Gray skies, humidity return after Houston’s spectacular weekend

After a stunning weekend, Houston will see varied conditions as fronts move back and forth across the area this week. By and large, temperatures will be warmer than the last several days, but not overly so. We’ll also see a reasonable number of rain chances, although we’re not expecting anything at all threatening.

Monday

The story today will be winds starting to blow more forcefully from the south, with gusts up to 20 mph, and this onshore flow will yield more clouds and humidity. Highs will reach the mid-70s. Some very light, scattered rain showers will be possible later today and tonight in response to rising moisture levels. Monday night’s lows will only drop into the mid-60s.

NAM model dewpoint forecast shows the extent of Tuesday’s front push into Houston. (Weather Bell)

Tuesday

This warmer weather will continue Tuesday as a weak front approaches the region. The front may spark a bit more organized showers, with some thunderstorms possible as the front nears Interstate 69, and as it moves toward the coast. Rain chances should end around noon, with sunny skies moving in behind. Highs will get into the upper 70s to 80 degrees. Right now it looks like the front will stall near the coast, with lows dropping to around 60 degrees on Tuesday night.

Wednesday and Thursday

These will be a pair of warm and humid days, with highs around 80 degrees. Skies will be mostly cloudy and each day will have at least a slight chance of scattered, light showers. At some point on Thursday—shortly after noon, during the evening hours?—a stronger cold front will push through Houston and move offshore. This, again, may generate some slightly more organized showers and thunderstorms, but skies should clear up in its wake with overnight lows dropping into the 50s.

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

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

Friday and Saturday should be nice, springtime days, with highs of around 80 degrees, and lows around 60. Skies should be mostly sunny. We have more questions about Sunday, as another front is likely to move through Houston at that time and may produce some scattered showers. For now, however, I’d guess the front’s passage will be a dry one, but we’ll have to get back to you on that one.

We’ve had several questions about weather for Easter Sunday, and I’d love to be able to offer you some kind of helpful forecast. But for now it’s simply too early to say much of anything. The most likely forecast is highs in the 70s, but really it could be anything at this point.

Houston to enjoy another absolutely splendid spring weekend

Temperatures this morning, dropping below 50 degrees for many inland areas, are the coldest they’ve been in 10 days after much drier and cooler air blew in over night. The region will now see four or five days of splendid spring-like weather before rain chances begin to creep up next Monday or Tuesday.

Thursday

After northerly winds near the coast gusted up to about 40 mph on Thursday night, they’ve died down a bit this morning. However we’ll have to wait until this afternoon or even the evening to see gusts drop below 20 mph. Conditions otherwise will be sunny today, with highs in the upper 60s. Overnight lows will drop into the upper 40s for everywhere but coastal areas. This should be the coldest night of the week.

Low temperature forecast for Friday morning. (Weather Bell)

Friday

Conditions may remain a bit breezy on Friday, as our northerly flow continues. Temperatures will be about the same as Thursday, with highs in the upper 60s under sunny skies. Overnight lows will probably be a degree or two warmer than Thursday night for most locations.

Saturday

This is about as nice a day as you could draw up for March in Houston. We’ll again see sunny skies, and highs should reach about 70 degrees with ample dry air. Winds will be very light, if not calm. Make your outdoor plans now!

Sunday

We may start to see a touch of humidity by Sunday, but conditions should still be very pleasant, with highs in the low 70s, and partly to mostly sunny skies. Overnight temperatures will be warmer, with some areas possibly not falling below 60 degrees on Monday morning.

Houston will see solid sunshine until Sunday, at least. (Weather Bell)

Next week

Clouds will increase by Monday, and rain chances will likely be on the way up by Tuesday as the atmosphere becomes a little bit more perturbed. Thus we may see highs around 80 degrees and decent storm chances from Tuesday through about Thursday, after which time the next front may push into Houston. The details of all this remain hazy, however.

