HOUSTON - A Fox 26 Storm Alert is in effect for Friday night, Saturday and through Sunday morning. As moisture returns today, spotty downpours have popped up along with a few storms. Keep an umbrella handy for possible brief showers through this evening, then spotty storms Friday afternoon and evening.

Temperatures are expected to tumble quickly behind the front, dropping into the 60s and low 70s Sunday afternoon, then plunging into the 30s and 40s by Monday morning. Northern and western parts of Houston could flirt with their first light freeze of the season.

A cold front will bring a 40% chance of storms and dramatic cooling to Houston, with fire watches issued for some counties.

A stretch of bright, dry weather continues across Houston and much of Southeast Texas. Mornings start cool and crisp with clear skies and light breezes, while afternoons turn comfortably mild under full sunshine.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a series of weather alerts for Houston and surrounding counties, urging residents to prepare for heavy rainfall, flash flooding, and the likelihood of severe thunderstorms over the weekend.

Amid widespread torrential rains, wind gusts reached as high as 45-60 mph across the Houston metro area, the National Weather Service said. In Downtown Houston, a gust of 59 mph was reported, while a 64 mph gust was measured in Hempstead.