The forecast for the weekend looks cool, and mostly dry. There will be one exception, however. A storm system over Texas will track through the region late Saturday into Sunday. This will bring a chance of showers to the area for the middle part of the weekend. The rain will be spotty in coverage and light in intensity. Most of the widespread heavy rain with this system will stay over the Gulf and across Florida, well south of the region. Don't expect much sunshine this weekend, with cloudy skies both Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures will be in the upper 50s to around 60 each day.
Warmer weather arrives next week ahead of a stronger storm system that promises to bring a significant chance for rain beginning Tuesday evening and continuing into Wednesday. There is a threat for heavy rainfall and some stronger storms, but this system does not appear to have the ingredients necessary for significant severe weather like we saw Christmas Day. Any storms that do occur will be mainly heavy rain producers, along with the threat for damaging winds. The tornado threat looks minimal at this time due to a lack of instability and directional (winds turning clockwise with height) wind shear.
Rain chances move out quickly Wednesday afternoon, with yet another cold front possibly bringing more rain by the end of next week or next weekend. Temperatures most of next week will be milder than they've been, with highs mainly in the 60s, with some areas approaching 70 by Wednesday and next Friday.
Chief Meteorologist Derek Beasley
