Afternoon discussion from the NWS in Houston/Galveston

[Johnny]

This is looking pretty darn good. Read below!!! They have brought accumulation into the forecast.


AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
345 PM CST WED DEC 22 2004

.DISCUSSION...
COLD FRONT HAS PUSHED OFF THE UPPER TEXAS COAST THIS AFTERNOON...
WITH RAIN EXITING THE AREA. VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A LARGE
AREA OF LOW CLOUDS SPREADING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA IN THE WAKE
OF THE FRONT. WILL CONSIDER LEAVING MENTION OF SPRINKLES OR FLURRIES
IN THE NRN ZONES THIS EVENING. HAVE DECIDED TO POST A WIND ADVISORY
FOR THE COASTAL ZONES TONIGHT. DESPITE THE CLOUD COVER...STRONG COLD
ADVECTION WILL ALLOW TEMPS TO FALL BELOW FREEZING OVER MOST INLAND
AREAS TONIGHT...EXCEPT FOR HOUSTON METRO AND THE COASTAL ZONES.
TEMPS WILL "WARM" BACK INTO THE 40S ON THURSDAY.

A SECONDARY SURGE OF ARCTIC AIR WILL CROSS SE TX THURSDAY NIGHT...
SETTING IN PLACE VERY COLD TEMPERATURES FOR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY.
OVER THE INLAND ZONES...TEMPERATURES WILL FALL BELOW FREEZING BY
MIDNIGHT THURSDAY NIGHT AND ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW FREEZING
UNTIL ABOUT NOON SATURDAY. SO MOST INLAND AREAS...INCLUDING THE
HOUSTON AREA...WILL SEE TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING FOR ABOUT 36
STRAIGHT HOURS BEGINNING THURSDAY NIGHT GOING INTO CHRISTMAS DAY!
THE COMBINATION OF THE WINDS AND FORECAST TEMPERATURES WILL PRODUCE
WIND CHILL READINGS OF 5 TO 15 DEGREES DURING THIS WHOLE PERIOD.

NOW ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR WINTRY WEATHER. MODELS SHOW A VERY
IMPRESSIVE UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK (160 KNOTS) CROSSING THE STATE
THURSDAY NIGHT...PUTTING SE TX IN THE RIGHT REAR QUADRANT.
ISENTROPIC LIFT PATTERN WILL DEVELOP OVER THE DEEPENING COLD DOME
BEGINNING AROUND 06Z FRIDAY. MOST OF THE MOISTURE WILL BE AT THE MID
LEVELS. HOWEVER...WITH TEMPS THIS COLD...IT WON'T TAKE MUCH MOISTURE
(ONLY ABOUT A HALF INCH OF PW) TO GENERATE PRECIP. WILL STICK WITH
CHANCE POPS ALL ZONES FRIDAY. AS FAR AS PRECIP TYPE...EXPECTING ALL
SNOW FOR THE INLAND ZONES...WITH PRECIP STARTING OFF AS A MIX ALONG
THE COAST BEFORE CHANGING TO ALL SNOW FRIDAY MORNING. THE BEST
CHANCE OF ANYTHING MEASURABLE WILL BE OVER THE COASTAL ZONES...WHERE
UP TO AN INCH OF SNOW IN GRASSY AREAS IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. THE BIGGEST TRAVEL CONCERN FRIDAY MORNING WILL BE THE POSSIBILITY OF
GLAZING ON BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES AS THE MELTED SNOW FREEZES OVER.

THE PRECIP SHOULD QUICKLY EXIT THE AREA LATE FRIDAY. SHOULD SEE
ENOUGH CLEARING AND DROP IN WIND FRIDAY NIGHT TO ALLOW TEMPS TO FALL
AS COLD AS MENTIONED ABOVE. SUNSHINE CHRISTMAS DAY WILL ALLOW HIGHS
TO CLIMB INTO THE LOWER 40S...FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER FREEZE SATURDAY
NIGHT. NO CHANGES TO THE FORECAST BEYOND SUNDAY.

THANKS TO LCH AND CRP FOR COORDINATION.