Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Brownsville, TX

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312 FXUS64 KBRO 071720 AAB AFDBRO Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Brownsville TX 1220 PM CDT Tue May 7 2024 ...New AVIATION... .SHORT TERM... (Today through Wednesday) Issued at 308 AM CDT Tue May 7 2024 Key Messages: - Unseasonable heat is expected during the short term period across Deep South Texas. - Those spending a prolonged period outside will need to take necessary heat precautions to avoid heat-related illnesses. - Moderate risk of rip currents through Wednesday. The overall weather pattern will promote above normal temperatures, triple-digit heat indices, and rain-free conditions through the short term period across Deep South Texas. At the surface, high pressure centered over the eastern Gulf of Mexico will maintain well established low-level southerly to southeasterly flow and allow for high dew points to remain in place. Quasi-zonal flow aloft may allow for a few embedded impulses to pass overhead, but drier air in the mid levels and a cap in place will preclude any precipitation chances. Widespread low clouds will be slow to lift/scatter this morning, but should begin to clear out from west to east by late this morning or early afternoon. The latest suite of high res guidance does maintain partial cloud cover across most of the region, with low clouds likely remaining along the immediate coast and some high clouds filtering in from the west/southwest. This may help with the unseasonable heat this afternoon as high temperatures warm into the mid 90s along/east of US-281 and upper 90s to around 101 degrees west of US-281. In combination with the humidity, heat index values will approach the triple-digits across most of Deep South Texas, ranging from 101-113 degrees. A caveat to the temperature forecast is the amount of cloud cover we actually see this afternoon. GOES-16 Upper-Level Water Vapor IR satellite imagery reveals the high clouds currently reside across Mexico, but are gradually moving toward Deep South Texas. Higher cloud cover than currently forecast may help temper the heat this afternoon, which could result in a high temperature 1-3 degrees cooler than currently forecast... and lower heat index values. Due to this uncertainty, I have opted to hold off on the issuance of a Heat Advisory for this afternoon. Otherwise, another mild and cloudy night is expected tonight as widespread low clouds develop once again. Low temperatures will fall into the 70s region wide. Wednesday will be around 2-6 degrees warmer than Tuesday, with high temperatures ranging from the mid 80s along the Lower Texas beaches to around 101-106 degrees across the Upper RGV and Brush Country. The main reason for this noticeable increase in temperatures is the increase of 850mb temperatures due to warm air advection. Now, while the air temperature will be highest across the western half of the region, lower dew points will be in place due to the presence of a dryline. This will result in heat index values measuring near or 1-3 degrees above the air temperature. Conversely, the presence of higher dew points east of the dryline will result in heat index values around 10-12 degrees above the air temperature. For areas east of the dryline, heat index values will range from 109-113 degrees during the afternoon hours. A Heat Advisory will likely be needed for portions of the region Wednesday afternoon. && .LONG TERM... (Wednesday Night through Monday) Issued at 308 AM CDT Tue May 7 2024 The aforementioned dryline will move farthest to the east within the BRO CWFA on Thursday, producing a ridiculous burst of daytime heat. Well above normal high temperatures will occur, and a HEAT ADVISORY is likely to be needed for the five easternmost counties (Hidalgo, Brooks, Cameron, Willacy, and Kenedy). Fortunately, the unseasonably warm temperatures experienced in the Short Term and a fraction of the Long Term will come to end on Friday, and persist through the remainder of the forecast period, due to the Friday passage of a cold front. More seasonal daytime highs and overnight lows are anticipated courtesy of the frontal passage. An added bonus will be the possibility of isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms Friday through Monday, produced initially by the cold front, but then subsequently by the passage of a series of 500 mb disturbances. The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor map of Texas places Abnormally Dry conditions within Cameron, Hidalgo, and Starr counties, so the convection may help to ease this condition ever so slightly where it occurs. && .AVIATION...
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(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1215 PM CDT Tue May 7 2024 MVFR ceilings should lift to VFR this afternoon across all aerodromes. This evening, however, ceilings will lower again thanks to the abundant moisture in the low levels of the atmosphere and MVFR ceilings are expected. As we head into late tonight/early Wednesday morning, hazy conditions may develop along with IFR conditions.
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&& .MARINE... (Today through Wednesday) Issued at 308 AM CDT Tue May 7 2024 Light to moderate southeast winds and moderate seas will prevail through the forecast period. Brief periods of Small Craft Exercise Caution conditions will be possible each afternoon, especially across the Laguna Madre and northern Gulf waters as wind speeds increase. (Wednesday Night through Monday) Small Craft Exercise Caution and brief possible Small Craft Advisory conditions will exist along the Lower Texas Coast Wednesday night through Friday due to an enhanced pressure gradient and the subsequent Friday passage of a cold front. Outside of this time period, generally moderate winds and seas are forecast. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BROWNSVILLE 92 77 94 78 / 0 0 0 0 HARLINGEN 96 76 98 76 / 0 0 0 0 MCALLEN 98 77 101 78 / 0 0 0 0 RIO GRANDE CITY 100 76 105 76 / 0 0 0 0 SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 83 77 85 78 / 0 0 0 0 BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL 89 76 93 76 / 0 0 0 0 && .BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. GM...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...22 LONG TERM....66 AVIATION...68-McGinnis