Eric Berger

In brief: Houston’s weather remains mostly calm for the foreseeable future. Two things to watch for this week are uncharacteristically hot temperatures on Thursday, and then a lunar eclipse later that night. Hopefully we’ll see partly cloudy skies so the eclipse is viewable.

Lunar Eclipse

The greater Houston region, indeed all of North America save for the western half of Alaska, will be treated to a total Lunar Eclipse on Thursday night. Unfortunately the eclipse will occur rather late, with the Moon entering the Earth’s umbra (darkest part of its shadow) at 12:09 am CT on Friday morning. Totality, at which point the Moon is tinted a coppery red, lasts from 1:26 am CT to 2:31 am CT. NASA has more information about the eclipse here. So will it be cloudy? I believe our region will see at least partly cloudy skies, and I expect that to increase to mostly cloudy by sunrise on Friday morning. So the forecast is not ideal. However, the totality will last long enough such that I do expect some breaks in the clouds that will allow the eclipse to be visible.

Tuesday

After Monday’s splendid weather we have another pleasant day on tap, with mostly sunny skies. After temperatures start out this morning in the upper 40s, we’ll see highs reach the upper 70s. Expect southwesterly winds, with a few gusts up to 15 or 20 mph later this afternoon. All in all, very, very nice outside today.

There are zero weather concerns for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this evening. Temperatures will be mild, in the lower 70s, heading into the show, with a breeze from the southwest. After the show, it will be in the low- to mid-60s outside, with mostly clear skies. Lows on Tuesday night will only drop to around 60 degrees with the warmer, southerly flow.

Wednesday

After the potential for some fog on Wednesday morning, we should see a mostly sunny day, with highs reaching around 80 degrees. A weak front will push through, but it’s not going to change much other than bringing some slightly drier air that will play into Thursday’s weather. Low temperatures on Wednesday night will only drop into the low 60s.

Thursday

The combination of slightly drier air and warm air advection from the southwest will lead to a very warm day on Thursday, with some parts of the Houston metro area possibly hitting 90 degrees. Most of us should remain in the upper 80s, but it’s going to feel warm regardless, especially for mid-March. Low temperatures on Thursday night will fall into the mid-60s.

Friday

The development of some clouds may help put a lid on temperatures Friday, holding them generally to the mid-80s. But it will still feel rather warm outside, with a fair amount of humidity. A cold front is coming, but it probably will not arrive until early on Saturday, so expect a fairly warm night.

Saturday and Sunday

I don’t expect much in the way of precipitation with the front, perhaps a few light showers, we’ll see. Quickly afterward we should see clearing skies, probably some time on Saturday morning. As a result we’ll be left with clear skies and lower humidity for the remainder of the weekend. Look for highs in the vicinity of 80 degrees and nights around 50 degrees, give or take. Seriously, this will be an exceptional weekend for outdoor activities.

Next week

We should see a gradual warm-up next week through about Wednesday, at which some point some sort of front is likely to trundle through. Whether this brings us any rain is anyone’s guess. I’ll give it a solid maybe.

In brief: Spring remains in full bloom this week for the Houston region, with some exceptional weather on tap. Monday looks incredibly nice, and you can plan outdoor activities for next weekend with some confidence. All in all, it’s just a pocketful of pleasant.

A note about site comments

Since the inception of Space City Weather nearly a decade ago, we have had an open comment policy, with limited moderation. A nice community has developed here, with generally good and polite discussion. (Polite being the operative word). However in recent months there have been about a half dozen people stirring the pot with, at-times, nasty and attacking comments. We don’t have any full-time staffers to moderate comments, so we have addressed these where possible, and sometimes late. Unfortunately, if this continues, we are going to have to move to a system whereby all comments must be approved before publication. I’d rather not do that, but it may be necessary to weed out the personal attacks.

Monday

Today is going to be terrific. Several times a year, during the spring and fall, I will call out a day as being a “top-10” day, meaning I feel like it is one of the nicest days of the year in Houston. This will be one of those, with high temperatures in the lower 70s, light winds, plenty of sunshine, and low humidity. Honestly, it’s going to be amazing, so soak it up.

