CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Our much-anticipated arctic cold front has moved through the Coastal Bend, pushing in just after midnight and is dropping temperatures in a significant way.
The high of the day for Thursday has already occurred, which was in the mid-60s around midnight. Now that the front is through, we’ll spend much of the day today hovering in the low to mid-40s.
There was not much rainfall associated with the frontal passage, as expected; however, with upper-level disturbances off to our west and feeding subtropical moisture from the Pacific into South Texas, we’ll see light to moderate rain increase as the day progresses. So, look for mainly cold, windy and damp conditions by later today. A Wind Advisory is posted for parts of the area until 2 p.m. for gusts around 40-50 mph.
Tonight, events begin to get very interesting. We have a Winter Storm Warning and Freeze Warnings that go in effect from 9 p.m. until Noon on Friday. As temperatures fall to at or just below the freezing level of 32 degrees, the rainfall will shift into a wintry mix which will include some light snow flurries, sleet and freezing rain. And the farther west you go, the better the chance for the light snow flurries, the closer to the coast you are, the more the wintry mix will be more likely to be freeing rain to sleet.
If you can avoid travel later tonight through about 10 a.m. Friday, that is the safest thing you can do. If you must travel, be very careful on bridges, overpasses, and flyovers. Bridges will glaze and ice over very quickly. Leave plenty of space between you and the vehicle in front of you and give yourself ample time to reach your destinations.
Conditions will improve by Friday afternoon, but temperatures will still be on the cold side in the middle 40s with the wind chill in the teens and 20s.
By the weekend, we’ll continue to have mainly cloudy skies, but highs will reach the middle 50s with some light rain and drizzle that will be on and off.
Rain and showers increase again early on Monday as another upper-level disturbance moves north of us, but the rain will decrease by the afternoon as it exits to the northeast.
Another cold front will arrive early Wednesday morning of next week and that will present yet another shot of some light to moderate rain in the region.
Today: Very cold, windy and light to moderate rain increasing…High: 45…Wind: N 15-30 mph with gusts around 40-50 mph. Wind Advisories posted.
Tonight: Wintry mix of sleet/freezing rain/light snow-flurries possible as temperature drop at or just below freezing; HAZARDOUS driving conditions with Winter Storm Warnings and Freeze Warnings in effect from 9 p.m. Thursday through noon Friday. Low: 31…Wind: N 10-20 mph and gusting. Wind Chill temperatures in the teens and 20s.
Friday: Winter Storm Warning and Freeze Warnings expire at noon, still mainly cloudy and very cold and breezy…High: 45…Wind: N 10-20 mph and gusting.
Saturday: Mainly cloudy, chilly with some intermittent light rain and drizzle…High: 54…Wind: NE 10-20 mph.
Sunday: Cloudy with light showers and still chilly…High: 55…Wind: NE 10-15 mph.
Monday: More clouds with some light to moderate rain early and tapering off in the afternoon…High: 59…Wind: WNW 7-14 mph.
Tuesday: Little more sunshine, milder and near seasonal…High: 67…Wind: NE 10-15 mph.
Have a great day and please be careful tonight when our wintry mix moves through!