Warmer, with light rains, before a cool and sunny winter weekend

Good morning. Houston is warmer this morning, with lows in ranging from the low- to upper-40s, but the respite from winter won’t last too long.

TODAY

As the onshore flow resumes these more southerly winds will bring moisture back into the atmosphere, and we should see increasingly cloudy skies this afternoon and evening. Highs will climb into the upper 60s, somewhat dependent upon how early the clouds move in.

WEDNESDAY

Conditions will change Wednesday as a weak front approaches Houston and likely stalls along the coast. If moisture levels were higher I’d be confident in seeing some decent rain showers, but as we’ve been so dry for awhile, I expect only scattered, light rain on Wednesday, likely during the morning hours. Highs will be in the low 70s.

THURSDAY

A stronger cold front will likely move through the area on Thursday morning, and again I expect to see some scattered showers but nothing too heavy. Perhaps some areas will see a few tenths of an inch of rain, but it should be nothing to write home about. Highs will be about 70 degrees and I expect skies to begin clearing late on Thursday.

FRIDAY, SATURDAY and SUNDAY

The clearing will be driven by a very pronounced ridge of high pressure, shown in the forecast map for the upper level of the atmosphere on Friday, at noon.

Forecast map showing features in upper level of the atmosphere on Friday, noon. (Weather Bell)
Forecast map showing features in upper level of the atmosphere on Friday, noon. (Weather Bell)

See full post

Final Houston Marathon forecast: Oh baby

This will be the final forecast for the Houston Marathon on Sunday, Jan. 17th. The TL;DR version is:

OH MY GOD THE WEATHER IS GOING TO BE NIGH PERFECT.

Today’s light northwesterly winds herald the arrival of a cool front, and we’ll see colder air steadily advecting into the area over the next couple of days. Moisture levels aren’t particularly high in the atmosphere, but there will be a chance of light rain tomorrow, likely during the afternoon hours. Cold air really takes hold by Saturday night. And so, for the marathon …

Start line temperature: 41°

Temperature at noon: 53°

Skies: Partly to mostly clear

Winds: 5-10 miles out of N-NE

Ideally the winds would be zero, but since they’re coming out of the north we can be assured of low dew points, which means low humidity and ideal cooling.

We’ll have Spring for a day, then return to winter this weekend

Good morning. Today will provide a taste of spring-like conditions before more winter-like weather returns this weekend.

TODAY

After any lingering fog will burn off this morning, and we’ll have a mostly sunny sky. Although a cool front will arrive by this afternoon, temperatures will rise into the low 70s as the colder air lags. It will be the region’s warmest day in nearly three weeks. After the Sun sets we’ll start to cool off fairly quickly, however, with lows tonight in the 40s.

SATURDAY

Saturday will be cooler, as northerly air moves into the region, and an upper level storm system will bring some chances of rain, especially to the south-southeast of Houston. Even so I don’t expect any significant accumulations. Most areas will see a tenth of an inch of rain, at the very most. The day will be mostly cloudy.

Accumulation forecast: Any rain that does develop on Saturday will be light, and chances are best along the coast. (Weather Bell)
Accumulation forecast: Any rain that does develop on Saturday will be light, and chances are best along the coast. (Weather Bell)

See full post

Warmer, and a bit wetter, before a cooler weekend

Temperatures are quite a bit warmer this morning — falling only to around 50 degrees — and this warming trend will continue through Friday afternoon before another cold front.

TODAY

As we warm into the low- to mid-60s today, and atmospheric moisture levels increase, there will be some scattered showers and possibly a few thunderstorms develop across Houston later today. Chances are best between the city and the coast. Not expecting any kind of washout, with a few tenths of an inch of rain at most.

FRIDAY

Drier air will move in behind the rain, and it won’t bring very cold air initially. This, along with sunshine, will allow highs on Friday to warm to about 70 degrees. Houston hasn’t had a 70 degree day since two days after Christmas, so for many a bit of warmth may be welcome.

See full post