Heavy rain, gusty winds possible during Mardi Gras and Valentine’s weekend

Forecasters say that Southeast Texas will have one more day of dry weather on Friday before heavy rain and strong storms hit the area Saturday evening.

Early Friday morning, dense fog covered most of the Houston area, making it impossible to see more than a quarter mile in some places until 9 a.m. A mass of humid air and light southeasterly winds made driving dangerous all over the area. By midmorning, visibility should have gotten better from north to south. However, thick fog could stay along the coast until early afternoon.

Even though it will be dry on Friday, the skies will stay mostly cloudy as rain comes in ahead of the storm system over the weekend. The afternoon highs should be in the mid- to upper 70s. Late Friday, a few isolated storms might happen, but until Saturday, most places should stay dry.

As scattered showers and heavy downpours move across Southeast Texas early Saturday, the chance of rain rises. We expect a broken line of thunderstorms to form along Interstate 35 between Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth by Saturday afternoon.

Strong southeasterly winds of up to 30 mph will add moisture to the system, strengthening the storms as they move east. Forecasters say that by 6 p.m., there will be a better-organized line of thunderstorms west of the Houston metro area, going from Huntsville to Brenham.

The line will move into Greater Houston between 7 and 10 p.m., and storms will hit Galveston between 8 and 11 p.m. Heavy rain and strong storms are most likely to occur in the evening, which is bad news for people attending Mardi Gras and Valentine's Day events in Galveston.

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center says that a few strong to severe storms could happen Saturday across much of Southeast Texas. Wind blasts that do damage are the main danger. The weather service also says that a short, weak storm is possible.

As a cold front moves through the area, storms should move away from the upper Texas Gulf Coast late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.

Behind the front, Sunday will bring drier air thanks to strong northwesterly winds. Even though humidity will drop significantly, afternoon temperatures will still rise into the upper 60s and lower 70s, which is warmer than usual for mid-February.

Sunday night, the lows will drop into the upper 40s and lower 50s. This is the coolest air that the long-range prediction calls for. Southeast Texas temperatures should return to the lower 80s by the middle of the week.

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