Eric Berger

Good morning, Houston! We’ve got a couple of chances for showers and few storms this week, but mostly we’re going to see warm days and moderate nights. The weekend forecast remains somewhat in flux.

Tuesday

Temperatures are fairly warm this morning, about 70 degrees for much of the area, as a southerly flow has established itself over the area. With a mix of sunshine and clouds today, highs will climb to around 80 degrees, and winds will become more pronounced out of the south, with gusts up to about 25 mph. With daytime heating we may see a few brief, very scattered showers during the afternoon hours. Conditions will remain breezy tonight, with lows only dropping to the upper 60s or 70 degrees again.

Wednesday

This day will start out a lot like Tuesday, but it now appears likely that a cool front will in fact make it most of the way through Houston, if not all the way to the coast. High temperatures on Wednesday should still make it into the low 80s, but rain chances will increase during the late afternoon and evening hours as the front approaches the area. Perhaps about 40 percent of the region will see anything from a sprinkle to a brief thunderstorm. Conditions for storms are slightly better for areas east of Interstate 45, as can be seen on NOAA’s severe weather outlook for Wednesday and Wednesday night. A brief influx of drier air should drop lows on Wednesday night into the mid-60s.

Thursday

The drier air will begin to recede on Thursday, but enough of it should remain to allow for warmer temperatures inland, with highs in the mid- to upper-80s possible for areas west of downtown Houston. Skies will be partly sunny and rain chances nil. Lows Thursday night will probably only fall to around 70 for most as dewpoints rise.

Friday

During the daytime, Friday will be a lot like Thursday. However, at some point during the afternoon or evening hours, a front will push into the area. There are hints within the models of more inclement weather with this front, including the possibility of stronger thunderstorms or hail. But it’s not clear to me all of the ingredients necessary for this will come together, so we’ll have to wait and see with this forecast.

Saturday and Sunday

We still have questions about the weekend, as well, with the potential for another front on Sunday. But for now the best guess is highs somewhere in the low 80s, with partly sunny skies, and nights somewhere in the 60s. Rain chances are low, but not zero. Details very, very much to come.

Next week

Our weather next week will depend upon whether a somewhat stronger front makes it through Houston by Monday or so. If this is the case much of next week may feel more spring-like, with highs in the 70s and 80s, and lows in the 50s and low 60s.

Good morning. After what turned out to be a rather pleasant Easter Sunday, Houston will now begin a warming trend that will culminate with temperatures at least in the upper 80s toward the end of this week. We have unresolved questions about when the next cold front will push all of the way through Houston, and when the region might see a meaningful amount of rainfall—something we need after a dry late winter and early spring have led to an emerging drought.

Monday

Winds are very light out of the southeast this morning, and will only slowly pick up to around 5 to 10 mph later today. After a cool start for some, temperatures will rise into the upper 70s, with partly sunny skies. Like on Sunday, a slightly disturbed atmosphere will do battle with a drier upper atmosphere, with the result likely producing some very scattered, light showers later this afternoon. Low temperatures tonight will again drop into the low- to mid-60s.

Tuesday

This will be another day a lot like Monday, albeit with daytime highs a few degrees warmer, and overnight lows in the upper 60s to low 70s. We’ll again see a chance of light, scattered showers to go along with our partly sunny skies.

Wednesday

More clouds will build overhead on Wednesday, and a cold front will approach the region. However, it’s likely to stall around the College Station area, rather than pushing into Houston, or all the way down to the coast. As a result, we’ll likely see highs in the low- to mid-80s, with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the city and surrounding areas. Lows will be sticky, in the upper 60s.

Thursday and Friday

Houston’s warm pattern will intensify toward the end of the week, with highs likely ranging from 85 to 90 degrees for most areas to go along with partly to mostly sunny skies. Nights will be quite warm, not dropping below the 70s for much of the region.

