Eric Berger

Houston is in the midst of some lovely weather, but we do have some concerns about pollen, particularly from oak trees. Levels remain “extremely high” across the region as we’ve not had a good, hard rain in quite some time which would help knock these levels down.

There is the possibility such a rain will come this weekend, but no guarantee as the model forecasts are somewhat disjointed. And now, on to the forecast…

Wednesday

Another incredible spring day is on tap: sunshine, highs in the 70s, dry air, and a moderate night in the 50s. If you’re working today, get outside this evening. If you’re working tonight, get outside today. Enjoy!

Thursday

As winds become more southeasterly, we’re going to see some rises in humidity, and perhaps some clouds move into the skies, but high temperatures still should remain confined to the 70s. More clouds move in later Thursday evening, and nighttime temperatures likely will only fall into the 60s for most of the area.

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You might be deceived into thinking that summer has nearly arrived in Houston. After all, the city recorded its warmest day of the year on Monday—with a high temperature of 87 degrees, it wasn’t really close. However, a nice cool front arrived Monday night, and forecast models indicate an even stronger front will arrive this weekend. Although I wouldn’t bet on it, I also wouldn’t rule out some parts of the metro area dropping into the upper 30s about a week from now. Anyway, summer isn’t here just yet.

Tuesday and Wednesday

The next two days are going to be gorgeous. Highs in the 70s, generally. Lows in the 50s, generally. Ample sunshine. Low humidity. Get outside, y’all.

Thursday

This will be another nice day, with highs in the 70s. But with southerly winds returning, we may expect a few clouds, and overnight temperatures probably will remain in the 60s for central and southern areas heading into Friday.

Friday

More clouds will return by Friday, but we should still see some sunshine, that will push highs into the upper 70s or even toward 80 degrees. Scattered, light showers are possible during the day, although rain chances for most are probably in the 20 to 30 percent range, so pretty low overall.

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Before jumping into the forecast, I just wanted to note an oddity developing off the southeastern Brazilian coast—Tropical Storm Iba. This is the first tropical cyclone to develop in the southern Atlantic Ocean since Tropical Storm Anita, in 2010. Such storms are rare in the Atlantic, south of the equator, due to typically very high wind shear conditions. In this case, Iba should last about 24 hours and does not appear to be a significant threat to land. (I also wouldn’t read anything into Iba’s development with respect to the upcoming North Atlantic hurricane season, which begins June 1).

Monday

It’s warm, humid and (for some parts of Houston) foggy this morning as the region lies under a southwesterly flow. Temperatures are in the upper 60s. But a front is coming, and along with it more spring-like weather. Conditions will remain mostly cloudy through the early afternoon, with temperatures rising to about 80 degrees for the area. A diffuse area of showers and thunderstorms will move into Houston this afternoon—most people probably won’t see rain—that will herald the arrival of the front. It should move offshore this evening, allowing for clearing skies and a pleasant night in the upper 50s.

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Houston has now gone six days without measurable rain—and we’re likely to add at least two more through Friday. The region hasn’t recorded a dry spell longer than five days since early January. It’s been nice—my yard is dry for the first time since I can’t even remember this winter. However we could now use a bit of rain, especially with tree pollen levels so high, and I’m not sure we’re going to get all that much in the days ahead. In fact, this March is likely to see much less rainfall than normal.

Thursday

For today, there are no weather concerns. (If you’re in the Deer Park area, unfortunately, benzene levels are elevated in the aftermath of the toxic fire at an industrial facility. Please heed shelter-in-place warnings. Also, Highway 225 is closed in the region). Otherwise, today will be sunny, with high temperatures in the mid-70s, and lows tonight down around 50 degrees. A weak cold front crossed the region Wednesday night, which will keep our air dry for another day or so.

Friday

The onshore flow resumes during the day, so you’ll probably notice an uptick in humidity, and temperatures likely will get into the upper 70s. Overall this should still be a very pleasant day, however, with partly to mostly sunny skies. Lows Friday night probably won’t fall much below 60 degrees.

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