Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Galveston, TX

DISCUSSION
Issued at 1151 AM CDT Sat Apr 4 2026

As of Noon, the anticipated cold front is knocking on the door of the Brazos Valley/Piney Woods region, and we are anticipating on it slowly pushing through the rest of SE Texas through late this evening/tonight. Timing of the front looks to have it moving through the Houston Metro/I-10 Corridor by 4-6pm, then to the coast between 6-10pm. As the front pushes through the region, it is expected to become a little more ragged with breaks in the storms along the front. Light rain showers are also expected to linger behind the FROPA for a few hours as well. Looking at upstream observations, wind gusts associated with the storms along the front have been mostly between 25-30mph with occasional gusts to 40mph. This will continue to be the expected wind gusts with the storms as it pushes through the region through the rest of today. There is a chance for one or two strong to severe thunderstorms to develop along the cold front this afternoon/evening producing stronger wind gusts, but overall the severe threat looks to be low. SPC has placed a Marginal Risk of severe thunderstorms (level 1 of 5) across SE Texas today for that isolated chance of stronger wind gusts. Rain totals to the north of our area so far with the cold front has been around up to 0.5-1" with isolated higher totals between 1-3". We are anticipating similar rain totals as the front pushes through SE Texas. WPC does now include a Slight Risk (level 2 of 4) for excessive rainfall across the Brazos Valley and Piney Woods region, with the rest of SE Texas in a Marginal Risk (level 1 of 4). The reason for the Slight Risk is due to the fact that these areas received 2-3" of rain on Thursday, so soils are still a little saturated. Nevertheless, the most likely impact from the rainfall will be minor urban and small stream flooding.

While the front does push off the coast tonight, lingering moisture behind the front and passing weak disturbances aloft may lead to continued isolated to scattered showers along the coast through Sunday afternoon. However, CAM and ensemble guidance is trending for less coverage/chances of showers by Noon on Sunday as drier air begins to push further into SE Texas.

High pressure to our north will keep us rain-free through at least Tuesday of next week, but then moist onshore flow returns by Wednesday. This moist onshore flow and passing weak disturbances aloft will lead to a slight chance to a chance of rain through the second half of next week.

Looking at the temperatures across the cold front this afternoon, we will see temperatures rising into the upper 70s to low 80s ahead of the front and then crashing down into the 50s behind the front. Then cooler, more seasonal weather will persist across the area tonight through Tuesday before a gradual warm-up returns with the return on southerly winds. High temperatures on Sunday will be in the upper 60s to low 70s, and then low temperatures back into the 50s. Clearer skies on Monday will lead to high temperatures reaching into the low to mid 70s, but then cool down even more for Monday night. Lows will be in the mid to upper 40s across the Brazos Valley and Piney Woods region, and the low to mid 50s elsewhere. Similar conditions are expected on Tuesday, although overnight low temperatures will be around 5 degrees warmer as the onshore flow begins. Then the slow warm-up begins with highs in the upper 70s by Wednesday, and then low to mid 80s through the remainder of the week.

Fowler

AVIATION
(12Z TAF Issuance)
Issued at 611 AM CDT Sat Apr 4 2026

Generally MVFR ceilings, with some intermittent IFR, across the region this morning along with some isolated showers dispersed.
Ceilings will gradually lift as the morning progresses and become mostly VFR for a while. Shower & thunderstorm chances ramp up this afternoon along and south of a cold front that'll move into northern parts of SE TX early in the afternoon, the metro area early evening, then eventually off the coast. Some embedded cells within the band of precipitation could be on the strong side...with stronger wind gusts and visibility restrictions in heavy downpours the main concern. Behind the front, look for increasing N/NE winds and lowering ceilings (700-1000ft) as llvl moisture becomes trapped near/below the frontal inversion. They should eventually lift across northern parts of SE TX as cooler air deepens, but metro/coastal areas might see higher end IFR-low end MVFR for much of the night. 47

MARINE
Issued at 1151 AM CDT Sat Apr 4 2026

Light onshore flow with occasional gusts to 15-20kt will persist through this evening, but a cold front pushing through the coastal waters tonight will usher in moderate to strong north to northeasterly winds that will persist into Monday. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms will accompany the FROPA this evening/tonight, with scattered showers persisting through Sunday as moisture lingering behind the front. Northeasterly winds around 20-25kt with gusts to 30kt are expected late tonight/early Sunday morning and persist through Monday morning/afternoon. There may be a period of lower winds in the Bays Sunday afternoon, but wind speeds are expected to pick up again Sunday night. These winds will lead to building seas of 5-8ft with occasionally higher seas possible. For these conditions, a Small Craft Advisory is in effect beginning late tonight and continuing into the early afternoon on Monday. There is a chance that the Bays may be able to be dropped out of the Advisory Monday morning, but the coastal waters may get extended into

There remains a moderate to high risk of strong rip currents through Sunday afternoon, so the Rip Current Statement will continue.

Fowler

PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
College Station (CLL) 77 54 68 52 / 100 40 0 0 Houston (IAH) 82 60 71 56 / 70 80 20 10 Galveston (GLS) 78 65 72 61 / 40 60 30 30

HGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
TX...High Rip Current Risk through Sunday evening for TXZ436>439.

GM...Small Craft Advisory from 4 AM Sunday to 1 PM CDT Monday for GMZ330-335-350-355-370-375.