NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
343 PM CST THU DEC 16 2004
.DISCUSSION...
PCPN CONTINUING TO MOVE OUT TO THE EAST THIS AFTN (AT A DECENT CLIP)
WITH NOT MUCH ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT NOTED IN ITS WAKE. FROM THE LA-
TEST SFC PLOTS...IT LOOKS LIKE THE LEADING EDGE OF THE NEXT BATCH OF
DRIER AIR IS SLOWLY MAKING ITS WAY ACROSS THE STATE (ROUGHLY ALONG A
LINE FROM ACT TO JUST S OF JCT). AS THIS AMS MOVES IN AND THE BETTER
ISENTROPIC LIFT MOVES EAST...PCPN CHANCES SHOULD DROP MARKEDLY OVER-
NIGHT. HAVE ADJUSTED POPS ACCORDINGLY. DRY/QUIET WEATHER IN THE WAKE
OF THE "FRONT" TO LINGER THROUGH SAT. THE NEXT STRONGER/COLDER FRONT
STILL PROGGED FOR SUN. HIGHLY AMPLIFIED RIDGE BUILDING OVER THE WEST
THIS WEEKEND TO HELP TAP CANADIAN AIR ONCE AGAIN. MOS NUMBERS INDIC-
ATING ANOTHER FREEZE ON TAP FOR INLAND PORTIONS OF SETX BY MON MORN.
WEAK RETURN FLOW TO RETURN LATE MONDAY (ON THROUGH TUES) AS THE UPPR
FLOW FLATTENS OUT. A WEAK COLD FRONT ON LATE TUES/EARLY WED FORECAST
TO BE SHORT LIVED (BUT COULD BE OUR NEXT "BEST" CHANCE OF RAIN). PER
LONG RANGE GUIDANCE...NEXT FRI(XMAS EVE) LOOKS RATHER COLD AS WE SEE
A RATHER STRONG COLD FRONT MOVE DOWN OFF THE PLAINS. SANTA SHOULDN'T
HAVE ANY TROUBLE FLYING DOWN IN THESE WINDS IF THE MODELS DO VERIFY.
BRRR... 41
