327  
FXUS64 KBRO 150923  
AFDBRO  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX  
323 AM CST WED JAN 15 2025  
   
..NEW SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, MARINE
 
 
   
SHORT TERM
 
 
(TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY)  
ISSUED AT 316 AM CST WED JAN 15 2025  
 
DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF A COASTAL LOW IN THE GULF, MOISTURE  
CONTINUES TO BE ADVECTED ONSHORE RESULTING IN CLOUDY, DRIZZLY  
CONDITIONS THAT WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. OVERNIGHT RAIN CHANCES  
ARE BETWEEN 60-80% FOR THE ENTIRE VALLEY. TOMORROW, AN UPPER LEVEL  
SHORTWAVE WILL BEGIN TO PUSH THE COASTAL LOW AWAY FROM DEEP SOUTH  
TEXAS, WHICH WILL DECREASE OUR PRECIPITATION CHANCES. HOWEVER,  
SOME LINGERING DRIZZLE COULD PERSIST (ESPECIALLY IN THE EARLIER  
HOURS), AND THERE REMAINS A 30-60% CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION, WITH  
THE HIGHEST CHANCES BEING IN THE COASTAL COUNTIES. SKIES ARE  
EXPECTED TO REMAIN CLOUDY THROUGH THE DAY, KEEPING TEMPERATURES  
LOWER, AND SHOULD SLIGHTLY CLEAR IN THE AFTERNOON INTO THE  
EVENING. THERE WILL NOT BE MUCH VARIANCE IN HIGH AND LOW  
TEMPERATURES DUE THE LOW CLOUD COVER, AND TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO  
GET UP TO THE MID-50S TOMORROW, WITH LOW TEMPS IN THE UPPER  
40S/LOWER 50S  
 
THURSDAY IS EXPECTED TO BE WARMER AND DRIER, WITH LESS CLOUD COVER  
(SKIES SHOULD BE PARTLY CLOUDY). WITH MORE SUN GETTING TO THE  
SURFACE, TEMPERATURES THURSDAY ARE EXPECTED TO BE WARMER, WITH HIGH  
TEMPERATURES GETTING UP INTO THE LOWER TO MID 60S. THERE IS LITTLE  
TO NO CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION ON THURSDAY.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM
 
 
(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY)  
ISSUED AT 316 AM CST WED JAN 15 2025  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- ARCTIC AIR COLD FRONT SATURDAY NIGHT.  
 
ON THURSDAY, THE REMAINS OF A COASTAL TROUGH WILL FILL AS A MID  
LEVEL RIDGE WEAKENS OVER TEXAS. THE CWA WILL SEE MOSTLY CLEAR  
SKIES ON THURSDAY NIGHT WITH LOW TEMPS IN THE 40S AND 50S.  
MEANWHILE, ARCTIC AIR WILL MOVE OUT OF CANADA INTO THE NORTHERN  
HIGH PLAINS BEHIND AN EASTWARD MOVING CANADIAN TROUGH AND  
UNDERLYING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. LOCAL TEMPERATURES WILL FEEL WARM,  
WITH FRIDAY HIGHS IN THE 70S AND FRIDAY NIGHT LOWS IN THE 50S AND  
60S. EVEN ON SATURDAY HIGH TEMPS WILL BE IN THE 70S TO NEAR 80.  
 
A COLD FRONT WITH AIR DERIVED FROM THE ARCTIC WILL ARRIVE ON  
SATURDAY AND WE WILL HAVE A MCFARLAND CLONE (REFERRING TO THE  
CLASSIC 1976 PAPER BY M.J. MCFARLAND DESCRIBING A SYNOPTIC SETUP  
THAT PRODUCES UNUSUALLY COLD WEATHER FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS). ONCE A  
COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH, THE MID-LEVEL TROUGH AXIS FROM HUDSON  
BAY SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE UNITED STATES WITH A NORTH-SOUTH BLOCKING  
RIDGE TO THE WEST ALLOWS VERY COLD AIR TO PLUMMET SOUTH THROUGH  
NOTHING BUT BARBED WIRE FENCING OVER THE PLAINS. THE RESULTING  
"SIGNATURE" IS OFTEN PRESENT WHEN EXTREME COLD DEVASTATES LOCAL  
AGRICULTURE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THAT INDUSTRY WAS OF MAJOR  
IMPORTANCE.  
 
TEMPERATURES WILL "FREE-FALL" STARTING SATURDAY NIGHT CREATING A  
WINTER WEATHER THREAT THAT WILL PERSISTS THROUGH MUCH OF THE  
WEEK. THOUGH INITIALLY DRY, COLD AIR NOSING SOUTH INTO THE CWA  
WILL DANCE WITH WARMER AND MOISTER MARINE AIR TO SET UP A  
DEEPENING COASTAL TROUGH. THAT WILL ENHANCE RAIN CHANCES AND, WHEN  
COMBINED WITH THE COLDER TEMPERATURES WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO REACH  
A NADIR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, WILL UP THE CHANCES FOR POCKETS  
OF WINTRY PRECIP.  
 