It will be great weather for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, as well. Temperatures will be in the upper 60s as you head into the show, falling to around 60 degrees afterward. By this evening our light northerly winds will have shifted to come from the south, but they’ll still be light. Low temperatures on Monday night will fall to around 50 degrees in Houston, with cooler conditions for inland areas.

Tuesday

This will be another sunny day, with high temperatures in the upper 70s. Winds will be from the south or southwest, and we may see a few slight gusts during the afternoon hours. With a warmer flow in place, lows on Tuesday night will likely only fall into the upper 50s.

Wednesday

Skies will be mostly sunny, with highs around 80 degrees as the southerly flow continues. Lows on Wednesday night will only drop into the lower 60s. Some areas north of the Houston metro area may see some showers or thunderstorms due to a passing system, but for now I expect the majority of the Houston region to remain dry. We’ll see.

Thursday

With the influx of a bit drier air, Thursday should be the warmest day of the week. High temperatures could reach the mid- or even upper-80s for the Houston area. So this probably will be our warmest day of 2025 so far. Lows on Thursday night will only drop into the mid- to upper-60s.

Friday

Expect a mix of sunshine and clouds, and high temperatures in the 80s, ahead of a modest front. There’s a low chance of some showers or thunderstorms with this front, and if they occur it likely would be later on Friday or Friday night.

Saturday, Sunday, and beyond

This weekend looks very nice in the wake of the front. We’re talking highs likely in the upper 70s, with plenty of sunshine and modestly drier air. Lows on both nights will fall into the low- to mid-50s, probably. It all just looks very mild and spring-like. We should warm into the 80s next week before another front possibly arrives. Overall rain chances appear low for the next 10 days or so.

In brief: There are few weather concerns for the foreseeable future in Houston, with plenty of sunshine and a mix of warmer and cooler air. This is springtime at its finest in Houston, our period of lovely weather before humidity and heat fully set in a couple of months from now. Embrace the outdoors!

Thursday

The weather today is going to be mighty fine. We are looking at sunny skies, with high temperatures around 70 degrees, and low humidity. Although winds will be calm this morning, they will start to pick up from the south this afternoon, with some gusts possible near 20 mph. This will herald the return of the onshore flow, and warmer weather through Saturday

For those headed to the Houston rodeo this evening, there are zero concerns in terms of weather. Temperatures heading into the show will be in the mid-60s, with a bit of southeasterly wind. After the show it will be about 60 degrees, with a bit more humidity in the air. Temperatures won’t go much lower overnight, as the warmer flow pushes into the region.

Friday

This will be a warmer day, with some cloud cover possible as atmospheric moisture levels increase. We’ll see more southerly winds, with some gusts up to 20 mph. High temperatures will reach about 80 degrees on Friday, and with dewpoints in the 60s it will feel a little bit sticky outside. Accordingly, lows on Friday night will only drop into the mid-60s for most locations. A few, very light showers will be possible after midnight.

Saturday

We should start out with mostly cloudy weather on Saturday morning, and plenty of humidity. A few light showers will be possible throughout the day, with a slight chance of some thunderstorms during the afternoon with the passage of our region’s next cool front. Right now I think this will be a quiet passage, with most of the area seeing on the order of one-tenth of an inch of rain, or even none on Saturday. But we cannot rule out some daytime showers briefly disrupting outdoor activities. Highs will be around 80 degrees, with clearing skies during the afternoon hours likely in the wake of the front’s passage. Expect gusty northerly winds later on Saturday, but nothing like the region experienced on Tuesday. Lows on Saturday night will probably drop into the upper 40s.

Sunday

This will be a fine, sunny day with highs in the mid-60s. Winds will be from the north, with possibly some gusts up to 20 mph as drier air moves in. Lows on Sunday night may reach the mid-40s in Houston, with cooler conditions for inland areas. Expect a nice chill in the air.

