Eric Berger

In brief: Rain chances continue today, although coverage should be slightly less than Tuesday, with lower overall intensity. High pressure builds later this week to set up an extended period of hot and sunny weather.

The Woodlands gets whacked

All of the greater Houston region recorded rainfall on Tuesday, but as is often the case totals varied widely. Some locations southwest of the city picked up only a quarter of an inch, with most of the area picking up between 0.5 and 2 inches. However the exception to this came north of the city, in Montgomery County.

Over the last two days areas from The Woodlands north to Lake Conroe have picked up 5 to 7 inches of rainfall. A check of waterways in the area show that most streams, creeks, and bayous are elevated but generally within their banks. After a quiet night, water elevations are slowly falling. High water remains on a handful of roadways this morning.

As we’ll discuss below, the focus for showers and thunderstorms should shift further south today. So although some rains are possible in areas hardest hit in Montgomery County over the last couple of days, I don’t believe conditions will be problematic for these locations. However, out of an abundance of caution I am going to hold Stage 1 flood conditions in place through this afternoon.

Also, although flooding issues have not been particularly acute for most of the greater Houston region, the story is different in parts of Central and West Texas. We have more information on that situation on The Eyewall.

Wednesday

Conditions are not as favorable for widespread showers and thunderstorms today in Houston as they were on Tuesday, but plenty of moisture remains in the atmosphere. For this reason much of the area is likely to see showers and thunderstorms today, although overall intensity should be lower. Rain chances are probably 50 percent for areas north of Interstate 10, and a bit higher for locations closer to the coast.

Most locations will likely pick up less than 1 inch of rain, but there could be some higher bullseyes south (and particularly further southwest, near El Campo and Matagorda Bay). These rains should end by late afternoon or early evening, leading to quieter conditions. Skies will be mostly cloudy otherwise, with highs generally in the mid-80s.

Thursday and Friday

High pressure will begin to build from the east, and this will start to shut down daily rain chances. Still, we probably will see about a 30 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms each day. With a mix of sunshine and clouds, high temperatures on both days will likely be in the vicinity of 90 degrees, or possibly lower 90s if we get more sunshine during the afternoon hours. Humidity will be sky high, of course, and nights only cooling into the upper 70s briefly.

Saturday and Sunday

We continue to expect mostly sunny and hot weather this weekend. For most locations highs will likely get into the mid-90s, although some inland locations could approach the upper 90s. It will be a classic beach and pool weekend in our region of Texas.

Next week

This hot and sunny pattern will persist through the first half of next week. There is some indication that we could possibly see the return of a few, sea breeze-driven showers by the second half of the work week. But mostly I expect we’re going to continue to see sunny skies and highs in the 90s. In other words, get any rains you need now.

In brief: We are maintaining a Stage 1 flood alert today due to the potential for street flooding from showers and thunderstorms. Hopefully we’ll start to see a break in the action this afternoon. Conditions turn hot and sunny by this weekend, and then we should stay in that pattern for awhile.

Storm overview

Nearly all of the Houston metro area picked up at least some rainfall on Monday and Monday night, and much of the area received in excess of 1 inch. We will continue to see surging atmospheric moisture levels today, and accordingly the Houston-area radar will get another workout. The action is getting started earlier today than on Monday, with showers already having spread into much of the region.

Basically we can expect fairly widespread showers and thunderstorms to persist through this morning, bringing an additional 1 to 2 inches of rainfall to most locations. It is possible that some locations see bullseyes of 3 or more inches of rainfall, which is why we have kept a Stage 1 flood alert in place for today and tonight. This means you should be aware of the potential for street flooding, and pay attention to the radar before venturing out. It also means that for most of the area most of the time, these showers are more of a nuisance than a serious hindrance to going about your business. Unless your business is house painting.

After this morning we expect there to be something of a reprieve this afternoon and this evening. An additional round of showers, likely not as intense nor as widespread, is possible on Wednesday.

Tuesday

As mentioned above, it’s raining. These showers and thunderstorms should be most widespread this morning before activity tapers off this afternoon to scattered, or possibly even isolated thunderstorms. Even when it’s not raining, skies should be mostly cloudy today, and high temperatures are likely to peak in the lower 80s. This is going to be one of the “coldest” days of the summer in Houston, with air temperatures for most of the day in the 70s. We don’t experience that often in the middle of the summer, so it’s a bit of silver lining to the rain. (Another silver lining is that next week looks rather hot and sunny, so the rains were getting now set us up nicely for that period). Showers will ease this afternoon and tonight should be mostly rain-free, with lows in the mid-70s.

Wednesday

We’re going to see another chance of showers on Wednesday, including a few stronger thunderstorms. But instead of a 100 percent chance of rain, the overall likelihood is more like 50 percent, and storms should persist for less time. Skies should remain mostly cloudy, and this will help keep highs in the mid- to upper-80s.

Thursday

Skies will still be fairly cloudy on Thursday, although we probably will start to see some breaks in the clouds. This will allow highs to reach about 90 degrees. Could we squeeze out a few additional showers? Possibly, but by this point we’re likely to begin to see the influence of high pressure tamping down rain chances. Lows on Thursday night will only fall into the upper 70s.

Friday

Expect a partly sunny day with highs in the low- to mid-90s. Rain chances are pretty much gone.

Saturday and Sunday

The weekend looks set to bring us mostly sunny to sunny skies, with highs in the mid- to upper 90s. We have no weather concerns aside from the heat and of course the potential for sunburns from mid-morning through late afternoon.

