Eric Berger

Enjoy winter’s last gasp, Houston. You know what’s coming.

Temperatures have reached the mid- to upper-30s across the northern reaches of the Houston metro area this morning, offering the region a final, fleeting taste of winter. As of 6:20 a.m. CT, the mark of 39 degrees at Bush Intercontinental Airport ties the record low for today, set in 1989. It is, indeed, quite chilly out with a light northerly wind, so dress accordingly this morning.

Monday

Skies will be clearing today, but with a bit of unsteady air aloft, we can’t entirely rule out a few stray showers this afternoon. However, most of us will not see rain, but rather partly to mostly sunny skies, and highs of around 60 degrees. This is nearly in line for normal low temperatures this time of year. Lows Monday night will be cold again (see map below), but temperatures probably should be a couple of degrees warmer than Sunday night.

Monday night will offer one last, chilly night for this spring. (Pivotal Weather)

Tuesday

An absolutely splendid day: Highs around 70 degrees, mostly sunny skies, light winds. Overnight lows in the 50s. Play hooky.

Wednesday

Moisture will be returning inland later on Tuesday, and that will allow for the development of clouds on Wednesday. Rain chances are low (about 20 percent) but not non-existent, as highs push into the mid-70s (it will be even warmer if the sun can break through the clouds for a bit).

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Amazing, sunny weather ends before the weekend in Houston

It’s been a grand, spring-like week with lots of sunshine and dry air for Houston. That splendiferous pattern will soon end as the weekend approaches.

Thursday

After a few clear and sunny days, some clouds are beginning to return to the sky this morning as winds turn east. Today will still see some sunshine, and this will allow highs to get into the mid- to upper-70s. Later this afternoon winds will turn out of the southeast, and gust up to 20mph signalling the return of much more moist air.

Lows Thursday night will be warmer than what we’ve seen this week. (National Weather Service)

Friday

Skies will turn mostly cloudy, as high pressure completely exits the region off to the east later on Thursday. Winds will continue to blow out of the south, and southeast throughout the day. This will allow for a slight chance of light rain showers across the region, but chances appear less than 20 percent. Highs will get up to near 80 degrees, despite the clouds, and it’ll feel quite humid outside.

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If allergies are bothering you, the problem could be indoors

As we noted in this morning’s post, it’s allergy season outdoors, particularly from tree pollen. Sneezing, itchy eyes and other symptoms are pretty common right now. But did you know there are indoor irritants that can also cause these symptoms and you can do something about it? With this post, our sponsor Reliant wanted readers to know that now is a great time to consider what you can do to improve the quality of the indoor air inside your home.

The first step is to determine whether you need an indoor air quality check-up. If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, then it is probably a good idea:

  • Do you have respiratory issues that improve when you leave your home?
  • Does the air inside your home feel damp or stuffy?
  • Do you smoke inside?
  • When you enter your home, do you notice that smells linger?

So what is an air quality check-up? As part of this service, air quality specialists perform a visual inspection of your home’s HVAC system, assessing the quality of the air you and your family breathe. There could be any number of underlying problems, from poor ventilation to unexpected sources of odors and allergens.

The goal of the assessment is to diagnose those problems, and then find solutions that leave you with a healthier, fresher home. Here are some of the potential solutions available to improving the air quality inside your home:

  • UV lights to reduce viruses and bacteria in your HVAC coils
  • Air cleaners that capture up to 99.98% of allergens and bacteria
  • Media filters that capture dust and debris and enhance the efficiency of your HVAC system
  • In-duct air purifiers that provide whole-home purification

Reliant offers an indoor air quality assessment for just $49. This service is available to anyone, regardless of electricity provider, but Reliant customers receive 10 percent off.

People often think Reliant only provides electricity, but they do a lot more than that! They want to ensure Houstonians feel safe and secure in their home, which is why their home services team provides indoor air quality checks, along with HVAC repair and efficiency services, home maintenance and home security. If you’re interested in having your home’s air assessed, please call (833) 480-7835.

With pollen high, and a dry March, we could use some rain

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.

Tree pollen levels in Houston on Tuesday, March 26. (City of Houston)

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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