textproduct: Houston/Galveston

KEY MESSAGES

- Cooler and breezy tonight. - Hazardous marine conditions expected. Gale Warning is in effect into Saturday for strong north winds and building seas.

- Warmer temperatures return next week, but just seasonable in nature.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1246 PM CDT Fri Oct 16 2026

With the cold front off the coast, northerly winds of 15-30 mph have developed over the region, with gusts reaching 25-42 mph. The strongest of these winds are expected/occuring west of I-45 and along islands. A wind advisory remains in effect, with the current configuration lasting through 1 AM Saturday as inland winds ease. Along the islands and waters, these strong winds will persist overnight, with Gale conditions most likely through early Saturday. With that, the Wind Advisory for the islands will remain in effect until 1 PM Saturday, matching the Gale Warning for all waters.

Morning lows for Saturday will be in the upper 40s/mid 50s and upper 50s/lower 60s right along the coast. Daytime highs will top out in the upper 60s/lower 70s Saturday. The coldest temperatures arrive Sunday morning, reaching the lower 40s/lower 50s inland and upper 50s/lower 60s along the immediate coast. High pressure behind the front tracks eastward Sunday into next week. Ridging builds overtop the area while a coastal trough develops over the northwestern Gulf early next week. Isolated showers will be possible, though more so confined to coastal/Gulf zones, as easterly flow will limit moisture recovery for inland areas. Gradually warming is expected throughout the work week with highs for Thursday reaching the 80s/lower 90s.

03

AVIATION

(00Z TAF Issuance) Issued at 602 PM CDT Fri Oct 16 2026

VFR conditions will prevail through the period with some sct/bkn high cloudiness streaming overhead, though breezy-windy northerly winds should be noted across all locations thru the evening. Inland, speeds will diminish a bit overnight with gusts settling down a bit closer to 20kt versus the current 30kt. But closer to the coast, speeds will likely further increase as cooler air moves over the warmer waters. Could see some occasional gusts to 40kt along the immediate coast between 3-9z. Saturday, wouldn't be surprised to see a brief increase in speeds across inland areas 13-16z with some better mixing, but speeds should be on a downward trend thru the remainder of the day. 47

MARINE

Issued at 1246 PM CDT Fri Oct 16 2026

Northerly winds of 20-30 knots are expected this afternoon, rising to Gale/near Gale force overnight with gusts up to 45 knots and seas of 7-13 feet. A Gale Warning is in effect until 1 PM Saturday. Winds and seas decrease Saturday afternoon, though Small Craft conditions may linger through early Sunday morning. Winds veer to the east next week as high pressure shifts east of the area. Some isolated showers/storms will be possible over the waters early in the work week as a coastal trough sets up offshore.

03

FIRE WEATHER

Issued at 1246 PM CDT Fri Oct 16 2026

Northerly winds of 15-30 mph with higher gusts of 25-42 mph continue this afternoon behind the cold front. The strongest winds should be west of I-45 and along the coast. Humidity will drop to 25-40%, short of reaching Red Flag Warning levels. Cannot completely rule out locally drier spots, as it's contingent on cloud cover, strength of the cold air advection and afternoon heating. While areas in SE Texas are not expected to hit Red Flag conditions, fire weather conditions will be elevated this afternoon. Texas A&M Forest Service maintains high to very high fire danger for SE Texas today. Caution is strongly advised when burning outdoors.

Northerly winds decrease overnight into Saturday, dropping below 15 mph at most locations by the afternoon as RH drops to 30-40%. Texas A&M Forest Service maintains high to very high fire danger on Saturday as well.

03

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS

College Station (CLL) 48 69 45 74 / 0 0 0 0 Houston (IAH) 52 71 49 74 / 0 0 0 0 Galveston (GLS) 60 73 61 74 / 0 0 0 0

HGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

TX...Wind Advisory until 1 AM CDT Saturday for TXZ176-177-195>199- 210>214-226-227-235>238-313-335>338.

Wind Advisory until 1 PM CDT Saturday for TXZ436>439.

GM...Gale Warning until 1 PM CDT Saturday for GMZ330-335-350-355-370- 375.