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000
FXUS64 KBRO 220546 AAA
AFDBRO

Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Brownsville TX
1246 AM CDT Mon May 22 2017

.DISCUSSION...Updated for latest aviation discussion below.

&&

.AVIATION...The evening convection has dissipated with only
residual light rain and an occasional shower moving east across
the Mid Rio Grande Valley. MVFR ceilings are expected to be the
pre-dominate condition overnight period with the lower ceilings
breaking up as sunrise approaches. VFR conditions are anticipated
for the mid morning and afternoon hours but there will be an BKN-
OVC deck around 5000 feet. Shower and thunderstorm chances will be
limited until later in the afternoon when the atmosphere
destabilizes with day time heating. With probabilities low and
uncertainty with timing will leave convection out of the 06Z TAF
package. Southeast winds today but pressure gradient remains
weak so do not expected any stronger gusts today.


&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 304 PM CDT Sun May 21 2017/

SHORT TERM (Now through Monday Night): Weak and diffuse front
lingers across the ranchlands today and remains in the general
vicinity through Monday providing a focus for shower and
thunderstorm development.

Convection has been minimal so far today, initially limited to right
along the front, however daytime heating, instability, and plenty of
moisture in place have resulted in a few showers developing further
south across the Rio Grande Valley. Expect convective activity to
remain in the isolated realm through mid-afternoon.

The remainder of the forecast remains tricky, with slightly higher
confidence today. Timing and placement remain difficult as we move
into this evening and the overnight hours. Strong to severe
thunderstorms are possible once again late this afternoon and
overnight as a shortwave moves east across northern Mexico and South
Texas, allowing convection to organize and move into the region.
Model guidance indicates two possible periods of activity. The first
across the western counties with discrete cells the develop over
northern Mexico and move into the western counties, in particular
Zapata County, from mid-afternoon through early evening. Storms have
already fired up over Mexico and are moving into Webb County, so
this solution seems reasonable and likely. Went ahead and increased
POPs for the western counties between 18z and 00Z. High res model
guidance continues to suggest that the second and more
substantive round of convective activity, a MCS, will move into
the western and northern zones between 23z and 03z and pushing
east southeast across Deep South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley
in the ensuing hours. Exactly how far east it progresses remains
difficult to judge. Raised POPs a tad out west and tapered them
going east and southward. Forecast soundings continue to show
effective shear of 50 to 60 knots, MLCAPE around 2500 J/kg, as
well as steepening lapse rates, and drier air moving into
midlevels, which could lead to large hail (especially in discrete
cells) and gusty damaging winds with any severe storm that
develops. Although SRH is marginal, can`t rule out an isolated
tornado. The best severe threat remains across the northern and
western ranchlands (Zapata, Jim Hogg, and Starr counties), where
SPC has upgraded the area to Slight Risk. The remainder of Deep
South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley remain in a Moderate Risk.
In addition to the threat of severe weather, locally heavy
rainfall is possible, especially across the western and northern
zones, where moisture has pooled along the front. Areas closer to
the front and those that see training storms could see possible
totals of 2 to 4 inches. Although, flash flooding concerns are
minimal at this time, given the recent dry trend, and flash flood
guidance values of 4 to 5 inches an hour, ponding of water on
roadways and in low spots is possible.

Shower and thunderstorm chances continue through Monday night, but
are highly dependent of location of front and any small
perturbations in the flow aloft. Convective activity will be more
scattered, with isolated strong to severe thunderstorms possible
across the northern ranchlands, closer to the front.

LONG TERM (Tuesday through Sunday): The broad 500mb trough across
the central and eastern portions of the United States will
continue to provide unsettled weather across south Texas Tuesday
through early Wednesday before the upper level trough sharpens
across the east-central U.S. Wednesday. At the surface...a weak
cold front will move through the CWA Tues night into early
Wednesday. Low to mid level moisture will remain high across the
area Tuesday through early Wednesday and this will provide a
chance of showers and thunderstorms Tuesday and Tues night before
drier air filers into the area Wednesday in the wake of the front.
Temperatures will at least be near normal Wednesday before
returning to above normal through the rest of the week into the
weekend as a 500mb ridge moves across the central U.S. Thursday in
the wake of the 500mb trough moving eastward and the subtropical
ridge develops across northern Mexico Friday. A weak 500mb
shortwave trough is progged to move across west TX Saturday but
rain chances will remain well north of the CWA.

MARINE (Now through Monday Night): Conditions at Buoy 42020 at 2 PM
show east winds around ten knots and seas near four feet. A
stationary front draped across South Texas and the northwestern
Gulf of Mexico will maintain a fairly weak pressure gradient.
Light to moderate east winds this afternoon will become southeast
overnight tonight and continue through Monday night. Low to
moderate seas expected through the period, with a slight upward
trend Monday night, as wave heights build slightly across the far
offshore Gulf waters. Isolated to scattered showers and
thunderstorms are possible through Monday night.

Tuesday through Friday...Light south to southeast winds will
prevail across the coastal waters Tuesday with low pressure across
northeast Mexico. A weak cold front will move through the coastal
waters Tues night allowing winds to shift to the north to
northeast and increase Tues night into Wednesday. Moderate north
to northeast winds will briefly prevail across the western Gulf of
Mexico before high pressure moves eastward allowing winds to veer
to the southeast Wed night. The pressure gradient will increase
across the lower Texas coast Thursday and winds will increase from
the southeast across the coastal waters. Moderate to strong
southeast winds should prevail across the lower TX coast Thursday
and Friday. SCEC to near SCA conditions will prevail across
portions of the coastal waters Thursday and Friday.

&&

.BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...None.
GM...None.
&&

$$

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HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RGV

59...aviation