textproduct: Corpus Christi

KEY MESSAGES

Updated at 141 PM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026

- Small Craft and Gale Conditions tonight through Sunday behind the cold front

- Widespread shower activity increasing tonight with a rainy stretch through Tuesday night

- Coastal Flood Advisory for minor coastal flooding Sunday AM

DISCUSSION

Issued at 141 PM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026

The long-awaited cold front is starting to now move into South Texas. Scattered showers are developing ahead of and along the front. These will light in rainfall. After the cold front moves through the area, shower coverage will begin increasing across the region. Elevated instability behind the front will bring a brief period where weak thunderstorm activity will increase after 7pm through early Sunday morning. At the same time, winds will become N/NE'ly behind the front resulting in breezy conditions 20-25 mph winds gusting as high as 35 mph (especially along the immediate coastline/barrier islands). For the bays and inland waterways, small craft conditions will develop and continue through late Sunday night. For the open waters, 12Z HREF probabilities have the nearshore waters (out to 20nm) possibly seeing gale gusts (30-50% chance), with even greater chances (50-70% chance) beyond 20nm. As such, a Gale Watch was issued for the nearshore waters and a Gale Warning from Port Aransas to Matagorda Bay through Sunday morning. Thereafter, all of the marine zones will remain under a Small Craft Advisory into late Sunday night.

With the cold front passage and continued rain chances will keep temperatures 15-25 degrees colder than normal for Sunday's highs. While low temperatures will not see quite the departure from normal values compared to the high temperatures, they will still be cooler than normal. Rainfall amounts from now through Tuesday morning still remain similar to the previous package. Tuesday's forecast rainfall was a bit higher across the Victoria Crossroads as a shortwave disturbance moves through Texas. After that disturbance moves east, our pattern starts to transition into a drier pattern and with temperatures climbing back to near-normal values.

With respect to minor coastal flooding, a Coastal Flood Advisory was issued for Sunday's high tide cycle as P-ETSS guidance as it continues to show Bob Hall Pier exceeding 2 ft above MSL and near 2 ft for the Port Aransas area. The advisory also includes the coastline along inland bays as the increased water levels associated with the high tide combined with the persistent strong to near- gale N/NE'ly wind has the possibility of bringing the water even higher. Tides will recede through the morning and the coastal advisory may be cancelled sooner if the water level drops quicker.

Welcome to April in South Texas!

AVIATION

(18Z TAFS) Issued at 141 PM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026

The cold front is starting to move through the northern terminals with CIGs dropping flight categories into the MVFR/IFR range. Scattered showers are starting to pop up along the front though not observing any significant drops in VIS as of yet. Hi-res model guidance shows shower activity picking up in spatial coverage for most terminals after 00Z with a brief period of some convective showers/thunderstorms through roughly 06Z and resultingly, a drop to IFR/LIFR, though this convective activity will primarily affect KCRP/KALI/KVCT. Beyond 12Z, a more widespread rain (and drizzle like rain) will expand across the region. PROB30 groups were added in to account for further reductions from MVFR/IFR due to stronger showers and reductions in VIS.

MARINE

Issued at 141 PM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026

A cold front will move through the area tonight, resulting in winds increasing to near-gale strength offshore. The probabilities for greater than 35 kt wind gusts will be greatest for waters beyond 20 nm (50-70% chance) while nearshore waters and bays will see strong to near-gale winds (and under 50% chances for frequent gale gusts). Seas behind the front will increase to 6-10 ft tonight decreasing to near 5 ft Monday morning. As such, a Gale Watch and Warning have been issued for the open waters through the remainder of Sunday morning. Small Craft Advisory conditions will continue through Sunday midnight. Rain chances will start tonight and continue through Tuesday night.

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 141 PM CDT Sat Apr 18 2026

Rain chances return this weekend with the passage of a cold front Saturday afternoon. Wetting rains are possible with an area wide average of 0.5 to an inch of rain currently expected this weekend through the first half of the upcoming week. Expect windy conditions behind the front, and this will persist through Sunday along the immediate coast. Winds behind the front will be mainly northeast, with no real offshore flow anticipated. Conditions become drier and warmer by mid-week.

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

Corpus Christi 58 69 63 73 / 60 30 60 70 Victoria 54 70 56 73 / 80 20 30 60 Laredo 55 61 57 68 / 90 60 60 60 Alice 57 68 59 74 / 70 30 60 70 Rockport 61 74 64 77 / 60 30 50 70 Cotulla 55 64 56 68 / 80 40 50 60 Kingsville 58 69 61 73 / 60 40 60 70 Navy Corpus 64 72 67 75 / 70 40 60 70

CRP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

TX...Coastal Flood Advisory from 4 AM to 7 PM CDT Sunday for TXZ245- 342>347-443-447.

GM...Small Craft Advisory from 10 PM this evening to midnight CDT Sunday night for GMZ231-232-236-237-250-270.

Gale Watch from 10 PM CDT this evening through Sunday afternoon for GMZ255.

Small Craft Advisory from 1 PM Sunday to midnight CDT Sunday night for GMZ255-275.

Gale Warning from 10 PM this evening to 1 PM CDT Sunday for GMZ275.