One of the only fronts in March arrived on the Lower Texas Gulf of Mexico and Laguna waters during the late morning and early afternoon of March 5th, bringing a broken and developing line of showers and thunderstorms and a surge of gale-force northwest winds immediately behind its passage, with sharply falling temperatures from the 70s into the 50s and rapidly building seas to near 10 feet before conditions gradually improved during the evening and overnight.

Marine Thunderstorm Wind in LAGUNA MADRE FROM PORT OF BROWNSVILLE TO ARROYO COLORADO, GULF OF MEXICO
From 05-MAR-11 12:18:00 to 05-MAR-11 12:42:00 (CST-6)
Location: ARROYO CITY
Magnitude: 38.00 MG
Reported by: C-MAN Station

The Texas Coastal Ocean Observation Network site at Realitos Peninsula, just south of the Arroyo Colorado, recorded a second set of peak wind gusts just after noon on March 5th, as a line of showers and storms immediately behind the cold front intensified and passed through the Lower Texas gulf of Mexico waters.  Gusts peaked at 38 knots at 1224 PM, but were persistently at or above 34 knots starting at 1218 PM.

Marine Thunderstorm Wind in WATERS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PT MANSFIELD TX EXT FROM 20 TO 60NM, GULF OF MEXICO
From 05-MAR-11 12:04:00 to 05-MAR-11 12:51:00 (CST-6)
Location: S BAFFIN BAY
Magnitude: 39.00 MG
Reported by: Buoy

The NOAA Buoy 42020, approximately 35 NM northeast of Port Mansfield, recorded a peak wind of 39 knots as a broken line of showers and a few storms moved across the Lower Texas Gulf waters immediately behind a moderate cold front on March 5th. Gusts continued frequently between 36 and 39 knots (estimated persistence) as the precipitation moved through, and near gale force gusts prevailed for several hours under cloudy skies as Canadian high pressure built across the waters.

Marine Thunderstorm Wind in LAGUNA MADRE FROM PORT OF BROWNSVILLE TO ARROYO COLORADO, GULF OF MEXICO
From 05-MAR-11 11:00:00 to 05-MAR-11 11:05:00 (CST-6)
Location: ARROYO CITY
Magnitude: 36.00 MG
Reported by: C-MAN Station

The Texas Coastal Ocean Observation Network site at Realitos Peninsula, just south of the Arroyo Colorado, recorded a peak gust of 36 knots at around 11 AM March 5th as a developing line of showers and storms moved into the region immediately behind a cold front.

Marine Thunderstorm Wind in LAGUNA MADRE FROM PORT OF BROWNSVILLE TO ARROYO COLORADO, GULF OF MEXICO
From 05-MAR-11 12:00:00 to 05-MAR-11 13:15:00 (CST-6)
Location: PORT ISABEL
Magnitude: 35.00 MG
Reported by: C-MAN Station

Several stations between Port Isabel and South Padre Island recorded wind gusts of 35 knots as a quick developing line of showers and thunderstorms plowed into the Lower Texas Gulf waters, immediately behind a cold front.  Peak winds reached 35 knots at the Port Isabel C-MAN observing station on the south end of town; the South Padre Island Coast Guard station recorded 34 knots, each around 12 PM CST; and the South Padre Island Heliport, about a mile from the Coast Guard station, recorded 35 knots as the line passed between 1215 and 1245 PM.

Marine Thunderstorm Wind in COASTAL WATERS FROM PT MANSFIELD TO RIO GRANDE RIVER TX OUT 20NM, GULF OF MEXICO
From 05-MAR-11 12:15:00 to 05-MAR-11 13:30:00 (CST-6)
Location: SOUTH PADRE ISLAND
Magnitude: 35.00 MG
Reported by: C-MAN Station

Peak winds reached 35 knots at the South Padre Island Heliport, about a mile from the Coast Guard station and one half mile from the Gulf shoreline, recorded 35 knots as the line passed between 1215 and 1245 PM. Radar data and proximity to the coast suggest the showers and storms continued at similar intensity across American waters for about 30 minutes after the first gust; later gusts were behind the front, associated with building Canadian high pressure.

Marine Thunderstorm Wind in LAGUNA MADRE FROM 5NM N OF PT MANSFIELD TO BAFFIN BAY TX, GULF OF MEXICO
From 05-MAR-11 10:54:00 to 05-MAR-11 11:06:00 (CST-6)
Location: S BAFFIN BAY
Magnitude: 40.00 MG
Reported by: C-MAN Station

The Texas Coastal Ocean Observation Network site at Rincon del San Jose, along Laguna Madre in Kenedy County, recorded a nearly two hour period of peak gusts of 34 knots or higher from just before 11 AM CST to a little after 1230 PM CST on March 5th.  The initial surge, which reached 40 knots at 1100 AM, arrived with a band of showers and storms along a moderate cold front.  Gusts continued at or above gale force due to gradient winds behind the front until 1236 PM CST.