Matt Lanza

Summary: A couple rounds of shower chances exist today, this morning and later this afternoon. Many folks won’t see much meaningful rain though. Showers clear this evening with much cooler and drier weather for the weekend. Temps warm back up next week with rain chances returning for the second half of the week.

Before we begin today, Eric and I want to say “Howdy!” to Nyree Doucette’s 4th grade students at Sinclair Elementary. They have been using our forecasts to help plan for their Rodeo Day today, hoping for no rain. It’s been a real close call all week it seems, and unfortunately, it’s not any less close today as you’ll see below. Whatever happens, thank you for reading our forecast, hopefully you can learn something, and we really hope your Rodeo Day goes off and is fantastic!

Today

So, we saw a few more showers than perhaps we expected yesterday evening, which creates a slight conundrum in our forecast for today. Based on everything I’ve been able to digest this morning, I think there are two general phases to today’s rain chances. The first phase is this morning. Sorry to Ms. Doucette’s 4th graders.

That doesn’t mean the morning will be a total washout! But it does mean that we should see scattered showers around the region. I would not entirely rule out a rumble of thunder, but that should be the exception, not the rule this morning. Not everyone will see rain but those that do could briefly see some heavier downpours. I would assume the afternoon is partly sunny with some stray showers or a thunderstorm around. No severe weather is expected in Houston or points south at this time, but the chance for an isolated strong or severe storm increases as you go north of Harris County. Folks in the Piney Woods up through Shreveport may see some decent hailers today.

Other than that, highs today should manage our fifth consecutive day of 80 or better.

The second chance at some storms comes late this afternoon or this evening. Read on.

Rodeo Forecast

These storms should be even more isolated and less pronounced than anything earlier in the day, but one or two rogue thunderstorms could pop up in the area this evening with the actual cold front as you’re making your way to Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. It’s Major Lazer night, so we don’t want to throw any cold water on your anticipation, but just don’t be shocked if there’s a brief 10 to 20 minute shower. Otherwise, the front should begin to push across the area in the evening, sending temperatures from to mid to upper-70s as you arrive to the upper 60s as you leave. There could be a bit of a breeze on the way out with noticeably lower humidity.

We’ll eventually see temperatures drop all the way into the mid-50s by Saturday morning.

Weekend

The weekend looks fine, albeit a bit on the cool side. Expect to see clouds giving way to some sun through the day Saturday and perhaps again on Sunday. Along with a breeze, temperatures will be in the mid-60s Saturday afternoon and the mid to upper-60s on Sunday with less wind.

Sunday morning will be a cool one, with lows generally in the 40s across the region!

Next week

Monday looks great with sunshine and highs back into the 70s. Morning lows should be near 50 degrees. Tuesday should see a few more clouds with morning lows in the 50s and highs in the middle or upper-70s.

By the time we get to Wednesday, a few showers will be possible, with a better chance Thursday and/or Friday. Details remain to be seen, but we still could be looking at some scattered downpours and thunder in that time. Highs will be in the 70s or 80s with some humidity and lows in the 60s.

Summary: Temperatures will begin warming up today as we clear out the clouds. Look for a super Saturday and a decent Sunday with temperatures rebounding to near 80° once more. A system Monday brings us our next rain chances before we slowly clear out Tuesday.

Today

It’s a cool start today once again with temperatures in the 40s and 50s across the region.

We will probably be socked in with clouds over most of the region this morning. But as a weak system exits, slightly drier air will push in and dissipate much of the cloud cover, setting up what should be a nice afternoon. It feels like it will be tough to squeeze much more moisture out of that system as it exits today, so other than a few isolated morning showers, especially on the coast or around Matagorda Bay, that should be that. With some added sunshine and slightly warmer air in place, we’ll likely rebound to 70 degrees or better this afternoon. That’s close to what is typical for this time of year.

Rodeo Forecast

As far as this forecaster is concerned, tonight is worth much more than half a buck. Look for temperatures dropping through the 60s with light winds and generally clear or partly cloudy skies. No need for 21 questions about the weather, as there will be no rain and nothing to worry about in da club afterwards.

We’ll open the evening around 70 degrees and close in the low-60s.

Weekend

Saturday looks great. Highs will be near 80 degrees, with humidity remaining at a fairly tolerable level. Sunshine and just a few clouds are expected, though the morning could stay gray in some spots, especially close to the coast or Galveston Bay.

Sunday may see additional morning low clouds or fog, giving way to a mix of clouds and sun. Highs will again be near 80 degrees. I wouldn’t entirely rule out a few raindrops Sunday afternoon, but it should not wreck your day.

Monday

A storm over the southern Plains will drag a “kinda sorta” front toward Houston on Monday. It honestly may just fall apart before it actually gets here. What it will do, regardless, is deliver an increasing chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms. I would not call Monday a washout, but it looks like our best rain chance in a minute. Temperatures will start the day in the 60s and warm to near 80 once more, even with rain chances.

Moisture levels in the atmosphere look pretty beefy on Monday, so a few folks may see heavier downpours. But this rain looks very manageable, if not welcome.

Tuesday

Arguably, Tuesday is the most interesting forecast day. Behind Monday’s decaying front, we may get just enough lowering of humidity to allow for temperatures to have a little more runway to work with Tuesday. Drier air heats up more efficiently than humid air, and that drop in humidity between Monday and Tuesday will boost temps some. The question of how warm comes down to whether or not we see clouds and lingering showers Tuesday. If that happens, we’ll probably take a run toward 80 or so once again with morning lows in the 60s.

