FXUS64 KHGX 050023
AFDHGX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
623 PM CST FRI DEC 4 2009
.DISCUSSION...
AREA OF PRECIPITATION MOVING QUICKLY OUT OF EXTREME SOUTHEAST
PORTIONS OF CWFA. WE CANCELLED WINTER STORM WATCH. WITH WINDS
TAPERING DOWN AND CLEARING SKIES...TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO DROP
TO THE FREEZING MARK THIS EVENING INLAND AREAS ESPECIALLY FARTHER
INLAND. FREEZE WARNING CONTINUES. 37
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 530 PM CST FRI DEC 4 2009/
AVIATION...
RADAR AND SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOW MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES TO THE WEST OF A
LINE FROM LIVINGSTON...TO HOUSTON...TO PALACIOS. LIGHT RAIN/SNOW
AND MVFR CIGS SHOULD CLEAR OUT OF EASTERN TAF SITES BY 06Z. BEHIND
THE CLEARING LINE...VFR CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL FOR THE NEXT 24
HOURS. 44
PREV DISCUSSION.../ISSUED 252 PM CST FRI DEC 4 2009/
OUR EARLY SEASON WINTER STORM IS WINDING DOWN QUICKLY. WILL ADDRESS
THE WINTER STORM WARNING AROUND 330 PM BUT AT THE CURRENT TIME...AM
LEANING TOWARD ENDING THE WARNING AS SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS HAVE
ENDED. HOWEVER...ROADS ARE WET AND BRIDGES AND ELEVATED ROADS WILL
START TO FREEZE MAKING TRAVEL TREACHEROUS. WILL ADDRESS THE ICY
BRIDGES IN THE FREEZE WARNING. SPEAKING OF THE FREEZE
WARNING...TEMPERATURES WILL PLUNGE QUICKLY AFTER SUNSET...ESPECIALLY
IN AREAS THAT RECEIVED ACCUMULATING SNOW TODAY. SKIES WILL CLEAR BY
06Z AS THE CLEARING LINE IS ALREADY ON THE CWA DOORSTEP. TEMPS WILL
FALL INTO THE MID 20S MOST AREAS. THE IMMEDIATE COAST WILL BE SPARED
FREEZING TEMPERATURES SINCE THEY DID NOT RECEIVE SNOW...WATER TEMPS
STILL RELATIVELY WARM AND WINDS WILL PROVIDE MIXING. A SLOW WARM UP
WILL ENSUE ON SAT BUT EVEN WITH SUNSHINE...TEMPS WILL STRUGGLE TO
WARM INTO THE LOWER 50S. LOW TEMPS WILL OCCUR EARLY SATURDAY NIGHT
AND THEN SLOWLY RISE BY SUNDAY MORNING. STRONG WARM AIR
ADVECTION...COUPLED WITH AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL BRING A
GOOD CHANCE OF RAIN ON SUNDAY. ANOTHER S/WV TROUGH WILL CROSS THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS ON TUESDAY KEEPING THE WEATHER PATTERN UNSETTLED AND
RAIN CHANCES IN THE FORECAST. A WEAK FRONT WILL CROSS THE AREA
WEDNESDAY NIGHT YIELDING A BRIEF COOL DOWN FOR THURSDAY. TEMPS WILL
REBOUND QUICKLY BY FRIDAY. ANOTHER FAST MOVING LOW PRESSURE TROUGH
WILL APPROACH THE AREA ON FRI-SAT BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE OF RAIN.
A PNS WAS PREPARED WITH THE SNOWFALL TOTALS WE HAVE RECEIVED. WE
WILL ADD TO THE LIST AS MORE TOTALS BECOME AVAILABLE. ALTHOUGH
SOME OF THE SNOWFALL TOTALS WERE LESS THAN ANTICIPATED...THIS
EVENT IS STILL UNPRECEDENTED. THIS IS THE EARLIEST SNOWFALL ON
RECORD (SEE RERHOU). IT IS ALSO THE FIRST TIME THAT ACCUMULATING
SNOW HAS FALLEN IN CONSECUTIVE YEARS. AND LASTLY...TO PUT IT ALL IN
PERSPECTIVE...HOUSTON'S SEASONAL SNOWFALL TOTAL OF 0.5 INCHES (ALBEIT
SLIGHT) IS STILL HIGHER THAN CHICAGO'S SEASONAL SNOWFALL TOTAL
(TRACE).
MARINE...
NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS BLOWING ACROSS THE GREATER THAN 30 NM OFFSHORE
WATERS...GUSTING 35 TO 40 KNOTS THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON...OVER
NEAR 10 FOOT SEAS. CURRENT STRONG NORTHERLIES AND HIGHLY ELEVATED
SEAS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING...SIGNIFICANTLY
WEAKENING UNDER SCA CRITERIA THROUGH TOMORROW'S SUNRISE. PRESSURE
AND TEMPERATURE INLAND-TO-OFFSHORE GRADIENT WILL SLACKEN THROUGH
EARLY SATURDAY MORNING...SCAS WILL BECOME SCECS IN THE PRE-DAWN
HOURS AND PERSIST THROUGH MID-LATE MORNING. QUIET...ALBEIT VERY
COLD...MID SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY ON THE LOCAL WATERS. SUNDAY'S
FORECAST CALLS FOR INCREASING PRECIPITATION CHANCES. LOWERING
WESTERN PRESSURES AND OFFSHORE SOUTHWESTERN DISTURBANCES RIDING OFF
TO THE NORTHEAST HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF KICKING OFF ANOTHER ROUND OF
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A COUPLE OF FAR OFFSHORE STORMS. 31
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
COLLEGE STATION (CLL) 25 49 36 57 47 / 0 0 10 30 10
HOUSTON (IAH) 24 47 39 58 49 / 10 0 10 50 20
GALVESTON (GLS) 37 52 49 61 55 / 20 0 10 50 20
&&
.HGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...FREEZE WARNING UNTIL 9 AM CST SATURDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
AUSTIN...BRAZORIA...BRAZOS...BURLESON...CHAMBERS...
COLORADO...FORT BEND...GALVESTON...GRIMES...HARRIS...
HOUSTON...JACKSON...LIBERTY...MADISON...MATAGORDA...
MONTGOMERY...POLK...SAN JACINTO...TRINITY...WALKER...
WALLER...WASHINGTON...WHARTON.
GM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST SATURDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: GALVESTON BAY...MATAGORDA BAY...WATERS FROM FREEPORT
TO THE MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL OUT 20 NM...WATERS FROM HIGH
ISLAND TO FREEPORT OUT 20 NM.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST
SATURDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: WATERS FROM FREEPORT TO
THE MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL 20 NM TO 60 NM...WATERS FROM
HIGH ISLAND TO FREEPORT 20 TO 60 NM.
GALE WARNING UNTIL 10 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: WATERS FROM FREEPORT TO THE MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL
20 NM TO 60 NM...WATERS FROM HIGH ISLAND TO FREEPORT 20 TO
60 NM.
&&
$$
