Eric Berger

Seven of the last 10 days of June had high temperatures of 90 degrees or below—perhaps offering a false hope that summer doesn’t get so hot in Houston. Alas, July has disabused us of this notion, with highs of 94, 94, 95, and finally 96 degrees on July 4th. This is summer as we know it in Houston, and not a whole lot will change over the next week aside from some increasing rain chances.

Wednesday and Thursday

The region will see some slight rain chances today and Thursday as the boundaries between air masses collide overhead. But while moisture levels in the atmosphere are creeping back up, they’re not particularly high for this time of year so don’t expect any kind of a washout. I suspect that some areas may see a quick tenth of an inch of rain, or two, but a lot of the area won’t see any rainfall at all during the next two days. Look for highs in the mid-90s, with overnight lows in the upper-70s.

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By Houston’s standards, June hasn’t been too bad. Temperatures are going to end up near normal, or slightly below normal for the month. And during the last week persistent clouds and on-and-off rain showers have generally kept high temperatures in the upper 80s. But all good things must come to an end, and for Houston that means the coming of summer proper, just as we get into July and August. These are always the hottest two months in Houston, and undoubtedly this will be the case in 2017.

My advice: If we all hold hands, and huddle underneath the trees for shade, we just might make it to September.

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Although Tropical Storm Cindy veered well to the east of the Houston metro area last week, a very moist tropical air mass remained in its wake. That, combined with lower pressures, has allowed for intermittent tropical downpours during the last five days across the Houston area, with some inches receiving as much as six inches of rain.

This pattern should continue for another day or two, before the region finally dries out heading into the weekend.

Wednesday and Thursday

With abundant moisture still hanging around, we’re going to continue to see partly to mostly cloudy skies, with the potential for heavy rainfall. Storm chances are greatest near the coast for the next couple of days, and like we’ve seen for much of this week, one part of Houston could quickly pick up 2 inches of rain while it doesn’t rain at all a few miles away. The upside of this tropical pattern is that high temperatures should remain in the upper 80s—quite pleasant for the end of June.

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Houston’s bout with tropical moisture continues, and on Monday afternoon and evening it was the southern side of the region’s chance to contend with heavy rainfall. With 2 to 3 inches falling in a couple of hours, Friendswood, Pearland, and the Clear Lake area were hardest hit as rains briefly filled streets. We should remain in this wet weather pattern for most of the work week.

Today

Another day a lot like Monday. The tropical moisture that’s capable of bringing heavy rains is still hanging around for areas closer to the coast, so we can expect another mostly cloudy day with highs in the upper 80s, and a healthy chance of storms later today. Some areas could pick up a quick 1 to 2 inches, while other parts of town see almost no rain. Fortunately, because the storms aren’t that well organized, I don’t think we’re going to see anything more significant than street flooding—if that.

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