Next week

Most of next week will see plenty of sunshine, with high temperatures in the 70s and 80s. A bit of a stronger front could arrive by next weekend to cool the region down some. Rain chances look fairly low, to non-existent throughout the period.

In brief: In today’s post we review the (very) windy conditions experienced by the region on Tuesday, and look ahead to a week of exceptionally fine spring-time weather. We also discuss why March, for our money, is the nicest month of the year in Houston.

Tuesday’s winds

As anticipated, winds on Tuesday were excessive in the wake of a robust cold front that moved through the area and produced a sharp pressure gradient. The dry air and strong winds led to several wildfires over central and southern Texas. In addition, the winds picked up a large amount of dust form west Texas and transported it into central and eastern parts of the state. It is still present in the Houston area this morning and can be seen in the form of dull skies.

According to Jeff Lindner, of the Harris County Flood Control District, these are the peak wind gusts observed on Tuesday afternoon and evening across southeast Texas:

• Victoria: 63
• Palacios: 56
• Hempstead: 54
• Navasota: 54
• College Station: 53
• Texas Medical Center (elevated): 53
• Lake Livingston: 53
• Conroe: 52
• Huntsville: 51
• Cat Spring: 51
• Baytown: 50
• Ellington: 49
• Galveston: 49
• Wharton: 48
• Bush Intercontinental Airport: 47
• Hobby Airport: 46
• LaPorte: 46
• Sugar Land: 46
• Brenham:45
• Cleveland: 44
• Cypress: 44
• Bay City: 44
• Friendswood: 43
• Morgans Point: 41
• Tomball: 40

March is nice

A few years ago I did an analysis of Houston’s weather to identify the nicest time of the year to hold an outdoor wedding here, and found that the answer is the second half of March. Tuesday’s strong winds not withstanding, the month of March offers the best chance for sunny and storm-free weather, moderate temperatures, and low humidity out of any time of the year. All of that to say, it looks like the forthcoming forecast period will deliver in terms of mild and pleasant weather.

The only downside to this time of year is pollen, as our plants start to awaken from their winter slumber. Tree pollen, in particular, peaks for most species of trees in March and April in Houston, and is already starting to show up in the metro area. So while you’re enjoying the sunshine over the next couple of weeks, you may be doing a little sneezing as well.

Wednesday

We are still seeing some wind gusts in the 25 to 30 mph range this morning, but they should begin to ease off before really dropping by this afternoon. Temperatures this morning are generally in the 50s, and with sunny skies we’ll be going into the mid- to upper-60s today.

If you’re heading out to the rodeo this evening, expect light winds and temperatures in the lower-60s ahead of the show. The only (slight) concern I would have is cooler temperatures after the concert, with may be in the mid-50s. So that’s a bit of a chill. With light winds and clear skies tonight, expect low temperatures to drop into the mid- to upper-40 by Thursday morning.

Thursday

Expect another sunny day, with highs generally in the upper 60s. By Thursday afternoon, however, we’ll start to see a more pronounced southerly wind, and this will introduce some clouds. As a result of this, Thursday night will be warmer, with temperatures likely dropping into the upper 50s in Houston.

Friday

This looks to be a warmer, moderately humid day with partly cloudy skies and highs in the vicinity of 80 degrees. Friday night will be mild, with lows in the 60s.

Saturday

This will be another warm day, likely with highs in the upper 70s to 80 degrees. We’ll see a low-ish chance of some light rain showers as a cold front approaches the area, and pushes through around noon, or during the afternoon hours. I don’t think these showers will prove too disruptive, but we could see some moderately gusty northerly winds (not like Tuesday, however). Low temperatures on Saturday night should drop into the lower 50s.

Sunday

This should be a sunny, cooler day with highs in the 60s. Lows on Sunday night may drop into the upper 40s for much of Houston.

Next week

We’ll warm up by the middle of next week, with highs possibly in the lower 80s, to go along with a fair bit of sunshine. Rain chances appear low throughout the period before possibly we see some showers along with a front ahead of next weekend. We’ll see. Enjoy the great spring-time weather, y’all.