Bob Peters Forecast

Fair and mild weather continued in the area Friday, with another similar day forecast

Saturday before a weak storm system crosses Sunday night and Monday with a chance for showers.

Temperatures on Friday were a degree or so above Thursday's, and about 3 degrees above normal. Slightly higher temperatures are forecast Saturday through Monday before a cold front sends readings back closer to normal for the middle of next week.

Morning lows Friday were from near 50 to the middle 50s, with 50-degree lows likely daily through Monday.

Afternoon highs were in the 70s, with similar highs through Monday. Monday should be the coolest day in that time frame with scattered showers.

Skies were clear to fair, with some high-level cloudiness crossing from southwest to northeast.

Patchy fog formed again Friday morning, with the visibility at Mount Pleasant dropping to one-fourth mile. Otherwise, visibilities were in the two to five-mile range.

South winds were a bit stronger on Friday as high pressure over the Eastern United States pushed air into deepening low pressure over the Plains. Velocities were in the 5-15 mph range with higher gusts around mid-day.

Slightly lower velocities are likely Saturday and Sunday before winds shift into the northeast Sunday night in response to a low pressure area moving northeastward through the Gulf of Mexico.

Upper air high pressure was overhead Friday, contributing further to the warming.

This ridge will shift eastward this weekend, allowing an upper air low, over Baja California Friday afternoon, to cross Sunday night and Monday. That system should bring considerable high-level moisture with it.

Gulf moisture will be limited, so rainfall amounts with the system will likely run around one-fourth inch with coverage of about 50 percent.

The low moving through the Gulf will bring very heavy rainfall from the mouth of the Mississippi River eastward beginning Monday night.

Conditions in East Texas should remain dry through the middle of next week, with another storm system forecast to affect the area beginning around the 14th.

Tyler's highest sustaining wind Friday was southerly at 15 mph, with a peak gust of 20 mph, and an average velocity of 7.6 mph. Thursday's average velocity was 2.7 mph.

Friday's average relative humidity was 73 percent, with similar or higher values through Monday. Thursday's average was 68 percent.