Eric Berger

Two days of sunshine before clouds and several days of rain visit Houston

Good morning. Before we get into the forecast—which looks quite wet for much of next week—I wanted to mention the red and brown grime people noticed on their cars Thursday morning. It can be traced to a large dust cloud over northern Mexico, from which dust was transported in the atmosphere about 1 to 2 miles above the surface by a vigorous southwesterly flow, and then deposited by Wednesday night’s light rain over Houston.

Friday

Well, much of next week’s forecast is pretty grim. But after a chill start this morning (northern areas such as Conroe and Cleveland recorded a freeze with the clear skies) the rest of Friday will be quite grand. With mostly sunny skies we should expect to see high temperatures of around 70 degrees. The only blemish on the day will be winds building from the southwest, possibly gusting as high as 20 mph. Skies Friday night will be mostly clear, with lows getting down to around 50 in Houston—cooler north, and warmer along the coast.

Low temperatures Friday night will be quite a bit warmer. (Pivotal Weather)

Saturday

The morning will likely dawn with full sunshine, but I think we’ll see a mix of clouds and sun later throughout the day. Some very light rainfall will be possible during the afternoon hours, but I expect most everyone will stay dry. High temperatures will again get up to around 70 degrees. I’d expect temperatures on Saturday night to be about 10 degrees warmer than Friday night, as we enter a warmer, wetter, and more humid period for the region.

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Enjoy today’s wintery weather—spring is nigh

Temperatures have fallen into the mid- to upper-30s across most of the metro area this morning, with only areas immediately along the coast holding on to 40-degree readings. Clear skies tonight will allow for another chilly night before Houston warms up for the weekend. Most of next week looks unseasonably warm, likely with a string of nights in the 60s, and much of the rest of February will probably see above normal temperatures. Probably, this recent strong front represents the last gasp of truly cold air this season.

Thursday

Overcast skies this morning will begin to clear by or before noon, but a persistent northwest wind will continue to bring cold air into the region. This should limit high temperatures to about 50 degrees for most, with wind gusts above 20 mph making conditions feel cooler. Winds should die down somewhat overnight, and along with clear skies, this will help inland areas get down into the mid- to upper 30s again.

Friday morning’s low temperatures. (Pivotal Weather)

Friday

Onshore winds return Friday, but skies will be sunny all the same. Expect highs in the upper 60s to around 70 degrees with rather pleasant conditions. With the influence of southerly winds, lows on Friday night will likely only drop into the 50s for most of the area under mostly clear skies.

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Warm to start, but a strong cold front chills the second half of the week down

After our splendid weekend weather—and who can quibble with two mostly sunny days, dry air, light winds and moderate temperatures?—our weather during the first half of the week will turn warmer, humid, and a little more unsettled before a strong cold front sweeps through the area. The first half of next weekend looks wonderful again.

Monday

Southerly winds are really going to get cranked up this morning, eventually gusting into the 20s, or possibly even the 30s for the western half of the metro area. These winds will help bring in warmer, more humid air, allowing high temperatures to rise into the mid-70s during the afternoon hours. It might be warmer, but for mostly cloudy skies keeping a lid on daytime heating. Those same clouds will insulate the area during the overnight hours, keeping low temperatures in the mid-60s. Light rain will be possible Monday and Monday night, but most of the area should remain dry.

NOAA rainfall prediction forecast through Thursday morning. (Weather Bell)

Tuesday

Another day a lot like Monday, albeit with slightly lower winds. We’ll still see plenty of cloud cover, and if anything temperatures on Tuesday should be a few degrees warmer, possibly reaching 80 degrees. Rain chances will again be in the neighborhood of 30 percent for the region, with mostly light showers where precipitation does occur. Lows Tuesday night will again be warm—at least ahead of the cold front.

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It’s been a warm winter, but Thursday bucks that trend

The tale of this Texas winter has yet to be fully told—for the purposes of this site, we’ll define winter as December through February, which is known as meteorological winter. But for the entirety of Texas temperatures have been warmer than normal, with much of the Houston metro area 4 to 6 Fahrenheit degrees above normal. NOAA’s climate outlook calls for about near-normal temperatures in February for the region. The bottom line: If you’ve thought this winter lacked oomph, you’re right. At this point the chance of another freeze in central Houston is probably less than 50-50, but we’re far from being able to say that definitively.

The departure from normal temperatures for Texas, for the last 60 days. (HPRCC)

Thursday

Today will buck the trend of a warmer winter, as clouds and a northwest wind will conspire to keep highs generally in the mid- to upper 50s across the region. Some mostly (very) light and scattered rain showers will be possible today and Thursday night as temperatures drop into the upper 40s. Accumulations for those who receive rain today and tonight should be slight, mostly measuring one-tenth of an inch or less.

Friday

A reinforcing front arrives on Friday morning, which should keep highs in the 50s, and help lead to some clearing of skies during the afternoon hours. Friday night will be chilly, dropping into the upper 30s for northern parts of the metro area, while remaining in the 40s in the city and points south.

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