I hope it’s not just me. My backyard is a carpet of acorns, and they just keep falling. There are so many it is painful to walk with bare feet. With such an abundance our younger dog started to eat them—which we tried to stop, but it’s difficult when dogs like to go outside, and this good boy loves to run and play and chase squirrels—and he got really sick because of it. This experience, no doubt, will provide him additional incentive when chasing the squirrels who inhabit our backyard, and are no doubt enjoying a bumper crop of fodder.
This is a mast year for acorns, of course. Scientists don’t precisely understand why oak trees, every two to five years, produce an abundance of acorns. There are some theories, one of the most prominent of which is that a springtime drought is good for pollination. And if you go back to when the oak trees were pollinating this year in early March, much of Houston had not seen much rain for a few weeks. So things were pretty dry. But we don’t know for sure. Most likely it is part of the oak natural cycle to ensure that new trees will grow.
There are also a lot of non-scientific theories that suggest mast years portend a hard winter ahead. But I’d slot those into the category of old wives’ tales, not that I have anything against old wives! So I’m not sure this mast year has much to tell us about the upcoming winter. The only forecast I’m reasonably confident in is that we’ll see a bumper crop of squirrels next spring.
Thursday
As expected, temperatures this morning are quite cold. Much of Houston has dropped into the mid- or upper-30s. We’re going to get close to our record low for today, 34 degrees set in 1991, but probably will remain a couple of degrees above this temperature. In any case lows this morning are about 20 degrees below normal. It’s also the turning point for the current cold spell, and marks the beginning of a return to warmer conditions. With sunny skies we’re going to see high temperatures reach the upper 60s today, with light easterly winds. Low temperatures tonight will be about 10 degrees warmer for most locations.
Friday
The warming trend continues as high pressure fully shifts to the east, allowing for the onshore flow to resume. After temperatures start out at about 50 degrees on Friday morning, they’ll rise into the mid-70s with mostly sunny skies. Lows on Friday night will only drop to around 60 degrees.
Saturday and Sunday
The weekend looks warm, sunny, and mild. Highs on both days will be about 80 degrees. By Sunday night, overnight temperatures will only be dropping into the mid-60s, so most of fall’s chill will be gone. Dewpoints will also be creeping up so it will feel humid, but not Houston-humid, if you know what I mean. And unless you just moved here in the last week, you probably do. Rain chances are about 10 percent near the coast, and closer to zero percent further inland.
Next week
Most of next week looks warm, with highs generally in the mid-80s, or possibly a tick higher on some days. Lows are going to increase to the upper 60s, and humidity will continue to rise a bit. Rain chances increase toward the end of next week in association with what probably will be our next front. But I don’t have much confidence in the timing or strength of said front. So if you like cooler and drier air, my advice is to spend some quality time outside today and tomorrow. Just, you know, don’t let your dog feast upon the abundant buffet of acorn delights.
