Fair, cool and dry: a pleasant Sunday in the Coastal Bend. Expect strong easterly winds by Monday.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — While high pressure brought fresh northerly winds, low humidity and fair skies to the Coastal Bend today, a powerful storm system promises strong winds and widespread showers Monday night and Tuesday. Sustained easterly flow at 20 to 25 mph will gust near 40 mph Monday afternoon, feeding Gulf moisture into an intense upper-level storm and its associated cold front. Expect the cold front to arrive midday Tuesday, along with an abrupt wind shift to the northwest. Showers and a few thunderstorms will begin late Monday night and become widespread for much of Tuesday. Skies will clear Tuesday night and plunge temperatures deep into the 40s by daybreak Wednesday. Very low humidity and breezy conditions will elevate fire danger most of the day Wednesday. After sunny days and clear nights through Friday, increasing clouds and scattered showers will prevail on Saturday. Overall, expect highs in the 60s and 70s, with overnight readings in the 40s and 50s, dipping to the upper 30s Thursday morning. Rainfall totals through Tuesday may approach an inch in northern parts of the Coastal Bend, with scant amounts expected on Saturday.