HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK

HOUSTON, January 28, 2008 - TONIGHT AND TUESDAY A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS DURING THE MIDDAY AND EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS TUESDAY RESULTING IN SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE RAIN WILL END FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THE AFTERNOON AS THE FRONT CLEARS THE AREA. IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT...WINDS WILL BECOME WEST TO NORTHWEST AND INCREASE TO 15 TO 25 MPH OVER THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE AREA. THE GUSTY WINDS COMBINED WITH A SHARP DROP IN HUMIDITY WILL RESULT IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE AREA TUESDAY AFTERNOON. A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT GENERALLY NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM TRINITY TO CONROE TO COLUMBUS FROM NOON TO 7 PM ON TUESDAY.

THURSDAY A STORM SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE AREA ON THURSDAY. MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME STRONG OR SEVERE LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE VERY EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS ON THURSDAY AS THE SYSTEM MOVES ON THROUGH.