USED AN NBM BASELINE FOR THE FORECAST, REALIZING THAT THERE IS  
STILL A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY. SOME OF THE MODELS (LIKE THE NAM)  
HANDLE THE COLDER TEMPS BETTER, AND THOSE HAVE YET TO COME INTO  
PRIME RANGE. FOR NOW, THE ECMWF AND THE NBM50 SEEM TO BE TRACKING  
WELL. A BIT CONCERNING IS THAT THE LOWER END NBM PROBABILITIES (25  
AND 10 PERCENT) WHICH MIGHT BE CONSIDERED REASONABLE WORST CASE  
SCENARIOS, TAKE TEMPS WELL BELOW FREEZING FOR THE COLDEST  
NIGHTS/MORNINGS. FOR NOW, HOWEVER, WE ARE LOOKING AT FREEZING  
TEMPS (AROUND 32 DEGREES) FOR THE RANCHLANDS MONDAY MORNING, A  
LIGHT FREEZE ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER AND STARR COUNTIES TUESDAY  
MORNING, AND A LIGHT (POSSIBLE HARD) FREEZE FOR THAT SAME AREA  
WEDNESDAY MORNING ALONG WITH A LIGHT FREEZE REACHING HIDALGO,  
WILLACY, AND NORTHERN CAMERON COUNTIES.  
 
IN TERMS OF WEATHER, LOOK FOR LIGHT, PATCHY FOG THURSDAY AND FRIDAY  
MORNINGS. OTHER PRECIP THREATS WILL OCCUR IN THE 5 TO 7 DAY  
RANGE. WE CAN'T GET AROUND THE POSSIBILITY OF FREEZING DRIZZLE  
ACROSS THE RANCHLANDS AND UPPER VALLEY MONDAY MORNING (RAIN  
ELSEWHERE). TOO, THE WINTRY PRECIP CHANCES OCCUR DURING THE  
OVERNIGHT HOURS. FREEZING RAIN WILL BE FEATURED MONDAY NIGHT FOR  
THE NORTHWEST RANCHLANDS AND ZAPATA COUNTY. THE FREEZING RAIN  
THREAT WILL SHIFT EAST TO KENEDY AND BROOKS COUNTIES TUESDAY  
NIGHT, WITH EVEN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF FREEZING DRIZZLE FOR CAMERON  
COUNTY EARLY WEDNESDAY. A FRESH SURGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL SPREAD  
OVER THE AREA LATE NEXT WEEK AND WILL END THE INFLUENCE OF THE  
COASTAL TROUGH AND THE ASSOCIATED RAIN CHANCES.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
 
(06Z TAFS)  
ISSUED AT 1050 PM CST TUE JAN 14 2025  
 
CONDITIONS HAVE BECOME LIFR AT KHRL AND KBRO TONIGHT WITH CEILINGS  
OF 400 FT WHILE KMFE HAS STILL MAINTAINED IFR WITH CEILINGS AT  
500 FT, BUT IS EXPECTED TO EVENTUALLY DROP DOWN TO LIFR (400FT  
CEILINGS) OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. LIGHT INTERMITTENT  
SHOWERS, MIST AND PATCHY FOG WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT, BRINGING  
PERIODS OF REDUCED VISIBILITY OF LESS THAN 2-4 SM, POTENTIALLY  
LESS THAN 1 SM AT KHRL. LIFR CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED TO LINGER  
THROUGH SUNRISE, GRADUALLY RISING TO IFR CEILINGS (500 FT)  
THROUGHOUT THE MORNING. CHANCES OF SHOWERS DECREASE IN THE  
AFTERNOON ALONG WITH A PICK UP IN NORTH-NORTHWESTERLY WINDS. WINDS  
SETTLE LATER WEDNESDAY EVENING, WITH CONDITIONS POSSIBLY  
BEGINNING TO IMPROVE TOWARDS THE END OF THE TAF CYCLE AS TROUGH  
MOVES TO NORTHEAST.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
ISSUED AT 316 AM CST WED JAN 15 2025  
 
TODAY THROUGH TOMORROW...A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS CURRENTLY IN  
EFFECT FOR THE NORTHERN NEARSHORE AND OFFSHORE WATERS (PORT  
MANSFIELD UP TO BAFFIN BAY) UNTIL 6 PM TODAY. GUIDANCE IS  
SUGGESTING THAT THIS ADVISORY MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED TO ALL GULF  
WATERS OVERNIGHT AS WAVE HEIGHTS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO UP TO  
8 FEET TONIGHT. THURSDAY WILL SLIGHTLY IMPROVE BUT STILL REMAIN  
DANGEROUS FOR SMALL CRAFT, WITH HEIGHTS BETWEEN 4 TO 7 FEET  
EXPECTED. WINDS WILL REMAIN NORTH-NORTHEASTERLY TODAY AND  
TOMORROW, WITH THE HIGHEST ANTICIPATES (20-25 KNOTS) EXPECTED  
TONIGHT.  
 
THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...MODERATE TO FRESH (OFFSHORE  
ZONES) WINDS AND MODERATE TO SLIGHTLY ELEVATED SEAS WILL  
INITIALLY PREVAIL, PROMPTING MAINLY SMALL CRAFT SHOULD EXERCISE  
CAUTION CONDITIONS. A SATURDAY COLD FRONT WILL BRING STRONG NORTH  
WINDS AND HIGH SEAS, PRODUCING SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS.  
 

 
   
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
 
 
BROWNSVILLE 55 51 63 52 / 30 20 0 0  
HARLINGEN 53 49 63 48 / 40 10 0 0  
MCALLEN 53 51 66 51 / 30 10 0 0  
RIO GRANDE CITY 53 50 66 48 / 30 10 0 0  
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 59 56 62 58 / 50 30 0 0  
BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL 56 52 62 52 / 50 20 0 0  
 

 
   
BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
TX...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON FOR TXZ451-454-  
455.  
 
GM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST THURSDAY FOR GMZ130-132-135-  
150-155-170-175.  
 

 
 

 
 
SHORT TERM...55-MM  
LONG TERM....54-BHM  
AVIATION...55-MM  
 
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