In brief: Houston will see slight chance of showers and thunderstorms for the start of this week, followed by hot and sunny weather for the remainder of the work week. More widespread rain chances return this weekend. Also, we discuss how the region is entering its warmest period of the year.

Steel thyselves, we have reached peak summer

Back in 1994 the Houston Rockets played the New York Knicks in the NBA finals. The new lead sports columnist for the New York Post, Wallace Mathews, wrote about visiting our city in June for the Rockets’ home games. Infamously, he wrote one column about the city, denigrating its lack of terrain, its cockroaches, and notably its heat and humidity. It ran under the headline, “THIS PLACE IS A HELLHOLE.”

I, personally, do not feel like Houston is a hellhole. I have lived here for three decades. I like to joke with people that Houston is the opposite of, “It’s a nice place to visit, but you wouldn’t want to live there.” Houston is, in fact, a nice place to live, but you wouldn’t necessarily want to visit here. At least not during the summer. And my goodness, I give a ton of credit to our World Cup visitors who arrived over the last month who managed to see the good things about our region as we were throwing torrential rain, pestilential hordes of mosquitoes, and humidity-so-thick-you-could-grab-onto-it at them.

Anyway, Houston’s heat can feel a bit like a hellhole sometimes. And alas, ladies and gentlemen, I am here to tell you we have reached that moment in the story. Starting on Tuesday, July 7, Houston’s nighttime “normal low” is 76 degrees. It will remain at that plateau until August 18 when it very slowly begins to fall. Our daily high temperature will still tick up a bit (it peaks from late July into the first two weeks of August at 96 degrees). Basically, we are staring at maximum summer for the next six weeks. Please clap.

Monday and Tuesday

To start this week we are going to see a continuation of the weather we experienced over the weekend, with mostly sunny skies and high temperatures in the mid- to upper-90s. In the absence of high pressure, we will also see the possibility of showers and thunderstorms, some developing during the afternoon and early evening hours along the sea breeze. Overall chances are on the lower end, likely 20 to 30 percent each day, and rain totals will vary widely. But the possibility of a strong storm over your home is not zero. For example on Sunday evening, areas near Oak Forest received 1 inch or more of rainfall, whereas the vast majority of the region received nothing. Overnight lows will be sticky, likely falling only to around 80 degrees.

Wednesday and Thursday

As high pressure builds over the region, our daily rain chances will fall back to around 10 percent each day. We will see mostly sunny skies with highs in the mid- to upper-90s and warm, humid nights. Afternoon winds will be a bit more gusty from the south, up to 15 or 20 mph.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

We should encounter a little more weakness in high pressure, and this will increase rain chances for the weekend. How high? It’s difficult to say with confidence, but right now I would ballpark chances at about 40 or 50 percent daily. Overall accumulations are difficult to predict with any accuracy at this point, but most areas are likely looking between 0.5 and 1.5 inches. With a few more clouds in the sky, we may bring daily highs down slightly, into the low- to mid-90s. So overall it will still be quite hot and sticky. Anyway, we’ll get a better idea of specifics for this weekend in a day or two.

Next week

Elevated rain chances may persist into next week before things dry off and heat up a little bit by Tuesday or Wednesday. There isn’t a super strong signal yet for our weather about a week from now—well, aside from the fact that we can count on warm and humid nights. It is that time of year.

In brief: Happy Fourth of July! We are jumping in with a short post to note the possibility of isolated thunderstorms this afternoon. For most people the impact will be negligible, but a few locations may briefly see some stormy activity.

The Houston region (somewhat) unexpectedly saw a flurry of scattered showers and thunderstorms on Friday, with a few isolated areas picking up as much as 1 inch of rain. I don’t think conditions are quite as favorable today or Sunday, but I also don’t want anyone caught unaware. Especially because so many of us will be outdoors at BBQs, festivals, and other celebrations of this nation’s 250th birthday.

My expectation is that conditions this morning and into the early afternoon will be hot and sunny. However later this afternoon, mostly likely from 3 to 7 pm, we could see the development of some showers and thunderstorms. This will coincide with peak heating during the daytime, and a spark from the sea breeze. To be clear, my expectation is that most of the area will remain mostly sunny. But perhaps 10 to 20 percent of the region could see rain develop, and if it does there may also be thunderstorms. If this is the case please seek shelter. Anything that develops should be long gone before fireworks this evening.

Sunday looks more or less the same, possibly with even less coverage.

In brief: A short post today, with not much to say about the hot and sunny weather expected to persist through the holiday weekend. Mainly, we want to wish you a Happy Fourth of July, and the country an amazing 250th birthday.

Overall pattern

A decent chunk of the Houston area saw precipitation on Thursday, especially areas along and east of I-45. Friendswood was the big winner, with some areas picking up in excess of 2 inches. Atmospheric moisture levels have dropped back a bit, and with no triggers we are going to move back into a pattern of isolated showers and thunderstorms this weekend. Expect chances to be about 10 percent daily, with our region on the periphery of a potent high pressure system located over the eastern United States.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

These will be mostly sunny days with high temperatures generally in the mid- to upper 90s across the Houston region. Only coastal areas will be a few degrees cooler. Rain chances, as noted above, are probably around 10 percent, with the slightest chance of a sea breeze shower. Winds will generally be light, only picking up a little bit during the afternoon hours, at 10 to 15 mph. Lows will generally fall into the upper 70s. If you’re in town from Canada for the World Cup match on Saturday, rest assured that the football stadium has extremely good air conditioning. Moroccans may feel a little more at home.

