Houston, here comes the rain

July was a fairly wet month for the region—most of the area saw about 100 to 200 percent of normal rainfall levels—and August looks to start out the same. This is the time of year when we worry most about drought in southeast Texas, but happily that seems unlikely to be a problem this year. Here’s a look at our wet week ahead.

Wednesday

Atmospheric moisture levels have surged across the area, and we should see the development of widespread showers and thunderstorms later this morning, and they should continue on and off throughout the afternoon and evening hours. While much of the area should see 0.5 to 2 inches of rain, and isolated areas could see a bit more, I don’t think there will be enough precipitation to cause more than street flooding. Highs should remain in the upper 80s due to clouds and rain.

Precipitable water values of 2 inches or higher are favorable for rainfall. They’ll be 2.2-2.5 inches today for Houston. (Weather Bell)

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday

More atmospheric disturbances should move in from the northwest to end the work week, and with atmospheric moisture remaining high we can expect to remain in a gray, wet pattern. I don’t anticipate showers will be quite so widespread as on Wednesday, however. Look for highs of around 90 degrees. If you’re planning outdoor activities on Saturday, it won’t be a total washout, but you’re definitely going to have to keep an eye out for scattered showers.

Are you bummed about the prospect of showers over the weekend? The alternative is essentially what the region experienced last weekend, when high temperatures reached 100 degrees for all but coastal areas. That is what happens at this time of year under full sunshine.

Sunday

Perhaps the best chance for “drier” weather will come on Sunday, when rain chances fall back into the 20 to 30 percent chance. Highs around 90 degrees under mostly cloudy skies.

Monday and Tuesday

The forecast looks a bit warmer to open next week, with partly sunny skies and high temperatures in the low 90s. But it still looks like some healthy rain chances will hang around at least through the middle part of next week.

Posted at 7:25am CT on Wednesday by Eric

12 thoughts on “Houston, here comes the rain”

  1. A question about this weekends front: Was it a late spring front or an early fall front? Is there a difference? The reason I am asking is if the mechanisms are in place to bring fronts down now does this predict an earlier cooler fall?

    • I don’t think this is predictive of earlier fall fronts, but it certainly can’t hurt.

  2. Seems like my house on the west side has a permanent high pressure system above it. We only got rain 1 or 2 days in July for a few minutes even though Houston was getting rain every day it seemed. Hopefully August has a turn around for us. The yellow grass needs it!

    • Yea. We had 3″ early in July then almost nil since then. The storms seem to split over us and then reform once they pass.

      In Cypress…

  3. Some pretty serious thunder down here on the bay. I’d rather have a “wetter” summer compared to the dry ones we’ve had!! It’s good for my plants!

  4. July – “most of the area saw about 100 to 200 percent of normal rainfall levels” Wide areas of The Woodlands were dry as a bone. Several times, rain fell in buckets a couple miles away but dry as a bone near my house. MUDs were saying “no irrigation needed” when my lawn and gardens were crying for water. The rest of this is an attempt at humor.
    🙂 So do Meteorologists ever consult a Ouija Board or use a dart board? 🙂 The hard science behind forecasting doesn’t always lead to clear conclusions. Gee, just like forecasting the price of oil! That was part of my job for many years, and “if I could forecast next week’s average price, I wouldn’t be here typing,”

  5. Will you comment on your predictions for Galveston beach this weekend, particularly on Saturday. Do you think there will be any dry part of the day? Thanks!

    • Rain chances are probably a little lower during the morning than the afternoon. Either way I’m not expecting much rain, so you should be OK for the most part as any showers won’t last too long.

  6. Seriously?!? Nothing but a few spits here by 59/San Jacinto river!! Nada, zip, zilch …and we really need the rain. Hate to see the rain chances declining for the rest of the week.

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