Matt Lanza

Houston weather on cruise control

Houston’s weather is on cruise control right now, and this delightful stretch of weather is still on track to continue into the weekend. The forecast in a moment, but first some housekeeping.

Records Fall

Yesterday saw Houston hit 83°, making it our 18th day with temperatures at or above 80° this “winter,” officially a new record. The old record was 17 days set in the winters of 1995-96, 1956-57, and 1910-11. We should be able to notch at least two, possibly three more 80 degree days before February and our definition of winter ends.

Another, more intriguing item I’ve been tracking has been Galveston and their affinity for record high temperatures this winter. In fact, Galveston has tied or set new record highs on 31 days since November 1st of this past year. It’s not as if Galveston is new to recording weather data either. Records there go all the way back to 1874, which is a really solid set of data for a location. Houston has only set 12 new record highs in that same span of time, though that is also pretty impressive.

Galveston’s record highs from November through February, with records set or tied this winter highlighted. (National Weather Service)

 

Now, I’m not sure what the odds are of breaking 31 new records in less than four months, but they have to be slim. The primary factor? Likely the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf is considered to be at a record warm level this winter.

But, out of an abundance of caution, I reached out to the National Weather Service office in League City to see if they had any concerns about thermometer calibration or recent land-use changes at Scholes Field in Galveston, where the temperature is recorded. They don’t believe there are any siting or thermometer issues, as the days that Galveston has broken records have occurred when, meteorologically, it made sense (temperatures start the day just warm enough to allow Galveston to capitalize on warmer than usual air masses in the afternoon). It’s just been that sort of “winter,” and it’s led to an incredible piling up of record high temperatures along the Texas Gulf coast.

(Space City Weather is sponsored this month by Darrell Lee’s The Gravitational Leap)

See full post

Gray Friday, great Saturday, rain beyond

After a day or two to remind us that Houston can have beautiful weather in the cool season, we’ll go gray today, with a little rain. We begin the march back to a warmer pattern as well.

Today

Radar shows sporadic rain across the area this morning. Some of what you’re seeing on radar may not actually be reaching the ground well north of Houston. The air is still a bit dry there yet.

Occasional showers and rumbles of loud thunder as of 6:35 AM are working their way east through the area. Nothing serious however. (GR Level 3)

 

We’ve also heard some thunder in and around Houston this morning. That should kick off to the east over the next couple hours. The rest of the day likely sees scattered rain, mainly in southern parts of the area. Some of it could be moderate to briefly heavy along the coast. And yes, rumbles of thunder will continue to be possible, but we aren’t expecting any severe weather from this system. It’s entirely possible some inland areas see nothing more than a few raindrops. Most of us will see gray, cloudy conditions for much of today.

Models show rainfall & some thunder working through the region today. The steadiest will be at the coast, and all rain should be through our area by mid to late afternoon. (Weather Bell)

 

Temperatures will grind upwards into the upper 60s to near 70 degrees this afternoon.

(Space City Weather is sponsored this month by Darrell Lee’s The Gravitational Leap)

See full post

Space City Rewind: Houston’s Great Snow of 1895

Note: In our second installment of the Space City Rewind, we tackle the biggest snow on record in Southeast Texas. Our first installment about the November 1992 tornado outbreak can be found here.

“All of Wednesday night polar spirits swept the earth until boundless snow had deformed the withered heath and the people of this section for the first time within the memory of the oldest inhabitant, looked out upon nature fringed with a beard made white with other snows than those of age.” – Brenham Daily Banner, February 15, 1895

Back on Christmas Eve in 2004, much of South Texas was blanketed in white, as a perfect setup to create a miraculous White Christmas occurred. Galveston received four inches of snow, Angleton six inches, Friendswood three inches, and Bay City 8-10 inches. While the 2004 Christmas Eve miracle stands almost on its own for modern Southeast Texas snowstorms, the great Valentine’s Day snow of 1895 stands alone as Southeast Texas’s and the Gulf Coast’s greatest snowstorm of all-time. The following interactive map shows snow totals from this remarkable event, which affected a swath from Texas to Maryland.


Above: An interactive map with snow reports and some details from the 1895 storm

So why did this event occur? How disruptive was it for coastal residents? Will we ever see its like again? Put your feet up, because the latest installment of the Space City Rewind takes you back to the 19th Century: The Great Snowstorm of Valentine’s Day 1895.

See full post

Pages: 1 2 3 4

After record heat, thunderstorms Tuesday

After a weekend which has seen two record high temperatures broken in Houston, we turn our attention to thunderstorms and the possibility of severe weather on Tuesday. There’s been some “noise” about that being a possibility, so we want to give you a quick synopsis. Eric will have the latest in the morning.

Cooler Weather to Come

We hit 85° on Saturday, breaking the record of 82° from 1999. We exceeded that Sunday, hitting 86° and breaking the 95 year old record high of 84° from 1922. A weak cold front will push through tonight, and that will end the record warmth. This is evident when you look at dewpoints. The HRRR model below shows the higher dews getting blunted back southward as the front rolls through.

A cold front will wipe out the record heat and humidity overnight, as seen by dropping dewpoints after midnight. (Weather Bell)

 

So tomorrow is a transition day. We’ll see a mix of clouds and sun, maybe a shower, and temperatures peaking in the low 70s. Meanwhile, an area of low pressure will develop in West Texas, bringing places like Lubbock (that hit 91° yesterday) a chance of snow. That becomes our weather-maker for Tuesday, bringing us rain & thunderstorms.

(Space City Weather is sponsored this month by Darrell Lee’s The Gravitational Leap)

See full post