Eric Berger

A look ahead at high heat, a look back at Harvey a year ago

Ahh, you’ve got to love August in Houston. This is a month when a “cold” front actually means warmer weather, 100 degree days happen not too infrequently, and we face the threat of hurricanes. Today’s post will address all three of these issues, including a look back at this time, last year, to see what we were saying about the approach of Hurricane Harvey.

Tuesday

A dying cold front is north of the Houston area this morning, but should slog through the area today. The net effect of this should be to produce some scattered showers later today and this evening, and some of the embedded thunderstorms could produce briefly intense rains and winds. The chance of rain today is only about 40 percent, but that’s significantly higher than during the rest of the week. Despite the rain chances, for the most part, this should be just another hot and partly sunny August, with high temperatures in the upper 90s to 100 degrees.

Wednesday will be a hot one in the Houston area. (Pivotal Weather)

Wednesday and Thursday

Some drier air will move in behind the “cold” front, and along with this some higher pressures will build over the region. In August, this means just one thing—some serious summer heat beneath sunny skies. We can expect high temperatures in the vicinity of 100 degrees, perhaps even up to 102 or 103 degrees. The drier air may knock a tad of the humidity out of the air, but it’s still going to be extremely warm out there during the daytime. Please do take precautions, especially for any children participating in outdoor sports practices after school.

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Some serious summer heat returns this week to Houston

The bulk of the region’s children may return to school this week, but weatherwise Houston will remain in full-on summer, with the potential for an additional 100-degree day or two during the midweek. A bit of drier air will help keep relative humidity down just a touch, which will help with the daytime heat index—a little bit.

Monday

Monday will probably see a continuation of the weather we saw this past weekend, with high temperatures in the mid- to upper-90s, partly sunny skies, and a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.

Monday’s high temperatures shows a cold front having reached Oklahoma and northern Texas. We’ll have no such luck. (Pivotal Weather)

Tuesday

Yes, that cold front we mentioned last week has progressed toward Texas, and on Tuesday the remnants of it will slowly limp into the greater Houston region. Don’t expect much (any, really) cooling, but the front will be the impetus for some rising air on Tuesday, and some slightly better rain chances. I suspect about 40 percent of the area will see some form of showers, ranging from sprinkles to about half an inch of rain, beginning early Tuesday and running throughout the day. Highs in the mid- to upper-90s.

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Houston in a broken-record weather pattern through the weekend

Houston’s weather pattern remains more or less the same, and should hold through the weekend, as moderate high pressure (mostly) keeps a lid on afternoon showers. Rain chances look to go up next week as a “cold” front approaches and possibly even pushes through the region.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday

Similar weather is similar. We can essentially expect repeat days of high temperatures in the mid-90s, and overnight lows ranging from the mid-70s (inland) to around 80 degrees (along the coast). A few isolated to scattered showers are definitely possible, including some heavier thunderstorms. We saw some of those on Wednesday in Pearland and League City, and there’s enough weakness in high pressure aloft that we should see some more over the next few days.

There will be a few 100 degree temperatures scattered across Texas today. (Pivotal Weather)

Sunday and Monday

More of the same, but with slightly better rain chances, perhaps about 30 percent of the area will see rain each day.

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Dare we say this August won’t be too bad for Houston?

Good morning! We are now almost to the halfway mark of August, and it hasn’t been so bad. Average temperatures this month, so far, have been near normal. And as we look ahead to the rest of the month there appears to be nothing extreme on the horizon. Dare I say it, that we might get through Houston’s hottest month—when we are most drought prone, and exposed to hurricanes—without and really severe weather? No, I will not say it. But I’m thinking it’s a very real possibility.

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday

The overall forecast pattern for the rest of this week has not changed. Moderate high pressure remains in place, but nothing too suffocating. This means high temperatures will probably peak in the mid-90s, and with a few clouds there will be a slight chance (maybe 10-20 percent inland, 20-30 percent close to the coast) of rain showers. Overnight lows will be in the mid-70s for far inland areas, and about 80 degrees right along the coast.

High temperature forecast for Wednesday. (Pivotal Weather)

Saturday and Sunday

Again, not much change this weekend, with highs in the mid-90s and some isolated to scattered showers for the region. You probably won’t see rain. For the most part, skies will be sunny, and the water inviting due to the daytime heat. If you’re tailgating for the Houston Texans preseason game on Sunday evening make sure to stay hydrated out there. (That a was a joke, friends. I know any tailgaters will probably stay over-hydrated)

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