Next week

We are going to continue to see hot and sunny weather, with highs in the mid- to upper-90s for all locations but coastal areas, which will be a touch cooler. Rain chances are basically zero until the middle of the week, by which point we may see something like a 10 percent chance of showers. It’s late July in Houston, folks, and it’s going to feel like it.

In brief: Houston will see favorable conditions for widespread showers and thunderstorms today and Tuesday, and accordingly we have put a Stage 1 flood alert into place. On Wednesday we should transition to warmer and drier conditions. By this weekend, and into next week, we can expect hot and sunny conditions to prevail.

Stage 1 flood alert

Atmospheric moisture levels will surge today and Tuesday, and the absence of high pressure will support the development of widespread showers and thunderstorms. Generally, beginning later this morning, we expect rounds of storms to develop and slowly propagate through the region. Some of these storms may be slow moving. Although there will be some thunder and lightning, the primary threat will be heavy rainfall.

Most of Houston will pick up 1 to 3 inches of rainfall over the next couple of days. These are manageable totals. However some locations, beneath slower moving storms, may see as much as 5 inches. For this reason we are putting a Stage 1 flood alert into place through Tuesday night. Essentially this means we are concerned about flooding on freeway frontage roads and low-lying streets.

Monday and Tuesday

Generally, we expect storms to develop offshore this morning and then move inland. By around noon, or the early afternoon, we should see showers and thunderstorms develop across the majority of the region. There may be a brief pause later this afternoon or evening before another round of showers later tonight. This pattern will likely repeat itself through Tuesday.

Skies will be mostly cloudy when it is not raining, and the storms should should help to limit high temperatures. Today will likely reach the upper 80s for most locations, with mid-80s possible on Tuesday. Except in stronger thunderstorms, winds will be light. Basically, you’ll want to be weather aware the next couple of days, and give yourself a little more time before venturing to work or running errands.

Wednesday

This will be a bit of a transition day, with some additional showers possible, but less coverage and intensity than previous days. High temperatures will likely be around 90 degrees, or a tick higher, for most of the region.

Thursday and Friday

Skies will turn partly to mostly sunny to end the work week, with rain chances falling to around 10 percent. Expect highs in the mid-90s.

Saturday and Sunday

Temperatures this weekend will be quite hot, with sunny skies. Expect highs in the mid- to upper-90s as high pressure builds in. If you have outdoor plans on Saturday and Sunday make sure they involve a lot of sunscreen. Rain chances are near zero so it will be good weather for the beach or a backyard pool.

Next week

I expect this hot and sunny pattern to prevail through at least the first half of next week. Our next chance of rain would probably not come before Thursday or Friday of next week, and even then, who knows? Bottom line is that rains over the next couple of days will be beneficial for our soils before a drier period settles in.

In brief: In today’s post we discuss our ongoing daily rain chances. They will increase over the weekend, but we don’t expect a total washout. At this point the highest likelihood of rain appears to come early next week. Also, what’s going on with the Atlantic hurricane season?

So what’s going on in the tropics

The short answer is … nothing. It is dead quiet out there for a number of reasons, including the fact that July is often a fairly low-key month when it comes to the Atlantic tropics. But probably the main reason right now is dust. It’s blowing off the Saharan desert and spreading far and wide in the atmosphere between Africa and the Caribbean Sea.

There are also other background factors like generally sinking air, and the bottom line is that we anticipate the Atlantic tropics to remain quiet for the next week, and possibly longer. Maybe a storm will pop up of the Carolinas, in the Atlantic Ocean, but even that appears to be a low-end threat. I don’t think Texas has much to worry about any time soon.

It is still early in the Atlantic season, and historically things don’t really start to pick up for at least a month from now. But it is worth noting that the level of activity recorded to date is only about 10 percent of historical levels for this time of year. So that’s something we can all be happy about. And it would be lovely if that trend continued.

Also this week the team at Colorado State University released their updated seasonal forecast, and they’ve continued to revise their projections downward. The forecasters now predict 9 named storms this season, down from their projection of 11 in June, and 13 back in April. “We anticipate the powerful El Niño being the dominant factor for the upcoming hurricane season, driving high levels of tropical Atlantic vertical wind shear,” the team said in their latest update. “We are forecasting a well below-average probability for major hurricane landfalls along the continental United States coastline and in the Caribbean.”

For now it’s all good news. But the Houston region still has about 2.5 months to go for this season, so we’re not going to throw any parties just yet.

Thursday and Friday

These days will be similar to what we’ve experienced this week, with mostly sunny conditions for most of Houston, with high temperatures in the mid- to upper-90s for inland areas, and slightly cooler conditions near the coast. We are likely to continue to see the development of scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours, along the sea breeze. These showers will be hit or miss, and your overall likelihood of seeing rain is probably only 20 to 30 percent. Overnight lows will be warm, with temperatures only falling to about 80 degrees.

Saturday and Sunday

Rain chances increase to about 50 percent, each day, for the weekend as atmospheric moisture levels increase. Generally, my expectation would be for showers to start out closer to the coast during the mid- to late-morning hours and then progress inland later in the day. Overall totals don’t look too impactful. Most of Houston is likely to pick up 0.5 inch or less, but there will probably be some higher bullseyes. Basically, if you have outdoor plans, have somewhere to take shelter. Because we should see a few more clouds, this may limit highs to the lower 90s.

Next week

My sense is that the first part of next week, Monday and Tuesday, will bring even higher rain chances. We are not expecting anything in the way of flooding, at least not right now. But a healthy 1 to 2 inches of rain would be helpful for area soils. Widespread rains could also limit some highs into the upper 80s. Matt will have more on this period in his forecast post tomorrow.