Saturday and Sunday

The weekend forecast is a bit of a mess. The most likely scenario is that a weak cold front pushes into Houston on Friday night, bringing with it a decent chance of rain (a few tenths of an inch for most). This would knock back temperatures into the mid-80s, with a smidge of drier air and sunny skies, for the weekend. But it’s nearly as likely that the front won’t make it, and we’ll stay in a more humid, warmer pattern without much of any rain. Feel free to flip a coin on this one.

Only six weeks ago Houston endured its coldest spell of weather in three decades. Now, we’re on the cusp of a period of much warmer weather, with highs in the upper 80s possible next week. So tonight, as temperatures drop into the upper 40s, be sure and enjoy this taste of fairly cold weather. We probably won’t see its like for another six months, at least.

Thursday

The cold front has come and gone, and except for the coast (where gusts are still in the 30s) winds are beginning to die down. Skies will be sunny today, with highs in the upper 60s to 70 degrees, and a persistent northeasterly wind. As those winds settle down tonight, we’ll see conditions ideal for cooling, with lows dropping into the mid-40s in much of Houston, upper 30s for far inland areas, and low 50s near the coast.

Friday

We’ll enjoy another splendid springtime day, with highs in the upper 60s and more sunshine. As winds shift to come from the east, and then southeast, overnight temperatures will be a few degrees warmer.

Saturday

Clouds will begin to develop Friday night, and Saturday should therefore see mostly cloudy skies to go along with moderate southeasterly winds. Highs will reach about 70 degrees. A bit of an atmospheric disturbance will pass across the region Saturday night, and there may be enough moisture to squeeze out some very light, scattered showers on Saturday night. Lows will drop into the mid- to upper-50s for most.

Easter Sunday

Any showers should be gone by sunrise, and skies for Sunday should be only partly cloudy. Overall, conditions will be pleasant, with highs in the low- to mid-70s. Hide those Easter eggs with confidence!

Next week

The story of next week concerns how warm temperatures will get. I think we may hit the upper 80s by Wednesday or Thursday, along with increasing humidity levels. It won’t be akin to summer in Houston, but it will remind us of what Mother Nature can do as the calendar turns toward April and May. It now looks like our next front may come around Friday, April 9. That’s also when our next chance of significant rain is likely to come. But confidence in that system, and its effects, is rather low at this time.

Conditions are very warm and muggy this morning, with lows across Houston in the 70s. This will change in a few hours, however, as a blustery cold front moves through and makes for a very windy afternoon and overnight period. This front will knock lows into the 40s across much of the area—probably the last time that will happen for some locations this spring.

Wednesday

The aforementioned front should reach the College Station area around sunrise, central Houston around Noon, and push off the coast by mid-afternoon. A broken line of light showers may strengthen as it nears the coast, and finds more moisture. Thunderstorms will be possible immediately along the coast.

Temperatures will drop into the upper 50s to 60 degrees after the front’s passage, and winds will likely gust above 30 mph. Those winds will taper off a bit after sunset for areas north of Interstate 10, but blow along the coast for most of the night. Lows will drop into the 40s, even in Galveston, after midnight.

Thursday

Winds will drop back some on Thursday, although northerly gusts in the low 20s will be possible. Highs will rise into the mid- to upper-60s along with sunny skies. Overnight lows will drop again into the 40s, with some areas in Montgomery County possibly seeing the upper 30s.

Friday

This will be another sunny day, with highs likely slotting somewhere into the upper 60s. Winds will shift to come from offshore later in the day, and this should moderate overnight temperatures a bit.

Saturday

Clouds return, and even with southerly winds this should help to limit highs to around 70 degrees.

Easter Sunday and beyond

Sunrise temperatures will start in the 50s for most, with the coast a little bit warmer. Sunday should bring a little more sunshine, although the afternoon will probably still see partly to mostly cloudy skies. Highs will reach the mid-70s. We also can’t entirely rule out a few scattered, light showers during the afternoon and early evening hours, but most of us will probably remain dry.

As high pressure builds over the region, temperatures will begin climbing into the mid-80s next week, with at least partly cloudy skies. We’ll start to get familiar with our old friend humidity again.