Stormy Weekend

Updated Sunday morning: The front is moving slower than originally forecast, but it's still coming. Scattered thundershowers are developing ahead of the front which will push through the area this afternoon.

The threat for severe weather is diminishing. Due to the weak flow ahead of the front, damaging winds are less likely, but there could still be a little hail in some of the stronger storms. I'm still expecting very heavy rainfall because the storms will be moving slowly.

Lower pressure in the Gulf has turned the winds in from the north, dropping the dew points at the surface. However, there's still enough moisture aloft for heavy rain in storms that develop ahead and along the cool front. Showers will also linger in the cooler air this evening.

The previous discussion follows:

We had three great weekends in a row-- with sunshine and mild temperatures! This weekend, on the other hand, will be stormy. Our lucky streak of great weather is over.

A cool front is pushing across Texas. Scattered showers will develop ahead of the front on Saturday while a squall line will blow into town early Sunday when the front pushes through.

Our exclusive FutureTrack computer model shows active storms on Saturday. Some of the rain will be heavy because upper level winds are light. An inch of rain wouldn't be unusual from any single storm that develops. And if a storm sits in one location long enough, we could see more than three inches of rain with isolated flooding problems.

I'm also concerned that a few of the storms could produce large hail and damaging winds.

The front will meander around the area on Saturday, even shifting north again before it finally plows through early Sunday. There could be a few showers ahead of the front very early Sunday. But at this time, it looks like the worst of the weather will develop after 6 AM Sunday. The front will hit Houston about 10 AM. The rain should end in Houston shortly after Noon, and by 2 PM in Galveston.

Very strong winds will blow in behind the cool front. Temps will probably be in the upper 60s most of the day Sunday, with a brief high in the low 70s. But with 20-30 mph northwest winds, it will feel much cooler.

Comments

[Shawna Hall]

Woke up to hail at 1am in Angleton, TX
Pea size and lasted just a coulpe of minutes.
My husband grabbed the video camera and described it as a wall of ice coming off the house.
Wow, I was nervous. Especially with the sound it produced. I wasn't sure if it was all hail or if there was a tornado on the way. I woke up my 7yr old son and went to our hall bath till it passed. Now all is quiet and we are taking pics of the hail.

[Janis]

Boy, the weatherman really missed it this weekend, School cancelled Spring Fest because of dire forecast and look what a great day it was.

RESPONSE from Tim Heller: It wasn't "a great day" in many parts of southest Texas where torrential rain fell on Sunday.

[Teresa]

I'm wondering why we have a Weather Man at all. There have been a lot of misses lately when it comes to rain. When you say we are going to have 100% chance of rain it does not rain at all and then when it's 20% chance of rain it's 100% rain all day. Also, thanks for never noting Kingwood. It's always Woodlands this and Woodlands that. We have had rain, lightning and thunder since 5 o'clock this morning with constant non-stop rain all day. Still raining right now! Great weather predictions! Keep it up! Not!

RESPONSE from Tim Heller: Heavy rain was in the forecast. We were right again.