Eric Berger

Houston just experienced a wild weekend of weather.

On Saturday our region set record high temperatures, with 81 degrees breaking the city’s previous record by 2 degrees, and plenty of sultry humidity. Also, the mosquitoes in my backyard were some of the worst I can ever recall in the Houston region, and I lived through Tropical Storm Allison. Not something I expected to see in January.

The storms on Saturday night were, frankly, more intense than expected. They brought heavy rains—while most of Houston saw 1 to 2 inches, a few pockets of the metro area saw as much as 5 inches—along with very active lightning and hail. There was even a funnel cloud that prompted tornado warnings.

And then things cleared out on Sunday morning. By the afternoon conditions were some of the nicest we will see all year. If you were outside yesterday afternoon, you know. Highs reached about 70 degrees, with sunny skies, dry air, and light northerly winds.

The good news is that we’ve got more pleasant weather on the way for this week.

Monday

Lows have bottomed out near 50 degrees this morning, and while there are some clouds I expect mostly sunny conditions later today. Accordingly, high temperatures should reach the mid- to upper-60s with light easterly winds. Rain chances are about 10 percent. Low temperatures on Monday night will be a few degrees warmer, perhaps dropping into the low 50s for much of the metro area.

Tuesday

As winds turn southerly, look for a partly sunny day on Tuesday with highs in the low 70s and increasing humidity levels. Low temperatures on Tuesday night will only drop into the low 60s, with slightly cooler condition further inland.

Wednesday

This will be the warmest day of the week, with partly sunny skies and highs in the upper 70s with possibly a few readings of 80 degrees around the city. Wednesday night will be warm, with some scattered showers possible late Wednesday night ahead of the next front.

Thursday

The aforementioned front arrives Thursday morning, and it does not look like there will be a line of storms with this one. However, after the front’s passage we will see brisk northerly winds, and as a result the region will be colder for a few days in its wake. Look for sunny skies and highs in the mid-60s on Thursday, with temperatures dropping into the 40s Thursday night.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

Friday and Saturday will be clear and chilly, with highs in the mid-60s. Temperatures will bottom out on Saturday morning, possibly reaching the upper 30s for inland areas, with most of Houston around 40 degrees or a touch warmer.

If you’re running the Houston Marathon on Sunday morning, the onshore flow will probably have returned. So while start line temperatures may be in the vicinity of 50 degrees, the area will likely warm into the low 70s during the afternoon. Some uncertainty remains this far out, of course, but I feel reasonably confident in warming conditions, as well as very low to non-existent rain chances.

Next week

It looks like the next front will arrive some time on Monday, or so, and this will bring the region’s next real chance of rainfall. The overall details are fuzzy, but I’d guess that most of next week brings highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s.

Wednesday was an A+ weather day in Houston, and Mother Nature is going to get high marks again today as high pressure holds sway over our region. The forecast turns rainy by this weekend, with a healthy dose of clouds and rain chances through Monday before sunnier weather returns next week. Temperatures will remain fairly mild for the foreseeable future.

Thursday

With high pressure still in place, we’ll see sunny skies today with highs of around 70 degrees across the metro area. However this pattern starts to change later this afternoon or evening, as winds shift from the northwest to southeast. Due to this more southerly flow look for lows on Thursday night to be a few degrees warmer, bottoming out in the low 50s in Houston.

Friday

This will be another sunny day, but highs will climb into the mid-70s as a more pronounced southerly flow resumes. Look for fairly robust southeasterly winds, gusting to perhaps 20 mph. This will start to pump up atmospheric moisture levels. Low temperatures on Friday night will only drop to around 60 degrees in Houston.

Saturday

The first half of the weekend will be quite warm, with highs in the upper 70s. Local temperatures will depend on how much sunshine you see, as at least partly sunny skies are possible during the daytime. Some scattered showers will be possible during the day, but the better chances will hold off until Saturday night into Sunday, as a cold front slogs toward the area. Look for accumulations of 0.5 to 1.5 inches of rain for most into Sunday morning.

Sunday

For inland areas, rain chances will be fairly low after Sunday morning, with mostly cloudy skies and highs in the 60s. Some showers may linger closer to the coast however, as the front may stall just offshore. Hopefully Matt will be able to fine tune the weekend forecast a little bit in tomorrow’s post. Lows on Sunday night should drop into the mid-50s in Houston.

Next week

A second round of showers is possible on Monday as an atmospheric disturbance moves through, but I’m not expecting too much in terms of precipitation from this system. After that, much of the rest of next week looks partly to mostly sunny, with highs in the low 70s, and lows in the 50s. It looks like a stronger front may arrive by Thursday or Friday to knock overnight lows into the 40s for a bit. Rain chances look low for the weekend of the Houston Marathon to go along with cooler temperatures, but that remains subject to change this far out.

