Houston to get a wonderful dose of drier, cooler air this weekend

Partly sunny skies return to Houston today, and after several days of rainfall, temperatures will rise into the mid-80s. It will be quite warm until the weekend, when a fairly strong cold front arrives. Cooler weather will follow.

Thursday and Friday

While a few scattered showers are possible during the afternoon hours, for the most part we’re going to see partly to mostly sunny skies to go along with onshore winds during the next couple of days. This is going to allow for afternoon temperatures to rise up into the mid-80s today, and potentially the upper 80s on Friday. Have your air conditioners ready.

Saturday

As we’ve been discussing for several days, a cold front will push through the area on Saturday. The most likely time frame is still from late morning through the afternoon hours, and with warmer air aloft conditions are not going to be ideal for rainfall with the front. If this capping inversion breaks, it will be possible for some thunderstorms to develop during the daytime, but I don’t expect most areas to see more than very light rain—if that. Northerly winds will bring drier air into the region in the wake of the front, and conditions will cool off quickly on Saturday night.

The wind forecast for Saturday night calls for much drier, and cooler Canadian air to move in. (earth.nullschool.net)

(Space City Weather is sponsored this month by The Mole, a Jonathon Price novel.)

See full post

Warm, muggy weather for Houston before a strong cold front Saturday

Good morning. Houston will have a few warm, muggy days before a cold front moves through on Saturday and brings us several days of absolutely gorgeous weather.

Wednesday

After intermittent heavy rainfall on Monday and Tuesday, moisture levels are still fairly high today across the area. This will lead to some scattered showers today, especially during the afternoon hours due to daytime heating. These storms shouldn’t be too concerning, and probably won’t last too long where they pop up. Otherwise, skies should be partly sunny, and highs will rise into the low 80s.

Thursday and Friday

As some high pressure mixes into the area we’re going to see lower rain chances to end the work week, although it still seems as though we may squeeze out a few showers along the afternoon sea breeze. The more noticeable feature will be temperatures—expect them to rise into the mid-80s with fairly high humidity. Nights will offer little relief, with temperatures only falling to around 70 degrees.

(Space City Weather is sponsored this month by The Mole, a Jonathon Price novel.)

See full post

Flash flood watch in effect today for Houston

Unsettled weather will continue for Houston today, as relatively small-scale, but intense showers and thunderstorms bring widespread rainfall to the area. These are nasty storms to try and forecast because while parts of central and southern Houston have received less than one-quarter an inch of rain during the last 24 hours, some parts of southern Brazoria County have received more than 9 inches.

Today

A flash flood watch remains in effect for central and southern parts of the Houston metro area today through about 4pm, as the heaviest rains are likely to continue to fall between the coast and downtown Houston. The storms are being driven by high moisture content and small features in the atmosphere. Additional rainfall amounts may be as much as 2-3 inches of rain, with higher isolated amounts.

Flash flood watch in effect for Houston today. (National Weather Service)

 

These storms have been pretty unpredictable (certainly there was little expectation of a nine-inch rain bomb just south of Houston on Monday and Monday night), so we’ll have to keep on alert for most of today. While I don’t expect major problems for most of Harris County, you just never know when atmospheric moisture levels get this high (about 1.8 inches of precipitable water) during the spring and summer months in Houston.

(Space City Weather is sponsored this month by The Mole, a Jonathon Price novel.)

See full post

Scattered storms possible today and Tuesday, big cold front this weekend

After a calm Easter weekend, some modest storm chances return to Houston this week. We’re also going to have a real cold front at the end of the week, which should be one of the last of the season, so we should look forward to that.

Today

A complex of showers and thunderstorms has developed over South Texas this morning, from Brownsville to Corpus Christi. This system should moved to the east-northeast later this morning, and may bring some scattered storms into the Houston region. I think the threat is probably highest for areas to the southwest of Houston (i.e. from El Campo to Lake Jackson), but there’s enough moisture out there that we can’t rule out some storms making it into the entire Houston area. These storms could produce some heavy rains over a few areas, while parts of Houston remain dry. Highs today will reach the low 80s.

There’s a marginal chance of severe weather to the south of Houston today. (NOAA)

Tuesday

Another potentially unsettled day, with low pressure hanging around the Texas coast, and atmospheric moisture. Most areas will probably only see a few tenths of an inch of rain—or less, and I’m not overly concerned about the threat of severe weather. Highs again in the low 80s.

(Space City Weather is sponsored this month by The Mole, a Jonathon Price novel.)

See full post