Flash Flood Warning 26, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
335 PM CDT FRI SEP 6 2002

21Z UPDATE ON TROPICAL STORM FAY HAS CENTER AT 27.8 NORTH...97.8
WEST AND NEARLY STATIONARY. OFFICIAL TPC FCST TRACK HAS FAY MAKING
LANDFALL NEAR MATAGORDA BAY AROUND MIDDAY SATURDAY. OUTFLOW HAS
IMPROVED OVER WEST SIDE OF THE STORM AND LOWEST PRESSURE HAS DROPPED
TO 999 MB SO THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL FAY COULD BECOME A CAT 1
HURRICANE PRIOR TO LANDFALL.

FORECAST FOR NEAR TERM PERIODS WILL AGAIN BE TAILORED AROUND TPC
TRACK FCST. EXPECT HEAVY RAIN SHIELD TO SPREAD INLAND INTO CENTRAL
ZONES THIS EVENING...WITH HEAVIEST RAINS SHIFTING TO WESTERN HALF OF
THE AREA BY LATE SAT/SAT NIGHT. FOR TONIGHT...EXPECTING 3 TO 6
INCHES OF RAINFALL COASTAL COUNTIES...WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES CENTRAL
ZONES. FOR STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS: CURRENT THINKING IS WIDESPREAD
4 TO 8 INCH ACCUMULATIONS WITH ISOLATED TOTALS OF 12 TO 15 INCHES
MAINLY OVER THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF CWA. WILL EXTEND FFA THROUGH
SATURDAY AND KEEP SAME CONFIGURATION SOUTH OF A SHEPHERD TO
MADISONVILLE LINE. BASED ON CURRENT FCST TRACK...TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WINDS WILL REACH WHARTON/FT. BEND COUNTIES BY 12Z SO WILL
UPGRADE NPW TO INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING FOR WEST CENTRAL
ZONES. ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BECOME A THREAT LATE TONIGHT/SATURDAY
MAINLY SOUTH OF I-10. ALREADY HAVE SPS OUT TO HANDLE THIS SITUATION.
NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WITH SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON
TIDES...FORECAST WINDS...AND EVACUATIONS WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 5 PM.

LATER PERIODS (SUNDAY ONWARD)...

AVN/CANADIAN/ECMWF IN GOOD AGREEMENT ON MOVEMENT OF FAY ONCE IT
COMES INLAND SATURDAY. SYSTEM SHOULD PUSH SLOWLY WESTWARD AND STALL
OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AS IT BUMPS INTO MID LEVEL RIDGE. EVEN
AFTER DEPARTURE OF SYSTEM...CWA WILL LIE IN LARGE PLUME OF TROPICAL
MOISTURE (PWS 2.1 TO 2.3 INCHES) CURRENTLY STRETCHING FROM THE STORM
EASTWARD TO NRN CARIBBEAN. 12Z AVN SHOWS STRONG CONVERGENCE FROM SFC
TO 850 MB ACROSS AREA SUN/MON WHICH COULD HELP FOCUS CONVECTION. AS
A RESULT...HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING THREAT WILL PERSIST ACROSS CWA
THROUGH AT LEAST MONDAY...AND WILL GO LIKELY POPS ALL AREAS SUN/MON.

SAVING GRACE BY MIDWEEK MAY BE EARLY SEASON COLD FRONT BEING PROGGED
BY AVN/ECMWF TO CROSS CWA TUESDAY. AVN SHOWS SIGNIFICANT DRYING
ACROSS CWA TUE-WED (PWS DROPPING BELOW 1.5 INCHES). NOT READY TO
JUMP ON THIS YET BUT WILL WORD CHANCE POPS FOR TUE/WED...DECREASING
TO SLIGHT CHANCE THU/FRI.

35/42/43/47/30

.HGX...TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND HURRICANE WATCH
           PORT OCONNOR TO HIGH ISLAND.
       FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SATURDAY ALL BUT FAR NE ZONES.
       INLAND TROPICAL STORM WIND WARNING WEST CENTRAL ZONES.

PRELIMS...
CLL TT 073/084 074/086 073 488 NE ZONES 466
IAH TT 074/082 075/086 074 ++7
GLS TT 076/082 077/084 077 ++7

TXZ200-210>214-226-227-235>238-070500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
735 PM CDT FRI SEP 6 2002

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 12 AM CDT FOR THE SOUTHEAST
PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 12 AM CDT FOR JACKSON...
MATAGORDA...BRAZORIA...GALVESTON...CHAMBERS...LIBERTY...HARRIS...
...FORT BEND...WALLER...AUSTIN...COLORADO AND WHARTON COUNTIES.

DUE TO TROPICAL STORM FAY WHICH IS LOCATED 105 MILES SOUTH OF
GALVESTON...RAINBANDS WILL MOVE INLAND TONIGHT ALONG THE SOUTHEAST
TEXAS COAST. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE AS THESE RAINBANDS MOVE
ONSHORE. THE TORNADOES ARE LIKELY TO BE EMBEDDED WITHIN THE
HEAVY RAIN AREAS. STRONG...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE
AS RAINBANDS MOVE ONSHORE.

REMEMBER A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES
AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. RESIDENTS
SHOULD BE ON ALERT FOR TORNADO WARNINGS TONIGHT.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL TELEVISION OR RADIO
STATIONS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER FOR LATER STATEMENTS
CONCERNING THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.