Eric Berger

Houston has experienced another very warm morning, with lows generally in the lower 80s. The all-time record “high minimum” temperature for the region is 83 degrees—set several times in 1980 and 2010—and the mercury at Bush Intercontinental Airport will only fall 1 or 2 degrees below that today. Part of the reason for these warm, pre-sunrise temperatures is a broken cloud layer. This should also help to moderate temperatures slightly later today.

Tuesday

The clouds are harbingers of a weak front sliding down through the area, and which should move off the coast later today or this evening. Increased clouds today should lead to slightly cooler temperatures, with highs generally in the mid-90s.

Later this afternoon a few isolated to scattered showers are possible closer to the coast, south of Interstate 10 and southwest of Houston. If you get rain, count yourself as lucky.

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Houston’s temperature hit 100 degrees for the first time in a year on Sunday, reaching 100 exactly at Bush Intercontinental Airport. However, of more note have been the “low” temperatures overnight, which on the last four nights have only fallen to 80 degrees. This has set or tied a “high minimum temperature” record for each of the last four days. This only adds additional stress to the region’s ecosystem—not to mention people who live without air conditioning—on top of the already high daytime temperatures. Fortunately we only have one more extremely hot day before the heat breaks slightly.

Monday

A heat advisory remains in effect for today, until 9pm, as high pressure will lead again to mostly sunny skies and high temperatures of about 100 degrees across the region. By now, you know the drill, as today will be a lot like Saturday and Sunday. Areas to the northwest of Houston, including the Bryan-College Station region, are under an “excessive heat warning” because high temperatures could reach into 105-degree range for some areas.

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We’ve been talking about the heat this week, and upcoming weekend, for quite a while and unfortunately it will be as bad or worse than expected. The heat is especially extreme in the northern half of Texas, where high temperatures may reach 110 degrees, and areas such as Dallas and Fort Worth will see some of the worst heat since 2011. Heat advisories have been issued for the northern half of Texas, as well as some more extreme heat warnings for DFW and surrounding areas.

Additionally, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, reported on Wednesday that it set a new, all-time systemwide peak demand record during the afternoon, reaching 72,192 MW between 4 and 5 p.m. Electricity usage will only get higher this weekend as it gets slightly hotter than now, and you can help by conserving electricity (see how at the end of this post).

Thursday

Houston, with its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, won’t bake quite as much as northern Texas due to high pressures. But it will still be hot and sunny. Expect highs in the upper 90s with lows tonight near 80 degrees.

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