long King Creek (Livingston): Minor Flood Stage - Navasota River (Normangee): Minor Flood Stage - Brazos River (Rosharon): Minor Flood Stage - Bedias Creek (Madisonville): Minor Flood Stage (forecast) - Trinity River (Romayor): Minor Flood Stage (forecast) - Davidson Creek (Lyons): Minor Flood Stage (forecast) - Brazos River (Richmond): Minor Flood Stage (forecast) - Brazos River (Sugar Land): Minor Flood Stage (forecast) Remember to heed any instructions from your local officials and to never travel through ANY flooded areas or roadways. TURN AROUND, DON`T DROWN. Please monitor updated forecasts via the NWS AHPS website and/or the new NWS NWPS webpage (https://water.noaa.gov/) as the river flood threat continues. Batiste && .CLIMATE... Issued at 334 AM CDT Fri May 17 2024 Huntsville (UTS) got another 4.08 inches of rain yesterday, and this brings their total for the month of May to 17.94 inches (normal May rainfall is 4.03 inches) and their total for the year so far to 50.14 inches (normal yearly rainfall is 43.65 inches). -This is now Huntsville`s wettest May on record (previous record was 14.93 inches in 2015). -This is now Huntsville`s 2nd wettest month on record (wettest month on record is 21.35 inches set in August 2017). -This is now Huntsville`s 9th wettest year on record (wettest year is 66.76 inches in 2015). Huntsville`s records date back to 4/1/1998. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... College Station (CLL) 82 67 90 70 / 10 10 0 0 Houston (IAH) 82 69 91 72 / 20 10 0 0 Galveston (GLS) 82 75 85 76 / 30 30 10 0 && .HGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. GM...Small Craft Should Exercise Caution until 4 AM CDT early this morning for GMZ335. Small Craft Should Exercise Caution until 10 AM CDT this morning for GMZ350-355-370-375. && $$