A warm front is blowing in from the Gulf on this final day of 2012, increasing temps and rain chances with each passing hour. What starts out as light to moderate rain showers will transition into thunderstorms closer to midnight as a strong cold front begins pushing into southeast Texas.
We currently do not expect any storms to turn severe, but they will likely produce heavy rain. This line of heavy storms will slowly sag southward through the night, reaching the coast around sunrise.
Rain will continue off and on New Year's Day as temperatures fall behind the front. An upper-level storm west of Texas will cause the front to stall just offshore, leading to another round of cold, wet weather on Wednesday. In fact, temperatures will likely stay in the 40s all day long, and the heaviest rain will occur near the coast.
Total rain accumulations now through Wednesday will range from 1-3 inches. Drier air arrives Thursday, bringing back sunshine and lower humidity for the first weekend of the New Year.
