Summer has arrived in Houston and is here to stay

Summer—steamy, humid, and hot—is finally here. Houston certainly enjoyed a nice reprieve last week, as Bush Intercontinental Airport recorded a streak of four mornings (Thursday through Sunday) of low temperatures ranging from 67 to 69 degrees. The monthly average temperature so far is about 2 degrees below normal.

But by Sunday afternoon it “felt” like summer outside, and that’s how conditions will remain for about the next three months, and of course we’re only going to get warmer as we get deeper into July and August.

Today

After several mostly sunny days, clouds will return to the forecast area today, and this will herald a pretty decent chance of rain. Moisture levels are higher to the east of Houston, so rain chances will be considerably higher to the east of Interstate 45 than to the west. So look for scattered showers for the eastern half of Houston, and fairly isolated showers to the west. Accumulations for the most part will be low, perhaps a tenth of an inch of rain or two. Highs today should be around 90 degrees, with muggy overnight lows in the upper 70s.

Tuesday

A similar day to Monday, although with a bit less moisture I’d expect a bit less rainfall coverage for the area. Humidity levels remain very high, with temperatures around 90 degrees and lows in the upper 70s.

Don’t expect too much rain this week, as the 7-day NOAA forecast indicates. (Weather Bell)

Wednesday through Friday

Moisture levels will fall off some, which will leave us in a summer-like pattern for the region. This means partly to mostly sunny skies, with a slight chance of afternoon showers as the sea breeze moves in. Look for highs in the low 90s, and overnight low temperatures in the mid-70s.

Saturday and Sunday

Moisture levels don’t look particularly high, but the upper-level pattern suggests that some storms may be possible. For now I’d feel comfortable saying there’s a 20 to 30 percent chance of storms for Houston, but most likely we’re going to see warm, partly sunny days.

Tropical note

We’re now about a dozen days into the Atlantic hurricane season. So far conditions have been calm, but forecast models are hinting at some development in the Caribbean Sea this weekend that may eventually move into the Gulf of Mexico. I say this not to alarm you, but because some people may share forecasts about this system that show something developing near Texas. I’m not ruling that out, but there are quite a few factors weighing against this happening right now, so I wouldn’t be overly concerned. We’ll watch it and let you know if there’s anything that matters.

Posted at 6:55am CT on Monday by Eric

Warming into the weekend for Houston, but still sunny

Houston is enjoying another really pleasant morning for June, with lows in the upper 60s in parts of the city, and ample dry air. Enjoy this fine weather for this time of year, because it will not last as we descend deeper into summer.

There are some very comfortable lows in east Texas this morning. (Weather Bell)

Friday

The easterly winds bringing dry air will eventually swing to out of the southeast by later today, but we should enjoy one more relatively dry day, with highs near 90 degrees, and overnight lows again in the upper 60s for inland areas, and lower 70s along the coast.

Saturday

Another nice, sunny day, with highs near 90 degrees and mostly sunny skies. Lows by Saturday night and into Sunday morning will be warmer, however, likely only falling into the low- to mid-70s.

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Houston’s surprisingly dry June weather continues until the weekend

Temperatures briefly reached the upper 60s this morning in parts of Houston, but what is more noticeable is the drier air. These pleasant conditions for June will continue for a few more days before more typical humidity returns to the area.

Thursday and Friday

Warm and sunny. With drier air and a northeasterly flow, we can expect highs in the low 90s, and overnight lows around 70 degrees. Again, the drier air should allow for more pleasant mornings and evenings. Contrast that to 16 years ago today, when Tropical Storm Allison returned to Houston on the night of the 8th and morning of the 8th, and deluged Houston.

Tropical Storm Allison returned to Houston 16 years ago, today. (NOAA)

Saturday and Sunday

We’ll remain mostly sunny, with highs around 90 degrees, but I expect humidity levels to begin rising again as winds shift out of the south. By Sunday this may allow for a few scattered showers to form during the afternoon hours, but for the most part we’re going to remain dry.

Monday

As an upper-level system moves into the area, we’re going to see some decent rain chances on Monday, but I’m not expecting anything extreme. Most likely a good chunk of the Houston area will see a few tenths of an inch of rain, while others see dark skies but no rain. More cloudy skies could limit highs to the upper 80s.

Tuesday and beyond

High pressure settles over the area, likely bringing high temperatures back into the lower 90s, and keeping lows warm in the mid-70s. This is what June in Houston often feels like in June, rather than the dry days we’re seeing now.

Posted at 7:30am CT on Thursday by Eric

 

Pleasant weather—for June—through the weekend for Houston

Note: Sorry for the late post this morning but for personal reasons I had to stay up very late Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Fortunately the region’s weather is most benign now, and will be for several days.

Wednesday through Friday

With high pressure and northeasterly winds, Houston will have a few pleasant days to end the week. Highs will be warm, around 90 degrees, but drier-than-normal air will allow for evening temperatures to cool off into the upper 60s to around 70 degrees, and the lower humidity levels will make for pleasant mornings and evenings. Skies will be sunny, with no chance of rain.

Saturday

Another nice day, but we’re going to see the return of southerly winds sometime on Friday night or Saturday, which will begin the process of raising humidity levels and, eventually, rain chances. The day should be mostly sunny with highs near 90 degrees.

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