Better keep those jackets and gloves handy.
The Rio Grande Valley is expected to receive blasts of cold air over the next five days.
The first cold push of air will arrive late this evening or early Friday morning, dropping temperatures to the 50s by Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service in Brownsville.
The second push of cold air likely will come from the North Pole around sunset Monday and temperatures will be in the 40s and 50s on Tuesday with feel-like temperatures around 35 to 40 degrees, the NWS advised. There’s a chance the cold front could arrive sooner.
“It will be like a freight train of cold air,” said Barry Goldsmith, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Brownsville.
Today’s highs will be in the upper 80s by about around 2 p.m.
Fast forward 24 hours, and Friday’s highs will be in the 50s, roughly a 30-degree change in temperatures with some rain, according to the NWS forecast. Some areas could receive a quarter of an inch of rain.
Goldsmith said the rain should stop in time for Friday night football and he advises people to dress warmly if they are going to attend the games.
Saturday’s highs will be in the upper 60s and lower 70s, and Sunday’s highs will be in the upper 70s to low 80s.
The big change will come around sunset Monday when the arctic air begins to push through the Valley, bringing not only cold temperatures but brisk winds at 20 to 30 miles per hour.
Weather forecasters may have to issue wind advisories on either Monday or Tuesday depending how gusty the winds get. Wind chill advisories might also have to be issued.
“There could be up to a 50 degrees feels like change, in this case between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning’s commute. It could still be 45 degrees to 50 degrees Tuesday afternoon,” he said.
Morning temperatures for Wednesday could be in the upper 30s to upper 40s with feels like temperatures between 30 and 35 degrees. “That’s just reasonable cases for right now if this trend continues it could be colder,” Goldsmith said.
Goldsmith said residents should start preparing for next week’s cold blast by pulling out their jackets, scarves, gloves and hats or beanies. They should also check their heaters and space heaters to make sure they are in good working condition. Some power outages could occur due to the strong winds and residents should make sure to have flashlights nearby.
“Be ready for wintry type (weather) for the Valley style,” he said.
