In brief: Today we discuss our breezy conditions, which will lead to a chilly night. Also, after days of clouds we are likely to see sunshine prevail for awhile now in Houston. After a warm-up this weekend I expect an even sharper cold front early next week that may return temperatures in the 30s briefly.
Cooler for the next week
The first third of March has been ridiculously warm, with an average temperature running 13 degrees above normal, and one night during which lows did not fall below the mid-70s. Anyway, for the next week so, this will largely be behind us. Wednesday night’s front will bring us a chilly couple of chilly nights. And then an even stronger front on Sunday night will bring still colder conditions early next week. Some locations may reach the upper 30s in what I suspect will be our final brush with anything below the mid-40s for the rest of spring. So knowing what lies ahead over the next six or seven months, if you like the colder conditions, now is the time to venture outside.
Thursday
The strongest winds moved through overnight, with gusts up to 40 mph in many locations. These winds have backed off a little this morning, and will continue to slowly subside today before ebbing completely this evening. Skies are clear, and this should allow high temperatures to reach the upper 60s this afternoon with really dry air.
Houston rodeo weather
Temperatures will be about 60 degrees before the show this evening at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and fortunately winds will have died down by then. It will be chilly afterwards, with clear skies, light winds, and temperatures in the mid-50s. Lows will drop a little further overnight, into the upper 40s in most of Houston, with cooler conditions further inland and a bit warmer near the coast.
Friday
This will be an exceptional day, period. Look for highs in the mid-70s, sunny skies, light winds, and low humidity. I’m not sure it gets better than that. It probably will be one of the 10 nicest days of the year in Houston. Overnight lows will drop into the mid-50s as the onshore flow resumes.
Saturday and Sunday
These will be a pair of sunny days. Saturday will probably max out around 80 degrees, with Sunday pushing into the mid-80s. Winds will generally be from the south, at around 10 mph, with higher gusts. A strong cold front will push through at the end of the weekend, probably on Sunday evening. This may bring a brief period of light rain during the afternoon or evening before northerly winds blow everything offshore. Lows on Monday should drop into the 40s.
Next week
The first half of next week looks rather chilly, and I could see some scenarios in which lows for much of Houston fall into the upper 30s on Tuesday morning. (It could also easily be in the lower 40s). The bottom line is that it will be be cold for this time of year, and especially so after the month’s abnormally warm start. We should climb back to daily highs of around 80 degrees by Thursday or Friday of next week.For the remainder of next week I don’t expect much if any precipitation after the front on Sunday evening (which again, probably won’t bring much with it either).
