Eric Berger

Good morning! I want to thank the hundreds of people who came out to celebrate Fall Day on Sunday afternoon—it was lovely to meet so many of you, and see some old friends. Shout out to the family who drove all the way down from College Station. I also want to thank Reliant for supporting such a great event. And finally, today is the eighth anniversary of Space City Weather. I can’t believe it’s been that long, because it only feels like Matt and I are getting started.

As for our weather, there won’t be much change for the next week or so. We’re going to be in a warm-ish pattern for fall, with highs mostly in the mid-80s and lows in the low- to mid-70s. We’ll also see some decent rain chances later this week. This pattern will hold through the weekend before a fairly strong front is likely to arrive by or before Halloween, which could drop daytime highs into the 60s. Still a long ways to go, but I wanted you to know there will be an end to this warmer and muggier weather, eventually.

Monday

At Fall Day several people asked me what the weather would be like for next week, and I simply pointed to the sky. What we saw on Sunday is more or less likely what we should see today, and for the rest of the week. We’re going to see partly sunny skies, and highs in the mid- to upper-80s on Monday. Winds will be out of the south, as they will for much of this week, gusting to about 20 mph. A few areas near and along the Gulf Freeway saw rainfall this morning as some atmospheric moisture surged into the area, but I think that’s mostly it for rain chances until Wednesday. Lows tonight will drop into the low 70s in Houston, with cooler conditions for outlying areas.

Tuesday

This is the one day this week that I’m confident will see mostly sunny skies. So if your plans require sunshine, Tuesday’s the day. Look for highs in the upper 80s, with southerly winds. Overnight lows drop into the low 70s.

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday

A slug of tropical moisture will move into the region during the second half of the work week. Since much of this moisture is coming from the Pacific, the best rain chances will be west of Interstate 35, in Central and West Texas. The Houston region should be on the periphery of the main action, with most of the area picking up perhaps 0.25 to 1 inch of rain through Friday. Look for partly to mostly cloudy skies otherwise, with highs in the mid-80s, and lows in the low- to mid-70s.

Saturday and Sunday

For now there appears to be little chance of the front making it through by the weekend, so we can probably expect partly to mostly sunny skies, with highs in the mid-80s, and continued muggy air. Rain chances are not zero, but at this point they don’t look particularly high, either.

Next week

At this point I would pencil in the aforementioned front for next Monday, which hopefully will be the case as it may bring an additional round of showers. It would be nice to have this weather out of the way for next Tuesday, Halloween, but for now there’s just no way to be sure. In any case, after the front we probably will have a few days with highs in the 60s or 70s, and lows in the 40s or 50s. November, in other words, should feel like November.

Good afternoon. As we get closer to Fall Day on Sunday, I wanted to share a final update on what you can expect if—excuse me, I mean when—you show up. Matt and I will be on hand, along with our webmaster Lee Hutchinson and web guru Dwight Silverman. Reliant has put a lot of work into making this a fun event for all, and they’re offering some great giveaways:

• 4 Houston Rockets tickets
• 4 Houston Texans Tickets
• a Lance McCullers autographed baseball
• a Michael Brantley autographed jersey

In addition, the first 20 people who show up can get a free, personalized paperback copy of my book on the origins of SpaceX, Liftoff. All you have to do is ask (and show up at 4 pm or shortly after).

We’re also going to have several activities for children, including face painting, and an assortment of fall-inspired fare that can be purchased separately:

• Chaider (chai & apple cider)
• Dirty Pumpkin Chai
• Lemonade
• Hot cocoa
• Flavored Syrups (pumpkin, hazelnut, vanilla, caramel, sf vanilla)
• Chocolate croissant
• Pumpkin Muffin

As for the weather, it still looks warm-ish, but based on the latest data I anticipate temperatures in the low- to mid-80s in the Hermann Park area, with partly to mostly cloudy skies. Finally, there will be reserved parking available near the McGovern Centennial Gardens, so please be sure and look for the signs.

See you Sunday!

Good morning. Warmer weather lies ahead for our region, with some 90-degree days for inland areas. But the hotter temperatures on Friday and Saturday (that’s the high weather) will be tempered by lower humidity and cooler mornings and evenings (and that’s the dry). We’ll also see mostly sunny skies for awhile, but eventually some better rain chances will return next week. See below for information on our Fall Day celebration Sunday.

