Weekend weather could affect outdoor Super Bowl plans

You may want to rethink that Super Bowl Sunday outdoor barbecue unless you like consistent rain and cold, blustery winds.
The National Weather Service office in Brownsville reports there is a 50 percent chance of showers on Sunday with light but consistent rain expected all day long and strong north winds. Temperatures will be in the 50s.
“It’s not going to be the kind of day to sit out in a picnic and have the TV rolled out there and watch the game,” said Barry Goldsmith, warning coordinator meteorologist with the NWS.
“If you’ve got a patio or a covered porch,” he said, do your barbecuing under there.
The Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association says 62 percent of barbecue grill owners will fire up those grills on Super Bowl Sunday.
It reports the most popular foods for grilling are, in order: burgers at 85 percent, steak at 80 percent, hot dogs at 79 percent and chicken at 73 percent. In the Rio Grande Valley, fajitas and sausage are often the foods of choice.
Goldsmith said showers would accompany a cold front that is expected to pass through the Rio Grande Valley this afternoon and early Sunday morning. The temperatures will drop about 32 degrees from one day to the next, he said.
Some of the storms accompanying the cold front could be strong and produce brief downpours, and perhaps small hail.
“The certainty is hard on this right now … but there is enough energy in front of it so it would not be surprising to see some strong storms right along or just ahead of it,” Goldsmith said.
The rain is expected to begin today with 60 percent chance of thunderstorms. Tonight’s low will be around 55 degrees, and there is an 8o percent chance of showers and thunderstorms this evening.
Goldsmith said the storms should reach the lower Valley by mid-afternoon today, somewhere between 2 and 4 p.m. After that, the weather does not get much better.
“It’s going to be chilly and raw tonight,” he said. “Not a great night to be outside.”
The highs on Sunday will be near 56 degrees, but with north winds between 17 and 21 mph or even higher, it will feel much cooler. Sunday’s low will be around 43 degrees. There’s a 40 percent chance of showers for Sunday night.
As for Super Bowl Sunday, Goldsmith said, “It will probably be better to be indoors.”