However, with enough sunshine, we could push rather decently into the 80s. In fact, I looked “under the hood” at the National Blend of Models, and it even has a 10 percent chance of high temperatures exceeding 90 degrees on Tuesday. I surely would not forecast that, but it gives you an idea that the atmosphere is ready to go warm. Will we get the sunshine to do it? I’m not sure. But expect at least 80 on Tuesday, with risk for hotter.

Rest of next week

Beyond Tuesday, the week looks a little cooler, with highs in the 70s most days, perhaps near 80 at times. Morning lows will be in the lower half of the 60s. A few passing showers can’t be ruled out between Wednesday and Saturday. A more robust cold front may approach the region around next weekend, which could allow for a sharper drop in temperatures, not as cold as it was yesterday and this morning but notably cooler. We’ll keep an eye on that.

Summary: The weather looks drama-free over the next week or so. After another chance for 80 degrees today, a cool front takes the edge off tomorrow and this weekend. Another warm up ensues next week, followed by another front after midweek. Neither front seems likely to pack much punch right now.

Eric and I are here to keep you informed about the weather in Houston. It’s a duty we enjoy and take seriously. In times of quiet weather, we never complain. We’ve seen what bad weather is capable of here, so when the weather is quiet, we relish the fact that we can tell you so.

I’m not going to complain because I’m struggling to fill a post with forecast information because it’s all some variation of the same thing, with the temperatures tweaked a bit here and there. I most certainly got my degree in meteorology to forecast lengthy stretches of lovely spring weather in February. Absolutely. No complaints here.

No, but in all seriousness the weather looks pretty calm with no real concerns through next week. Seriously, good for us!

Today and Friday

Look for clouds and sun today. We have avoided the 80 degree mark so far this week, so will we do it today? We’ll see. That will be the only real drama today. Maybe someone can squeeze out a raindrop or two ahead of tonight’s front. For once, it seems the Rodeo Cook-Off will not be cold or drizzly or extra windy or gross. Temps should drop from the mid-70s or so into the mid-60s through the event this evening.

That front moves through between about 7 PM and Midnight. Temperatures will steadily drop everywhere through the 70s and 60s and into the 50s overnight.

Friday dawns sunny with lower humidity and highs in the 70s. No issues at all for any of your plans, be they Rodeo, BBQ, work, or frolicking down the streets professing your joy for this weather.

Weekend

SUN-sational! Highs will be in the 70s, with lows in the 50s and 40s across the region on both days. Just a delightful pair of days.

Next week

The main drama next week will probably be a day or two of gusty onshore winds. Nothing serious, but certainly something you’ll notice. We should see highs near 80 degrees Monday through Wednesday, with morning lows in the 60s. It will feel very, very spring-like. Our next front hits on Thursday with at least a slight chance of rain, but honestly, the odds of meaningful rain look pretty low right now.

After one of our wettest starts to a year, things have really slowed down. We’re probably getting to the point where we could use a little more rain. But for now at least, that’s not on the horizon.

Summary: A couple more very warm days are upon us before a Thursday night front cools us down just a little for Friday and the weekend, mainly in the mornings. We warm back up again early next week with another possible front after Tuesday. Rain looks to be at a premium over the next week or so.

Before we begin today, there was an article published yesterday by AccuWeather that sounded the alarm on the upcoming hurricane season. It singled out Texas as being at higher risk than normal as well. Over at our companion site, The Eyewall, I have a post up this morning explaining why we think it will be an active hurricane season but also why we believe it’s too soon to be singling out specific places. I have to warn you now: The next few months are going to be chock full of noise about the upcoming hurricane season. It does look setup to be active. We will continue to share what we know and what we think here and over at The Eyewall so you can make sense of what you might hear or see shared on social media.

Today

We’ve got some fog out there this morning, so use caution through 8-9 AM or so. Houston officially rocketed to 78 degrees yesterday, oddly the same temperature we hit exactly one year ago. But it likely begins a somewhat lengthy stretch of 70 degree days in Houston. Look for warm temps again today, with a chance at hitting 80 degrees in spots. Winds will be noticeably gustier today, at times 25 to 30 mph. Overall, a windy, mild day. For those of you that suffer from seasonal allergies, get ready.

Thursday

Expect a few more clouds tomorrow with morning lows in the 60s and daytime highs around 80 degrees or so. I don’t know if “humid” is the right word, but it will feel a little “thicker” outside.

Our next cold front will be moisture-starved and hit right around midnight tomorrow night. Maybe a few raindrops could get squeezed out ahead of the front Thursday afternoon, but I’d probably be more likely to bet on the Oakland A’s to win the World Series this season.

Friday

With the front past us on Friday, expect a lovely day: Sunny, with morning lows in the 50s, warming into the 70s.

Weekend

If you want stereotypical spring weather, this is absolutely your weekend. The streak of rainy weekends is in the past. Look for morning lows in the 40s and 50s with daytime highs in the 70s Saturday and upper-70s Sunday.

Early next week

I’d expect a pair of warm days Monday and Tuesday with increasing cloud cover. A slight chance of rain may enter the picture midweek with our next front knocking at the door. But details on that one are TBD right now. Either way, expect a slight cooldown after next Tuesday or Wednesday.