Paperback copy of Liftoff

This week the publisher of my book about the origins of SpaceX, titled Liftoff, released a paperback copy for the first time. I am happy to sign and personalize copies of this new paperback edition of Liftoff if you order a copy today from Houston-based Blue Willow Bookshop. You can find instructions for doing so here, if you are interested. Thanks!

Temperatures have dropped into the low 50s this morning in much of Houston, with colder conditions in outlying areas, in the wake of Tuesday’s front. Sunny and pleasant weather will prevail until this weekend, when a slow-moving front will bring widespread rainfall into the region.

Wednesday

As high pressure settles across the region, we’ll see mostly sunny weather today with high temperatures pushing up to around 70 degrees. Winds will be fairly light, out of the west or northwest, at 5 to 10 mph. Clear skies and light winds will allow temperatures to drop into the upper 40s tonight, which should be the coldest night of the week in Houston.

Thursday

This will be a similar day to Wednesday, with sunny skies and highs in the low 70s. The only change will be in wind direction, with winds shifting to come from the southeast later on Thursday or Thursday night, which will presage a warmup heading into the weekend. Lows Thursday night will be a couple of degrees warmer than Wednesday night.

Friday

Another sunny day, but it will be a little warmer with highs in the mid-70s. Humidity will also be on the rise, with a more southerly flow, but overall it will still not feel particularly sticky. Lows Friday night probably will drop to around 60 in Houston. Sea fog may start to become an issue by Friday night or Saturday morning.

Saturday and Sunday

I think Saturday may start out with some sunshine, but with the onshore flow getting cranked up we are going to see increasing clouds and some scattered rain chances by late morning or the early afternoon hours. Highs will reach the upper 70s, or possibly even 80 degrees for areas that see some afternoon sunshine. The likelihood of rain increases Saturday night into Sunday morning as a slow-moving front slogs toward and through Houston, likely bringing 1 to 2 inches to much of the area. Sunday, as a result, will likely see mostly cloudy conditions with highs in the upper 60s, and on-and-off rain showers. Lows on Sunday night will probably drop into the low 50s.

Next week

Rain chances will linger into Monday morning, but after that we should see partly to mostly sunny skies for much of next week. We’ll likely be in a pattern where we see highs on the order of 70 degrees, with lows in the 50s. Before next weekend I think we’ll see a stronger front move into the area. If you’re running the Houston Marathon this year, which is on Sunday January 15th, my guess would be for lows in the 40s, and low chances for precipitation. So that’s a hopeful forecast, but one that is far from locked in at this point.

Good morning. A cold front is moving into Houston this morning, which will knock down the very sticky humidity the region has experienced for the last several days. Some storms will persist south of Interstate 10 this morning, but by mid- to late-morning drier air will be replacing this moisture, and bringing an end to rain chances. We’ll then be rain-free until the weekend, when the forecast turns more complex as another front slogs into the area.

Tuesday

Skies will clear out later this morning, and we’ll see a pleasant, sunny day with temperatures around 70 degrees. Winds will be out of the north or northwest at 10 mph, with slightly higher gusts, so this won’t be a howling front in that sense. Lows tonight will drop down to around 50 degrees in Houston, with colder conditions in outlying areas.

Wednesday and Thursday

These will be fine January days, with highs in the upper 60s to 70 degrees, and lows in the upper 40s. Days will be sunny, and nights clear. Winds, generally, will be light.

Friday

As high pressure moves away from the area, the onshore flow will resume. Nevertheless, for most of Friday we should see sunny skies, with highs in the low 70s. Clouds will start to build Friday night, with lows dropping only to around 60 degrees, or slightly below that, in Houston.

Saturday and Sunday

The forecast for the weekend is starting to come into better focus. What we’re likely to see is a slow-moving front push into the Houston and generate widespread rain showers. At this point I think skies will be mostly cloudy on Saturday, with perhaps a 30 percent chance of rain. The better chances will come into the forecast on Saturday night and Sunday. High temperatures on both days will likely be in the 60s, with lows in the 50s. I don’t think these will be flooding rains, but more likely showers and a few thunderstorms of the light- to moderate variety. Most areas should see on the order of 0.75 to 1.5 inch of rain, give or take, spread out over one to two days.

Next week

As the aforementioned front continues to linger over or near Houston, rain chances will likely persist into Monday morning before we finally clear out some behind the front. Most of next week looks pleasant for January, with highs in the 60s or low 70s, with lows in the 40s and 50s.