Watch live: Tornado warning in effect for Brazoria County until 1:15 a.m.

View The Original Article Here

HOUSTON — A strong line of storms is moving through southeast Texas right now.

A tornado warning in effect for Brazoria County until 1:15 a.m.

A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for Brazoria, Fort Bend and Harris Counties until 1:15 a.m. A tornado watch is in effect for southeast Texas until 4 a.m.

Severe weather, including damaging winds and hail, was possible from Texas into Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Tennessee late Friday into the very early-morning hours Saturday.

RELATED: Tornadoes, large hail possible in DFW area

RELATED: Several flights cancelled in Dallas-Fort Worth ahead of tonight’s storms

After the storms roll through, we are in for nicer conditions the rest of the weekend but with colder temperatures.

GET ALERTS ON YOUR PHONE: Download our new app

TRACK THE STORMS: View weather radars

ARE YOU READY? How to set up weather alerts on your phone

WHAT DOES AN ‘ENHANCED RISK’ FOR SEVERE WEATHER MEAN?

We are in a category 3 out of 5 for severe weather. Which is an Enhanced risk, from the Storm Prediction Center, for severe weather for Friday afternoon, into the overnight hours going into Saturday. 

KHOU SEVERE CATEGORIES

KHOU

In the Houston area, we have the potential for strong to severe storms with the potential for several damaging elements. This includes the possibility of a few tornadoes, wind damage and 1- to 2-inch hail.

Portions of East Texas and North Texas, east of Dallas, have a higher risk of severe weather, as of the latest forecast. This means they have a better chance of widespread storms with strong tornadoes possible.

WHAT DOES THE REST OF THE WEEKEND LOOK LIKE?

The rain clears out before sunrise Saturday, leaving us with a nice (but cold) weekend. Our temps will go from a high of 80 degrees Friday to not even getting out of the 50s on Saturday. Sunday morning we’ll be in the 30s before sunrise before ‘warming up’ to a high of 60.

7-day forecast for Houston as of 6 a.m. Jan 10 2020

7-day forecast for Houston as of 6 a.m. Jan 10 2020

7-day forecast for Houston as of 6 a.m. Jan 10 2020

KHOU 11

Check back for more updates, and you can always follow us on Twitter and Facebook, as well as download the KHOU 11 Weather App in your app store.

Send us a news tip | Download our app#HTownRush Newsletter

WHAT’S CAUSING THE SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK?

The jet stream, that river of air aloft that steams storms around the planet, has it digging down towards western Texas, and rising up in eastern Texas. Which has us almost in the Right Rear Quadrant, which has a higher chance or producing storms with the potential for going severe.

As we look at a cross section of the atmosphere, we have winds at the surface coming from the south, and winds aloft coming from the southwest; which means they are the winds are turning with height, thereby increasing wind shear.  Which, if you have the right amount of turning, you can get storms to rotate, increasing the chances for possible tornadoes. 

KHOU TIME LINE 1

KHOU TIME LINE 1

KHOU

Now here is the cold front approaching us. At 7 PM, we have light rain across some areas, with the heaviest pushing through Bryan and Hallettsville.

KHOU TIMELINE 2

KHOU TIMELINE 2

KHOU

By 9 PM, the storms are pushing towards the Beltway.  Places like Katy, Spring and even Sugar Land are starting to see heavy rain & get gusty winds.

KHOU TIMELINE 3

KHOU TIMELINE 3

KHOU

Between 9 PM and 11 PM, the worst weather is right over the metro.  Heavy rain could lead to localized street ponding with strong winds, and we could possibly see hail & some embedded tornadoes in that line.

KHOU TIMELINE 4

KHOU TIMELINE 4

KHOU

The storms will wrap up from west to east, with the last of the rain falling over our eastern towns well after midnight.  

With this being our first experience of severe weather for 2020, we might be a little rusty in with what to do, and where to go when severe storms come our way. Make sure to have multiple ways of getting the vital information, such as social media, your tv, and of course, the KHOU11 app.  And if you are out and about, since it is a Friday night, make sure to have multiple ways of getting to safety.