A weak front moving through Texas will stall out near Houston Thursday, keeping plenty of clouds and fog around.
Temperatures will dip into the low 60s overnight, and fog will be most prevalent south of I-10, especially along the coast. A few breaks in the clouds will allow temperatures to warm into the mid-70s south of the front. Meanwhile, some neighborhoods north of Houston will struggle to climb out of the 50s. Widely scattered light showers are possible anytime as the front stalls out near Houston.
Why is the sea fog coming back and how long will it stick around?
Last week’s severe cold snap cooled off-the-shelf water temperatures into the 50s, which is anywhere from 10-20 degrees below normal. When humid Gulf air blows over the top of these chilled waters, the moisture condenses out of the air from the fog. The colder the water, the dense the fog gets and the longer it lingers. The sea fog is likely to linger all the way through the weekend as it will take some time for the cold shelf waters to warm up and stop making the fog. The only other way it can move out is if a front can blow in and push the moisture back out into the Gulf.
How cold will it get behind the next cold front?
That’s difficult to determine at this time because we expect the next front to stall out somewhere near Houston on Thursday. If the front clears your neighborhood, you’ll have a tough time warming out of the 50s under a cloudy sky. If the front stalls to your north, you’ll be stuck in the 60s and 70s with clouds and sea fog. It now looks like the front may never push through Houston, and if that’s the case, temperatures will not dip below 60 until another front arrives next week.
Will we get any rain with this front?
There is a 40% chance of showers with the front, but we expect total rainfall to generally average under one-quarter of an inch.
How is the weekend shaping up?
At this time we expect the front to lift north on Friday night, bringing in mild, humid air for the weekend. That means you can expect lows in the 60s and highs near 80 with lots of clouds and, yes, more sea fog. A few showers are also possible both days ahead of another front arriving late Monday.
Source: abc13.com