Storms possible today as a front moves into Houston, with much more severe weather well to our east

Good morning. Today will see a line of thunderstorms move through the Houston area between 7 am and Noon, to be followed by an influx of drier air across the region. This storm system will find more favorable conditions east of Houston, and there is a large area of the southern United States where severe storms—including tornadoes and hail—could form later today. NOAA hasn’t issued a “high” risk warning for severe storms, which is the magenta-colored area centered over Mississippi in the map below, since 2019. This is a serious situation, and any travel east of the greater Houston area today should be carefully considered.

NOAA severe weather outlook for Wednesday and Wednesday night.

Wednesday

As of around sunrise, a fairly organized line of storms is moving through the College Station area, and this will continue to advance toward Houston this morning. However, due to a capping inversion, we expect the intensity of these storms to weaken as they move into the city. They should exit to the east by around Noon or 1pm. Rainfall accumulation for most will be around 0.25 inch, which is unfortunate because many areas could use a little more than this. We cannot rule out an isolated strong thunderstorm, so take care when out and about this morning in Houston.

Glorious spring time weather eventually awaits us behind the front, and we should see clearing skies this afternoon as drier air moves into the area. Lows tonight will drop down to around 50 degrees, and winds may gust as high as 30mph out of the north.

Higher resolution view of NOAA storm outlook for Wednesday and Wednesday night. (NOAA)

Thursday and Friday

Thursday will start out gusty as well, but winds should die down some during the afternoon and evening hours. We’ll see sunny skies throughout the end of the work week, with highs in the upper 60s to 70 degrees, and lows in the upper 40s for the most part. It looks like Friday night will be the coldest night of the week.

Saturday and Sunday

Saturday will see full sunshine and highs of around 70 degrees, but as winds take on a more southerly flavor we may see a few clouds start to pop up by Sunday, when highs may climb into the low- to mid-70s. Rain chances remain near zero throughout the weekend.

Forecast low temperature for Friday morning. (Weather Bell)

Next week

We’ll see a continued warming trend into the early part of next week, as highs get into the upper 70s perhaps, with slightly better rain chances and more clouds. It looks like some kind of front will work its way through on Tuesday or Wednesday, but I don’t have any confidence in the details.

So for now, enjoy our amazing spring-like weather in the days ahead, and check on friends and family members in the southeast after the storms there later today and tonight.

Rain chances increase over the next 24 hours before sunshine returns

Good morning. The fog is back across Houston, but it should begin to dissipate later this morning. Houston will then be warm and humid for another day and a half, before a front with some sticking power ushers in several days of very pleasant, spring-like weather that should last into the weekend.

Tuesday

After the fog clears this morning skies will remain cloudy, and we may see some scattered to isolated showers throughout the day. Otherwise, it will just be fairly humid, with highs likely reaching the low 80s in most locations. Conditions overnight will remain cloudy, with low temperatures possibly not dropping below 70 degrees for much of the metro area.

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

Wednesday

After another warm morning, a front will approach the region. Rain chances will be fairly high during the morning hours, and I expect much of the region will likely see around 0.25 to 0.5 inches of rain before a drier air mass moves into the region. We may see some a few thunderstorms to the east of Interstate 45 where the atmosphere should be a little bit more unstable.

The drier air should reach Houston by around noon, give or take, and move offshore during the afternoon hours. Temperatures will drop as skies clear and the Sun goes down, with lows falling to around 50 degrees Wednesday night.

Thursday and Friday

Just a pair of lovely spring days, with sunny skies, highs near 70 degrees and lows in the upper 40s to around 50 degrees. Some brisk northerly winds may linger into Thursday morning out of the north, but those should begin to die down later in the day.

Saturday and Sunday

The sunshine party continues into the weekend, with mostly clear skies on Saturday, and at least partly clear skies on Sunday. Highs on Saturday will again be around 70 degrees, before getting into the mid-70s on Sunday as the overall flow turns more southerly.

Enjoy those spring-time temperatures while they last. (Weather Bell)

Next week

Most of next week looks warmer, with highs in the 70s and 80s, and lows in the 60s. There may be another front passing through by mid-week but that is far from a certainty.