CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — High pressure at the surface and aloft is bringing sunny days and fair nights through the weekend, while a low in the Gulf of Mexico is limiting rain chances ahead of a Tuesday cold front. The Gulf low is the remnant of the system that brought significant rainfall here early this week, but its presence is not allowing onshore flow into the Coastal Bend. Therefore, expect only slowly moderating temperatures and a gradual return of Gulf moisture to the region. Highs will be in the upper 70s to lower 80s, with lows in the 50s to lower 60s through Monday.
Rain chances return early Monday ahead of a Tuesday cold front. Because of limited moisture, only isolated showers are expected across our northern counties during the pre-dawn hours Monday, with dry southwesterly winds thereafter. The cold front early Tuesday will be strong, limiting daytime readings to the middle 60s and sending overnights deep into the 40s by Wednesday morning. Expect breezy southeasterly flow on Sunday, followed by a strong northerly wind Tuesday and Wednesday. Rainfall totals early Monday will be meager, at less than 1/10 of an inch, and confined to our northernmost counties.
The low pressure that has lingered for several days in the southwestern Caribbean Sea has a moderate chance of becoming a tropical depression or tropical storm as it lifts northeastward toward Jamaica and the Dominican Republic this weekend. Another low off South Florida will bring gales to the U.S. Atlantic coast. No tropical systems are expected to impact the Coastal Bend, however.