Eric Berger

No drought yet for Houston, but unless it rains …

For parts of Houston, last Friday and Saturday provided some decent rain showers, 1 to 2 inches of rainfall. But for much of the city, especially the southern half, it has been a dry end of spring. Hobby Airport, for example, has not seen any measurable rainfall since April 21. Because the region had a generally wet winter (not to mention Hurricane Harvey last August), drought conditions are only beginning to creep northward, from the Coastal Bend toward Houston. But make no mistake, unless it starts raining more soon, with temperatures now in the 90s, it won’t take too long for a drought to develop if these conditions persist.

Drought monitor report for Texas released on Thursday.

Unfortunately, the next week looks mostly to even completely dry for the region. (Some scattered showers will definitely be possible, but accumulations should be slight). I think we are probably 7 to 10 days away from any meaningful rain falling across Houston.

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You’ve got generator questions, we’ve got answers

Last year, after a sponsored post about generators, we received an extraordinary number of questions from readers on the site, on Facebook, and on Twitter. So as we gear up for hurricane season this year—when homeowners are considering whether to make such an investment—we decided to go back to Reliant for answers to some of the most commonly asked questions.

Will the noise from a generator upset my neighbors? Are there Homeowner Association Deed Restrictions? 

Generators are fairly quiet and generally quieter than your air conditioner running today. The thing to keep in mind is that the generator only produces noise when it is activated, either in an emergency situation or during its weekly test cycle to ensure systems are running properly. These cycles only take about five minutes and can be scheduled for the most convenient time for customers, often during the day when you’re at work or running errands. The cycle checks battery function, oil levels and other diagnostics to keep the engine primed and in good shape.

Regarding HOA restrictions, Reliant generators typically meet all noise requirements. However, if you live in an area with stricter regulations, the company can also provide additional solutions to suppress the sound.

When the power goes out, do you need to turn your generator on?

This is the most frequent question the Reliant home services team receives from customers. If you have a fully automatic backup generator, these require no action on the customer’s part. The Smart Transfer Switch monitors the household’s electricity and sends a signal to activate the generator if it detects an outage. It only takes about 5-8 seconds for the generator to automatically turn on once you lose power. For non-fully automatic solutions, such as the Reliant Portable Home Power Kit, all you have to do is flip a switch and you’ll be up and running.


Incrementally, what size generator will I need to power basic services, such as lights, phone, alarm system, Wi-Fi, refrigerator, etc?

Reliant provides free in-home assessments, in which Reliant’s generator specialists help determine the best generator for your needs and budget. In general, 10-14 kilowatt (kW) generators are enough to run individual survival appliances, such as a refrigerator, sump pump, or lights. A 15-20 kW generator could run a small home with one AC unit, and a 21-25 kW generator could power a small to medium-sized home.

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For Mother’s Day, find mom some shade

This will be a quick forecast today, because there isn’t a whole lot to say that hasn’t been said already about the near-term forecast—we’re going to be hot, humid, and mostly rain-free for awhile. Tomorrow I’ll have a deeper look at the drying of the region’s soils, and our outlook for rain for the rest of May. Until then, stay cool!

The seven-day rain outlook for Houston is not promising. (Pivotal Weather)

Thursday

After a cool start in the mid-60s, we should see daytime highs ramp up to about 90 degrees today under sunny skies. Southerly winds could kick up a bit later today, perhaps gusting to 15 or 20mph. Rain chances remain near zero.

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Houston’s nights to get a bit stickier now

Houston has had some hot days this week—with highs of 90 and 91 degrees—but we’ve been saved by some pleasant mornings and especially evenings when drier air has felt pretty good. I hate to be a Grinchy forecaster, but I’m afraid we’re going to have to take that away from you, too.

The “dewpoint” temperature offers a good indication of how dry the air feels. Specifically the greater the difference between the dewpoint and the actual temperature, the lower the humidity. In the graphic below I’ve plotted the temperature (blue) and dewpoint (red) for the last three nights at 8pm at Hobby Airport, and for the next three nights.

The temperature (blue) and dewpoint (red) at Hobby Airport at 8pm this week. (Space City Weather)

As you can see, we had a pretty nice delta on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights. As you can also see, that difference between the actual temperature and dewpoint is going to go away beginning this evening. Trust me, in the hour before and after sunset, you’ll feel it. And probably not in a good way.

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