21Jul

Heat continues, plus SCW featured in Houstonia Mag!

Before we dive into the forecast, just a quick note. Eric and I were interviewed by Houstonia Magazine for their August issue. In it, we give answers to some of the most common weather questions we get about Houston and our “crazy” weather, as JJ Watt so aptly put it on Wednesday.

Besides our Q&A, the issue looks like it’s going to be fantastic, with articles and lots of cool pictures from weather events of the past throughout the Houston area, so be sure to check it out and pick up a copy!

Onto the weather.

Today & Weekend

Houston’s high summer continues, with a lot of repetition in day to day weather around the area. I expect that today will look a lot like yesterday. However, I wouldn’t be shocked if we see a couple more showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening, especially south and well east of Houston. Large scale high pressure in the upper atmosphere to our north weakens considerably day over day, which should at least offer up a more favorable atmosphere for storms. That said, I’m not sure we quite have a trigger in place for too many more of them just yet.

The HRRR model shows our frequent pattern of some storms at the coast this morning spreading inland this afternoon. Still, nothing too widespread just yet. (Weather Bell)

Either way, it looks hot and humid again today, with highs in the mid-90s in Houston. Yesterday and Wednesday were officially the two hottest days of summer so far, with high temperatures of 97° both days at IAH Airport.

For Saturday, upper level high pressure weakens even more, and we add an upper level disturbance to the mix. This combination should allow for much greater coverage of storms than we’ve had late this week. I don’t think Saturday ends up a washout or anything, but the odds that you’ll have to dodge some raindrops and lightning for a period of time are elevated. Be prepared to find some indoor shelter for a bit Saturday if you’ll be outdoors.

Likewise, Sunday should see that upper level disturbance overhead or nearby, leading to healthy coverage of showers and storms with daytime heating.

With clouds, showers, and a generally cooler atmosphere, temperatures this weekend will be held down. Expect an average of lower 90s in the city, hotter northwest with lower rain chances and cooler southeast with higher rain chances.

J.J. Watt sums up Houston’s weather

One of the finest football players of his generation, J.J. Watt, may have been drafted by the Houston Texans in 2011. But on Wednesday we can safely say that he truly became one of us, for he has grasped one of the core truths about living along he Upper Texas coast.

Houston weather is crazy.

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 19, 2017

Watt, presumably, was caught in one of those isolated downpours on Wednesday that deluged a small area of the city, while a block away it was perfectly sunny.

Thursday and Friday

Houston lies on the southern periphery of a high pressure system, and therefore rain showers will likely be few and far between to end the work week. There’s still enough moisture to produce a few downpours, but for the most part the bigger story is going to be heat, with highs in the mid-90s and humidity pushing the heat index over 100 degrees. These days will be very warm, so prepare for outdoor activities accordingly.

E-mail subscriptions for Space City Weather

This is just a quick note to test the e-mail subscription feature for the site. When we moved servers last week, we couldn’t immediately move the subscriber list with us. That meant we went from more than 2,000 e-mail subscriptions down to zero. Some people have signed up since then.

Today I think we finally solved the problem of transferring the old e-mail addresses from our original server, so our subscriber list is back up over 2,000. But I’m not 100 percent sure what will happen if you signed up in the last week.

So this is a test. If you just get this e-mail once, perfect. If you receive it multiple times, click the “manage subscriptions” button at the bottom of this e-mail to pare back to one subscription. And if you didn’t receive an e-mail, and want to, sign up in box to the right of this post that says “Subscribe via e-mail.”

Thanks to everyone for their patience.

19Jul

Buckle up: Next six weeks offer peak summer for Houston

We’ve reached the dog days of summer, and it sure feels like it across Houston. Traditionally the period of mid-July through the end of August is the warmest period for the region, with average high temperatures around 95 degrees, and overnight lows in the mid- to upper-70s. We’re now in that stretch of weather, and barring heavy rainstorms daily temperatures will be sizzling for the next six weeks or so. If we all hold hands, we just might make it to fall, because it’s not so terribly far away now.

We’re now in the warmest time of year for Houston. (National Weather Service)

Today

High pressure has begun to build to the north of the region, but there’s enough moisture near the coast to still produce some isolated downpours south of Interstate 10. For the most part, however, expect partly sunny skies, scattered light to moderate rain showers, and highs in the low to mid-90s.