Thursday

There’s a modest cool front draped across Central Texas this morning, roughly along the I-35 corridor. That will eventually bring us some drier air, but for today most of the Houston region will see somewhat muggy conditions to go along with sunny skies and highs in the mid- to upper-80s. The front will reach at least the northwest part of the Houston metro area this evening, bringing some drier conditions overnight. Inland areas will drop into the upper 50s, whereas areas closer to the coast are likely to remain in the low-60s.

Friday

After a cool start, temperatures will warm efficiently with dry air spreading into the entire region. Highs are likely to reach 90 degrees, or just above, for all areas except the coast, which will be a bit cooler. Skies will be sunny, and with lower dewpoints it will not really feel humid at all outside. Winds will be light, from the southwest. Overnight lows drop to around 60 degrees in Houston, with cooler conditions further inland.

Saturday

The first half of the weekend will see sunny skies and highs around 90 degrees. Winds, again, will be light from the southwest. As the front washes out, we’ll start to see humidity levels rise some, and this increased atmospheric moisture will lead to a warmer night. Lows on Saturday night will probably only drop into the upper 60s for most.

Sunday

Increased cloud cover will help to moderate high temperatures on Sunday, which likely will reach the mid- to upper-80s. With dewpoints in the 60s, it will be a bit humid, but not oppressively so. By late afternoon conditions should be fairly mild outside, and I do hope you’ll join us for Fall Day from 4 to 6 pm at McGovern Centennial Gardens. I’m looking forward to hearing about your experiences during this torrid summer, and any forecasts that you think we particularly messed up on this year! Lows on Sunday night will drop to about 70 degrees.

Next week

The pattern for next week will basically be that of a warm, southerly flow. This means highs generally in the mid-80s, with partly cloudy skies, and mild nights with lows of about 70 degrees. We’ll see increasing rain chances by Tuesday or so, with decent accumulations likely by week’s end of perhaps 1 to 2 inches. As for the next real cold front, it does not appear likely to reach our region until some time next weekend.

Good morning. Temperatures are generally in the 50s across the Houston region this morning, and this will be the last time we’re this chilly for about 10 days as our weather turns warmer and, eventually, a bit wetter. If you’ve enjoyed the cooler weather, take heart. It does look like we’ll return to much more fall-like pattern before the end of October.

As a reminder, despite the brief return to warmer weather, we’re excited to be celebrating Fall Day on Sunday. We’re gathering at McGovern Centennial Gardens, at the northern end of Hermann Park, any time from 4 and 6 pm for a festive meet-and-greet and fall activities for all ages—face painting, photo opportunities, seasonal treats and more! Admission is free. It’s not mandatory, but if you’d like to tell us you’re coming, please do so here. It will help with planning.

Wednesday

Winds have turned to come from the south, and this will allow us to warm to about 80 degrees today. Skies will be sunny, and those winds should remain light, in the vicinity of 5 to 10 mph. As dewpoints recover some, we’ll start to feel a little bit more humidity this afternoon and evening. Overnight lows probably will be about 10 degrees warmer than Tuesday night, dropping into the 60s.

Thursday and Friday

Our pattern turns decidedly warmer to end the work week, with an atmospheric flow generally from the southwest, which will help nudge temperatures into the upper 80s for much of the region on Thursday. A weak front will slowly slog through the area overnight Thursday, and this infusion of slightly drier air will help push temperatures a bit higher on Friday. Some inland areas will likely hit 90 degrees, although humidity will be lower.

Saturday and Sunday

Lows will drop into the low- to mid-60s on Saturday morning, with drier air. However, the front’s influence will fade pretty quickly and we’ll see a more southerly flow. Look for a few clouds on Saturday, with highs in the upper 80s for the most part, with a few areas possibly touching 90 degrees. Some clouds will be possible on Sunday, with highs likely in the mid- to upper-80s for most of the area.

Next week

Our pattern will generally be warm and wet next week, although as usual we have some questions as to how wet conditions will get. Generally, days should be partly cloudy, with highs in the mid-80s. Rain chances will start to increase on Tuesday, and much of the area could see 0.5 to 2 inches of precipitation next week, give or take, as atmospheric moisture levels rise. The air will be fairly muggy. If you’re wondering where fall is, there is a fairly strong signal for a robust front by around next Friday or Saturday. That’s far enough in the future for it to be uncertain, but at this point I definitely think it’s likely.