Why it could be a week before the sunshine returns

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — We hope you enjoyed the sunshine Tuesday because it might be a full week before it returns again. At least we don’t have to worry about any more freezes!
Moist air from the Gulf of Mexico will return overnight, bringing back widespread clouds and dense fog for the Wednesday morning drive.

Temperatures will start off in the mid 50s and warm into the mid 70s. While the fog should lift over Houston it may not leave our coastal communities at all on Wednesday. In fact, it could linger for days.

Why is the sea fog coming back and how long will it stick around?
Last week’s severe cold snap cooled off the shelf water temperatures into the 50s, which is anywhere from 10-20 degrees below normal. When humid Gulf air blows over the top of these chilled waters, the moisture condenses out of the air to from the fog. The colder the water, the dense the fog gets and the longer it lingers. The sea fog is likely to linger all the way through the weekend as it will take some time for the cold shelf waters to warm up and stop making the fog. The only other way it can move out is if a weak front arriving Thursday can push drier air over the cold shelf waters.

How cold will it get behind the next cold front?
That’s difficult to determine at this time because we expect the next front to stall out somewhere near Houston on Thursday. If the front clears your neighborhood, you’ll have a tough time warming out of the 50s under a cloudy sky. If the front stalls to your north, you’ll be stuck in the 60s and 70s with sea fog. We do expect the front to eventually push out into the Gulf Friday, which could drop temperatures back into the 40s.

Will we get any rain with this front?

There is a 40% chance of showers with the front, but we expect total rainfall to generally average under one quarter of an inch.

How is the weekend shaping up?
At this time we expect the front to lift north on Friday night, bringing in mild, humid air for the weekend. That means you can expect lows in the 60s and highs in the 70s with lots of clouds and, yes, more sea fog. A few showers are also possible both days ahead of another front arriving Monday.