Early next week

We may see some slightly better rain chances to start next week, with perhaps a 20 percent or so likelihood on Monday and Tuesday. But the overall, prevailing pattern should remain more or less the same with hot days and mostly sunny skies.

Later next week

There’s probably not a whole lot of change later next week. Best case scenario is we end up in a pattern where sea breeze showers are possible (i.e 30 percent daily). Probably the likelihood of rain will be lower. Our high temperatures will continue to sizzle in the mid- to upper-90s, a few degrees above normal for this time of year.

In brief: In today’s post we have a lot going on: A little World Cup talk, an official forecast for the Fourth of July holiday, and shockingly some fairly healthy rain chances for today.

America turning 250 years old

Good morning to everyone except Raphael Claus, the Brazilian soccer referee who issued a red card to US starting striker Folarin Balogun on Thursday night. If you’re like me, you’ve been enjoying the World Cup games this year, which have been spread across North American venues, including Houston.

Last night the environment at Pitch 25 near downtown was electric for the US match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Balogun scored a goal, but then received a questionable red card from Claus and was ejected from the game. The Americans held on, despite being down one player. Exciting!

Anyway, the US men’s team has advanced to the round of 16, playing against Belgium on Monday evening at 7 pm CT. It has been enjoyable to be swept up by the sport, and wonderful to have so many foreign visitors for the games in Houston. We have one final match on Saturday, between Canada and Morocco at Noon.

The World Cup comes amid the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. We will celebrate this founding document, which asserts our right to self-governance, and more broadly represents freedom and democracy, on Saturday. Our confidence in the weather forecast for the Fourth of July is high: We are going to see a sunny and hot day, with high temperatures ranging from the mid- to upper-90s across the region, except for the immediate coast. The air will be humid. And conditions optimal for fireworks—as long as you’re willing to sweat a little.

Also be sure to check out a few words from our sponsor, Reliant, at the end of today’s post. As our temperature soars upward for the next couple of months they recognize that energy affordability is a serious issue for many of us. They have some tips to help control electricity costs. Reliant has not been with us since the founding of Space City Weather in October 2015, but they came on board soon after. If we had been founded in 1776 like the United States, it would be like Reliant came aboard in 1810. So they’ve been with us for a long time, helping to keep the lights on here, and we appreciate that.

Thursday

Alright, before we get to sultry and sunny conditions this weekend, we do have a decent chance of some showers and thunderstorms today. Do not set your expectations overly high, but I do think about 40 or 50 percent of the region will see some showers later today with peak heating. Rainfall amounts will vary widely, with some areas seeing a smattering of rain while a few locations may pick up as much as an inch. Some showers may briefly pulse up into thunderstorms. This is our best chance of rain in more than 10 days. Highs likely will reach the low- to mid-90s, depending on local rainfall conditions this afternoon. Winds will generally be light. Lows tonight will drop into the upper 70s.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

The holiday weekend will bring lots of sunshine into the Houston area, and likely our hottest weather of the year so far. Expect highs in the mid-90s on Friday, likely peaking in the upper 90s on Saturday, and getting close to that on Sunday. Rain chances will be about 10 percent on Friday and Saturday, but may bump up slightly to 20 percent by Sunday. The air will be fairly humid, as is usual for early July. Please remember sunscreen for daytime activities, and you’ll probably want some bug spray for fireworks in all but the most urban of settings.

Next week

There’s a couple of different paths our weather could go down next week, and I don’t have the highest of confidence about what will happen yet. My best guess is that we’ll see a few more clouds, some better rain chances, and perhaps a slight moderation in temperatures. But there remains the possibility of ongoing sunny, and largely rain-free days. Not helpful, I realize.

A message from our partner, Reliant

Whether Texans are firing up the grill at home or hitting the road for a holiday escape, the long July 4th weekend presents plenty of opportunities to use energy more efficiently. Reliant is sharing simple tips for anyone to save money and cut back on energy use while still staying cool and enjoying the holiday.

Traveling for the holiday weekend:

• Follow the “four-by-four” principle instead of turning off your HVAC system completely. Set your thermostat four degrees higher when you’re away from home for more than four hours to reduce electricity usage while staying efficient upon your return home.
• Leverage smart thermostats and smart home devices, whichare powerful tools to manage energy usage while away. You can adjust settings remotely, as well as pre-cool the house before you return.
• Close blinds and shades to prevent heat buildup and get the most out of the cool air coming from the AC.
• Turn off or remove anything plugged into an outlet that doesn’t need to run while you’re away, like chargers and electronics with lighted displays. Even small appliances draw power in standby mode, which can add up over time.
• Reduce your water heater temperature. For shorter trips, keeping your water heater’s temperature at or above 120-140°F helps prevent bacterial growth while maintaining efficiency.

Enjoying the long weekend from home:

• Grill outdoors. Cooking indoors raises the heat, requiring the AC to use more electricity.
• Use heat-producing appliances like the dryer, dishwasher, or oven after sundown instead of during the hottest times of day.
• Avoid running your pool pump all day by using an automatic timer.
• Set your ceiling fan to rotate counterclockwise to create a wind chill effect. Also turn off fans when you leave the room.

More money-saving tips from Reliant can be found here.