At the end of April, spring is holding on strong in Houston

After a surprisingly chilly Sunday, temperatures are fairly cold this morning across the state of Texas, with parts of the Houston dropping to about 50 degrees in the wake of a front. The region will see another decent cold snap this weekend as we reach the end of April. Knowing what is coming over the next five months, it’s nice to see April doing spring-like things.

It’s a cold start to the final week of April in Texas. (Weather Bell)

Monday

We will see mostly cloudy skies today because, just above the surface, winds have already turned to come from offshore, pumping moisture back into the atmosphere. However, at the surface winds will remain from the northeast for the most part today, and this will keep our air reasonably dry, with highs in the low 70s. Temperatures tonight will only drop down to around 60 degrees with this warmer flow taking hold at the surface.

Tuesday

The aforementioned moisture in the atmosphere will combine with an atmospheric disturbance to produce a healthy chance of showers, and possibly some thunderstorms on Tuesday and Tuesday night. I think any rain will be fairly scattered during the daytime on Tuesday, with partly sunny skies helping to push daytime highs up to nearly 80 degrees. Showers may become more widespread Tuesday evening and overnight. While we cannot rule out a chance of severe weather in the Houston metro area, including hail and damaging winds, the more pronounced threat will be to our west, particularly along the Interstate 35 corridor. Lows on Tuesday night will only drop into the mid- to upper-60s.

NOAA storm outlook for Tuesday and Tuesday night.

Wednesday

Never a dull day this week. Why? Because while Wednesday will start out with fairly calm weather and partly sunny weather, a front will be approaching from the west. Again we’ll not be in the bullseye for high storm chances—those will be off to the north this time—but we probably can expect some showers and thunderstorms on Wednesday night. Expect daytime highs in the low 80s, with overnight temperatures in the 60s.

Thursday

After any showers associated with the front clear during the morning hours, we’ll probably see a partly sunny day, with a smidgeon of drier air, and highs in he upper 70s.

Friday

Thursday’s front will be short-lived, so look for highs to push back up into the lower 80s, with nighttime temperatures in the low 60s. Another, slightly stronger, front looks to push in on Friday night setting the stage for a cooler weekend.

Saturday and Sunday

The weekend will feel distinctly spring-like even though we’re coming to the end of April. In the wake of the front, look for highs in the mid-70s on Saturday, likely with clearing skies. Lows Saturday night will probably bottom out in the mid-50s, and Sunday will top out at around 80 degrees with sunny skies.

If you’re riding the MS-150 bike event out of Houston this weekend, the one concern is winds. It’s too early to be certain, but I think there probably will be decently strong winds from the north on Saturday, perhaps gusting to 25 mph. Similar, but less gusty winds, will be possible on Sunday. Fortunately the likelihood of rain or any storms this weekend is very low at this point.

Next week

The start of next week should see a warming trend, with temperatures eventually getting into the mid- to upper-80s, probably. Then? Perhaps some sort of front to cool things down. We’ll see.

Reliant Guest Post: Preparation and Flexibility Ahead of Summer

Note: This is a guest post from our long-time sponsor Reliant. As part of our agreement, they will share messages like this once or twice a year. And just a word about Reliant—they’ve been sponsors of this site for more than five years, and really they’ve become great partners over that time. Last year, for example, they very much helped us put on the Fall Day event.

Hi, Space City Weather readers! Just like you, we are savoring the spring weather this week. As we all step outside to enjoy the best of Houston, here are a few helpful reminders to make sure your home is running as efficiently as possible.

Start your spring cleaning

Take this time to check your home for any improvements needed to enhance energy efficiency. Make sure your AC is in good condition and is working properly. Getting your AC system in good working order before summer hits is a little like getting your car serviced before a road trip, and it can save you money. Also, did you know that simply cleaning or replacing filters regularly can lower your system’s energy consumption by up to 15 percent?

Learn about your energy patterns via an app

Make sure you have the latest information on your family’s usage patterns with the Reliant app! It allows customers to easily manage accounts, monitor overall usage, pay bills, set up usage alerts, and more. Downloading it now will ensure you can fully sync it to your household devices like Google Nest, ahead of the summer heat.

Check out electricity plans for your lifestyle

Now is also a good time to review your electricity plan and make changes if needed. People use electricity in different ways and have different preferences, so we have options for everyone. Find the right one for you!

Our newest plan Reliant Flextra Credits brings together flexibility and extra credit. It includes free electricity on your two highest-usage days each week, up to eight days of free electricity per month, three $25 bill credits to use when you choose, and the benefit of 100% solar electricity with no panels required.

  • Flexibility: Customers on this plan automatically enjoy completely free electricity on their two highest-usage days each week – up to eight free days per monthly billing period. The plan adapts to each customer’s lifestyle, meaning you don’t need to plan your usage or adjust your habits.
  • Bill Credits: The Flextra Credits plan features a total of $75 in bill credits, powering peace of mind for customers when the unexpected arises. Three $25 bill credits can be applied to three separate monthly bills, when a little extra room is needed in the budget. You control when to apply each credit through the app, online, or by phone.
  • Transparency: The plan fully matches each customer’s electricity usage with solar renewable energy certificates, so you can support 100% solar-powered electricity – no panels required. The Reliant app provides dynamic overviews of your solar energy usage, positive solar impact, and carbon footprint reduction.

Reliant is here to help you with innovative products and services to meet your unique needs, backed by award-winning customer care and digital management tools. You can sign up for the Flextra Credits plan or learn about other offerings by visiting Reliant.com or calling 1-866-Reliant.

