Quiet Morning, Severe Threat Possible Late PM-Evening.

The SPC (Storm Prediction Center) shifted the severe threat area slightly to our west and north placing much of LA. & MS. in the highest risk west of Baton Rouge.  Their first Tornado Watch covers the Houston area right now, but there will be more to come later this afternoon and evening.

Lots of lightning accompanies the storms that are in several lines along the upper Texas Coast.  We should be mostly dry until after 4 PM with most of the bad weather holding off until after dark here.

The set up has us in the warm air sector with a sharp temperature boundary along the front to our west.  Note Houston is near 70 while Dallas is just above freezing.  As the upper low lifts out this afternoon, there will be a big snow & ice area develop in the cold air with strong, possibly severe storms in the warm air sector.

I've circled the upper air low on the 2nd satellite view and have the surface front and low on the bottom pic.  Note the small area of clear skies over us.

If we get enough sunshine, we could approach 80 degrees on this last day of 2020.  The cool down will be gradual as the first upper feature races out thisftnoon followed by a weaker feature on Saturday.  That second feature will bring the cold air over us for the weekend, but skies will tune sunny again.  This will not be an Arctic blast and we'll warm back up early next week.  I am leaving my plants outside to soak up he coming rainfall and the weekend sunshine.  I'll update again later this PM.  Stay tuned!