(Courtesy of National Weather Service Brownsville/Rio Grande Valley)
The Rio Grande Valley could experience some of its coldest nights so far this fall, as wind chills in the 30s and 40s are expected Saturday night with the passing of another cold front through the area, the National Weather Service in Brownsville/Rio Grande Valley reports.
With the wind chills in the forecast,you might want to have those extra blankets on hand to bundle up.
The high temperatures on Saturday will reach 60 degrees but then will continue to drop throughout the day. The lows on Saturday night will be in the 40s with the highs on Sunday in the 50s. Factor in the wind chills and it will feel much colder.
“Colder temperatures and high winds in the wake of the front will lead to wind chills in the 30s Saturday night/Sunday morning,” the NWS reports.
The cold front will also bring rain chances at about 80% to 60% across the Valley.
In addition to the wind chill advisory, a wind advisory may be needed for the barrier Island on Saturday, in addition to a coastal flood advisory, high surf advisory plus a gale warning, the NWS reports.
And because of the high winds, the NWS is warning motorists to watch out for pelicans on Highway 48 between Brownsville and Port Isabel, near the Gayman Bridge.
The NWS reports pelicans will often land on coastal roadways and bridges and do not avoid oncoming traffic well.
“Favored landing areas include the Carl ‘Joe’ Gayman bridge over Hwy 48 near Bahia Grande and the Queen Isabella Memorial Causeway to SPI on Hwy 100,” according to the NWS.
Minor coastal flooding will be possible Saturday and Saturday nights, especially at narrower beaches. In addition, a high risk of rip currents will persist through mid-week next week.
High surf with breaking wave heights of 6 feet or more will be possible Saturday and Sunday.
A gale warning will be in effect from 4 a.m. Saturday to noon Sunday in the Laguna Madre area and the gulf waters.
The NWS reports, “Gale-force winds will cause high to extreme difficulty for small craft and could cause damage to poorly fastened masts and loose items above deck. Rough waves may overspread the deck, causing additional problems.”
Forecasters encourage mariners to postpone or alter plans this weekend.
Light rain and drizzle will persist through the weekend and early next week. Some isolated embedded thunderstorms will be possible on Saturday.
