AFDHGX AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 401 AM CDT THU MAY 12 2011 .DISCUSSION... AS ONE SYSTEM MOVES OUT TO THE EAST THIS MORNING...WATCH BOXES OUT TO THE WEST HERALDING THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE ACTIVITY HEADING FOR US LATER TODAY. SHORT TERM GUIDANCE (WHILE THEY DID INITIALIZE OK) NOT HANDLING THE PCPN THIS MORNING ALL THAT WELL. SO NOT FEELING A LOT OF CONFIDENCE WITH THEIR TAKE ON THINGS FOR THE AFTN. BUT THAT BEING SAID...THE WEAKENED CAP/ABUNDANT MOISTURE AND LIKELIHOOD FOR A RATHER UNSTABLE AIRMASS (WITH DAYTIME HEATING AS PER OF THE MESO HIGH IN THE WAKE OF THIS OVERNIGHT ACTIVITY) TO SET THE STAGE THIS AFTN FOR A DECENT CHANCE OF WIDESPREAD CONVECTION. AGAIN TIMING TO BE THE MAIN ISSUE TODAY WITH THE NEXT SHORTWAVE. BUT SHOULD ALL OF THIS COME TOGETHER THIS AFTN...THE SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WX COULD VERIFY NICELY. CHC POPS TO REMAIN IN FOR TONIGHT/EARLY FRI MORNING WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT. COOLER/DRIER CONDITIONS BY FRI NIGHT AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES ESEWD STEADILY WITH TIME. HIGH AMPLITUDE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE COMBINED WITH STRONG SFC HIGH SHOULD GIVE US A SPELL OF SPRING LIKE TEMPS DURING THE WEEKEND AND INTO THE EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK. 41 && .MARINE... SEAS CONTINUE TO DECREASE ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS AS ONSHORE FLOW BEGINS TO WEAKEN. WILL ALLOW SCEC TO EXPIRE AT DAYBREAK THIS MORNING FOR THE OFFSHORE WATERS. A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH OFF THE COAST ON FRIDAY BRINGING MODERATE OFFSHORE WINDS IN ITS WAKE. CAUTION FLAGS WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED ON SATURDAY DUE TO THE STRONGER OFFSHORE FLOW. ONSHORE WINDS WILL RETURN BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. 38 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... COLLEGE STATION (CLL) 87 68 84 55 80 / 50 40 20 0 0 HOUSTON (IAH) 88 71 89 61 81 / 40 40 30 10 0 GALVESTON (GLS) 84 74 85 66 80 / 30 40 30 10 0 && .HGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. GM...SMALL CRAFT SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION UNTIL 7 AM CDT THIS MORNING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: WATERS FROM FREEPORT TO THE MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL 20 NM TO 60 NM. && $$