The City of Kemah Emergency Management continues to monitor the possible weather developments making their way towards our region. As we continue to track these developments, now is a good time to review your significant weather event preparedness plans.
In addition to our Emergency Preparedness document for a quick overview of what you will need to be aware of during events like this, we also highly recommend visiting www.GCOEM.org to download the Galveston County Emergency and Disaster Guide. It is filled with tips and information to help you prepare.
The City of Kemah urges you to please stay abreast of weather developments by following local weather news reports for Galveston County. And observing communications from the US National Weather Service Houston-Galveston Texas for the latest information.
The National Weather Service has produced the following information:
Bottom Line
A strong cold front is currently moving through the area with decreasing temperatures and moderate to strong northerly winds in its wake. The strong winds will lead to numerous hazards across Southeast Texas and coastal waters.
Overview
The strong cold front moved through College Station shortly after 5am this morning with temperatures continuing to fall in its wake. Expect the cold front to push through the Houston metro area around 9am and push offshore by 12pm. In addition to the falling temperatures, isolated to scattered rain showers will continue to develop ahead of the frontal boundary with widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms expected this afternoon. Moderate to strong northerly winds will follow in the wake of this morning's cold front with sustained winds of 20-25 mph inland (25-30 mph coastal) with gusts up to 35 mph (45 mph coastal). A Wind Advisory is in effect from 9am this morning through 12pm on Saturday for all of Southeast Texas as a result.
The strong winds will extend into the Bays and Gulf waters with 25-35 knots of sustained winds with gusts up 45 knots. As a result, a Gale Warning is in effect from 12pm this afternoon to 12pm Saturday. Additionally, the strong northerly winds in combination with low tide tonight could lead to navigation difficulties due to low water. Subsequently, a Low Water Advisory goes into effect for the Bays this evening through Saturday evening. Surface high pressure approaches Southeast Texas on Saturday leading to a decreasing trend in winds.
Cold temperatures combined with strong northerly winds will equate to frigid wind chill values. Temperatures on Friday night/Saturday morning will drop into the upper 20s/low 30s for most of the area, but with the wind factored in, it'll feel like the upper teens/low 20s.
Hazards
Cold Front Timing
Tide/Water Levels
Galveston Bay Entrance: Low water level of 0.5 to 1.0 feet below MLLW (or even lower) will be possible late Friday night into early Saturday morning.
Resources
If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact the National Weather Service office at the phone numbers listed in the Resources section above.