Eric Berger

No sugarcoating it—Houston’s weather is about to suck for awhile

Good morning. Some isolated showers have moved into the Houston are this morning as a southerly flow returns from the Gulf of Mexico. Hopefully more of the area will see rain later today before high pressure settles in. Either way the heat and humidity is coming back for a good long while.

Today

Some of the high-resolution models show pretty decent shower coverage later this morning and during the afternoon hours, as daytime heating develops. Some areas may receive as much as one half to one inch of rain today (others won’t see any, alas), and partly to mostly cloudy skies should limit high temperatures in the mid- to upper-80s. Lows tonight will be in the lower 70s.

Wednesday through Friday

After today we’re going to see higher pressures dominate Houston’s weather for the rest of the work week, and it’s not going to be fall-like at all. Days should be mostly sunny with highs in the upper 80s to possibly even 90 degrees. Overnight lows will be around 70 degrees north of Houston, and in the low 70s in the city and closer to the coast. We can’t rule out some storms on Friday as a cool front moves into northern Texas, but I don’t think the showers and thunderstorms associated with that front will make it all the way to Houston (the front itself won’t, unfortunately).

This is one depressing forecast from the GFS model for the next 10 days. (Weather Bell)
This is one depressing forecast from the GFS model for the next 10 days. (Weather Bell)

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One more pleasant before … ugh … summer-lite returns to Houston

It’s a beautiful fall-like morning across Houston, with lows in the lower 50s for northern parts of Houston, mid- to upper-50s for much of the rest of the area, and lows even in the upper 60s closer to the coast. Alas, it is not going to last.

Today

We’re going to have one more pretty nice day. Highs today should only reach around 85 degrees, with lows falling into the 60s for most of the Houston area. Drier air will keep humidity levels down. Unfortunately the winds are going to shift back out of the south later today, spelling the return of warmer, more humid weather.

Tuesday

This returning moisture could lead to the development of a few showers on Tuesday, most likely along the coast. Highs under partly cloud skies should remain in the mid-80s, with overnight lows likely back around 70 degrees by Tuesday night.

Wednesday through Friday

Did you miss summer? Because it’s coming back, sort of, with a southerly flow off the Gulf of Mexico. Unfortunately we’re not going to see a return of the rainfall we saw during much of the summer, because that is something we need.

NOAA rain accumulation forecast for now through Saturday. (Weather Bell)
NOAA rain accumulation forecast for now through Saturday. (Weather Bell)

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One more day of humidity before relief arrives in Houston

Houston’s forecast remains on track, with another day or so of humidity before a front brings drier and cooler air in for the weekend.

Today

One more almost summer-like day lies ahead for Houston with highs near 90 degrees. The ample atmospheric moisture also means we’ll have one more scattered shot at rainfall, which much of the region really needs now after a very dry September and almost no rain in October. Alas rain chances are probably only 20 to 30 percent, perhaps a little bit higher for western areas of the region. Lows tonight will again be warm and sticky.

Friday

We’ll see another warm day on Friday, with mostly sunny skies, but drier air will begin to filter into the area along with a cool front later in the day. Houston won’t see an immediate cool down, but conditions will be nicer by the evening hours, and the front will be more apparent come the weekend. Rain chances are near zero with the front.

Saturday and Sunday

Temperatures have been trending a little warmer for the weekend, but conditions still should be pretty nice for the region. Expect highs in the mid- to upper-80s, with drier air under sunny skies, and lows in the mid-60s, a bit warmer along the coast and cooler up north.

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Monday should be the coolest morning, with lows 10 to 12 degrees below normal. (Weather Bell)

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The humidity strikes back, but decidedly more pleasant weather is ahead

Welcome back to sticky weather. Lows this morning have only fallen into the upper 70s across the Houston area, and relative humidity is near 100 percent. Expect a few more days of this before some relief this weekend and early next week.

Wednesday and Thursday

We’re going to continue to see late-summer like conditions as southeast winds bring a warm, moist flow into the region from the Gulf of Mexico. Highs should climb to about 90 degrees, or maybe a tick warmer, with lows in the 70s. The more difficult question is how widespread the rain is. The region will have enough atmospheric moisture to produce showers, but there’s no real forcing mechanism. So I’d anticipate scattered showers both days, primarily during the afternoon hours and most likely along the coast.

Friday

A front should arrive in Houston later on Friday, but the day will still be warm in advance of its passage, with highs around 90 degrees. Expect a dry passage with little or, most likely, no rain. Drier air should allow low temperatures late on Friday night to fall into the upper 60s.

We should see some lower dewpoints by Friday evening or so. (Weather Bell)
We should see some lower dewpoints by Friday evening or so. (Weather Bell)

Saturday through Monday

It will take some time for the cooler air to work its way into Houston, but we should see more pleasant conditions by Saturday, and especially Sunday and Monday. Highs should fall back into the low- to mid-80s, with low humidity. Low temperatures will probably bottom out on Monday morning, in the upper 50s for inland areas, and low 60s closer to the coast.

Hurricane Matthew

The forecast for Hurricane Matthew, with 125 mph winds, continues to grow more concerning for Florida on Friday and into the weekend. The European model, in particular, has shown the potential for Matthew to strike or significantly graze Florida’s space coast, including the Kennedy Space Center. Already there are mandatory evacuation orders for Brevard County, and the hurricane may pose a significant threat to iconic structures at the space center.

Here are key messages from the National Hurricane Center with regard to the storm.

Posted at 6:50am CT on Wednesday by Eric