Weather Impact Alert for extra dry and windy conditions, elevating fire weather concerns on Sunday

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Fire weather concerns are elevated behind a cold front set to move through the Coastal Bend Saturday afternoon. The wind will be strongest overnight and Sunday is when conditions will be at their driest. The combination of windy and dry conditions is when the weather can play a role in how quickly fires start and spread. 

Make sure you’re doing your part to prevent fires from happening and spreading. Keep your grass short, observe burn bans, and limit any outdoor spark-producing activities. If you’re grilling or barbequing, keep a close eye on your pit. Beach bonfires and campfires are prohibited during the burn ban. 

Wind gusts will pick up behind a cold front Saturday afternoon. As the front moves through the Coastal Bend the wind will shift out of the north, northeast. Wind speeds will increase as high pressure builds to our north behind the cold front. When the Coastal Bend is in between the high and the cold front this is when we will see the strongest wind thanks to the quickly changing pressure between the two. 

Fire danger will start to be elevated on Saturday behind the front, especially for the northwestern portion of the Coastal Bend. The entire region will see very high fire danger conditions on Sunday which is why we are highlighting this time periods with a weather impact alert. 

The National Weather Service has not issued a red flag warning yet, but they are also monitoring the conditions. The timing of the strongest wind and the driest conditions is a little off, but still high enough on their own for concern. 

Right now It looks like we will see wind gusts 30 -40 mph between 4 PM Saturday and 10 AM Sunday. 

Relative humidity will start to fall below 30% for the northwestern areas like Live Oak County on Saturday afternoon. Overnight relative humidity may rise back closer to 40%. Expect the entire region except the barrier islands to be below 30% on Sunday with 10-20% likely in the Brush Country Sunday afternoon.Â