Forecast for Houston during the next ten days (Taylor’s Version)

Good morning. Warmth and humidity has returned to the region, and we will see a calm day in the 80s today before rain and the possibility of storms enters the forecast later Thursday through Friday. This will, in turn, be followed by pleasant conditions on Saturday and most of Sunday before the return of more rain chances. Note that, in honor of the Taylor Swift concerts this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Houston, I’ve changed the day names accordingly. If you don’t like that, well, Shake it Off.

Wednesday

Skies will be partly sunny today, with high temperatures in the low- to mid-80s. Most of the region will remain rain-free, but the western half of the region has a (very) slight chance of seeing some sprinkles this afternoon. For most of us it will just be a mix of sunshine and clouds, with at-times gusty southerly winds. Low temperatures tonight will only drop to around 70 degrees with mostly cloudy skies.

The relative humidity forecast for Thursday morning tells you what you need to know. (Weather Bell)

Thursday

Temperatures and humidity on Thursday will be similar to Wednesday, but skies will be mostly cloudy. However, beginning during the afternoon hours, we’re likely to see some showers develop along a boundary north of Houston. Put another way, expect the possibility of scattered showers or thunderstorms north of Interstate 10. By late Thursday evening into Friday morning, the chance of showers and thunderstorms will become more widespread.

You Need To Calm Down

The best chance for heavy rain this week is likely to come overnight Thursday into Friday morning. We’re going to have to refine this forecast as we get closer, but the hail and damaging winds are possible into Friday morning ahead of a cold front that will arrive later in the day. In terms of accumulations, I think most of the area will see 0.5 to 1.5 inches of rain from Thursday evening through Friday afternoon.

NOAA storm outlook for Friday. I don’t believe this will be a concern heading into Friday evening, however. (NOAA)

So what does this mean for the Taylor Swift concert? At this time I think rain chances will be winding down during the afternoon or evening hours, so the best chance of storms should be over. However if you’re getting to NRG Stadium several hours before the show starts, it will be something to monitor. After the show I would not have any concerns. However, winds will be be breezy, out of the north, gusting up to 30 mph. Hold on to your hats! Lows Friday night will drop into the upper 50s.

The Best Day

Saturday is going to be a fine, fine springtime day. Look for highs in the low- to mid-70s with mostly sunny skies. Those winds from Friday night will be starting to wind down, so we’ll only need to concern ourselves with gusts of 15 mph or so. Lows on Saturday night will depend on how far you live from the coast, but I think most of the area will drop into the 50s.

All You Had To Do Was Stay

Alas, the cold front is not going to stay on Sunday. Pretty quickly, we’re going to see the return of the onshore flow, and this will allow clouds to develop on Sunday. Highs will be in the low 70s. Rain chances may start to return as quickly as Sunday afternoon or evening, which may be a concern if you’re heading to the third and final Swift concert in Houston. Some models are bringing a healthy chance of showers back into the forecast for Sunday night, which is a potential concern for weather after the show. We’ll try to get a more finely tuned forecast for you in the next day or two.

Next week

Taylor’s gone, but the weather goes on and on. Houston is likely to see a warming trend, with at least a decent chance of showers through Tuesday or Wednesday, after which a weak front may arrive to bring sunnier skies for awhile. After that the crystal ball starts to get cloudy …

Warmer and wetter this week before what looks to be a splendid springtime weekend

After an absolutely lovely Monday, Houston’s weather will now begin to do Houston things again, which means the return of an onshore flow, the potential for rain showers, and warmer and more humid conditions. But fear not, my friends, this forecast has something for everyone, with highs in the mid-80s, then some healthy rain chances on Thursday night and Friday, followed by cooler and drier air this weekend.

Warmer air from the south will win the battle for Texas temperatures over the next few days before another front arrives on Friday to bring cooler weather back. (Weather Bell)

Tuesday

Winds are light this morning, out of the south and southeast, heralding the return of a warmer flow off of the Gulf of Mexico. This will help push high temperatures into the upper 70s today, along with mostly cloudy skies. We’re also going to see a decent chance—40 percent, maybe?—of some light to moderate rain showers today as an upper-level disturbance moves through from west to east. Some of these showers are already kicking off west and southwest of the city. For the most part, rain accumulations should be on the order of a few tenths of an inch of rain, give or take. Skies will remain mostly cloudy tonight, with lows dropping only into the upper 60s.

Wednesday

A little warmer, a little more humid, and with rain chances a little lower, perhaps only 10 or 20 percent. Look for highs somewhere around 80 degrees, or a touch higher if we get a decent stretch of partly to mostly sunny skies during the afternoon. Winds will be a bit more blowy, gusting to perhaps 20 miles out of the southeast. Wednesday night will be warm and cloudy.

Thursday and Friday

This will be a warm and potentially wet period ahead of a cold front on Friday, likely during the evening hours. Both days should see highs in the low- to mid-80s, with partly to mostly cloudy skies. The real question is how much rain we’re going to see from Thursday evening through Friday night. Models have gotten a little more bullish on factors such as instability, so I think we’re looking at a solid 0.25 to 1 inch of rain for most of the area, with higher totals possible to the northeast of Houston. Cooler and drier air should start arriving some time on Friday night.

NOAA rain accumulation forecast for now through Friday night. (Weather Bell)

Saturday and Sunday

Oh, hello. Did you DoorDash a gorgeous spring weekend from Mother Nature? Because you are in luck. As of right now, I think we’re looking at mostly sunny skies, with highs in the neighborhood of 70 degrees, on both weekend days. Lows will bottom out on Saturday night, perhaps hitting the upper 40s for areas well inland. Saturday should be breezy in the wake of the front, but right now those winds don’t look too crazy.

Next week

We’ll start to warm up by Monday or Tuesday, and the middle of next week looks fairly humid and fairly warm. So if you like cooler weather, please do enjoy this weekend.