In brief: Temperatures bottomed out at 47 degrees in Houston at Bush Intercontinental Airport this morning. This will be our only cold night with this front, but our conditions should remain pleasant through the weekend before we warm up a fair amount next week. Fall, alas, is not here to stay for the present time.
Thursday morning temperatures
It felt brisk in Houston this morning for the first time in six months. Officially, at Bush Intercontinental Airport, the low reached 47 degrees. Some inland areas reached the lower 40s, and even coastal areas dropped into the upper 50s. It was our region’s coldest night since March 28. If you liked it, well, I’m sorry to say the chilly air will be fleeting. We’re headed back to somewhat warmer conditions starting tomorrow. (This helps explains the lateness of this morning’s post—I took advantage of the cooler weather to enjoy a nice, long run this morning. OK, maybe enjoy is too strong of a word. But at least I survived it).
Thursday
Today will be a fine, fall day with highs generally in the low 70s and sunny skies. Winds will pick up a bit this afternoon, perhaps gusting to 20 mph from the east. Tonight will be warmer than Wednesday night, but the lows in much of Houston should still dip into the upper 50s. The coast will, of course, be warmer.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
The weekend looks quite nice, with high temperatures of around 80 degrees, lows in the 60s, and mostly sunny skies. Dewpoints will be rising with the return of the onshore flow, but our weather won’t exactly be sticky. Daily rain chances are not zero, but they’re probably less than 10 percent, so plan your outdoor activities with confidence.
Next week
We’ll start the week in the mid-80s, but will probably see highs reach the upper-80s toward the end of the week. We’re going to be fairly warm, with partly cloudy skies, for much of next week, with borderline high levels of humidity. In contrast to today, next week will definitely not feel particularly fall-like. There are hints of another front by around some time next weekend, with potentially some rain showers, but nothing I’d bet on with any confidence. I know we need rain, and we’ll have more to say about that tomorrow.
Space Happy Hour
This has nothing to do with weather, but the Space Happy Hour people are hosting their inaugural event in Houston later this month at Space Center Houston. This is a gathering of space industry professionals and they typically put on a first-class party. For their first Houston event the Space Happy Hour is featuring me, and a night of VIP networking, drinks, and access to iconic space artifacts. You can find out more information and purchase tickets here, if interested.
I know we have a ways to go, but this October has felt a lot like a typical September in previous years.
Unfortunately, it appears like the second half of the month will as well.
I remember years at the Houston Half & 10K (held the last Sunday in October) where I had to wear gloves and, occasionally, there would be a light frost in the grass. Can’t remember a year lately where it’s even been remotely close to that. Looks like this year will be warm again as well.
Glad you got your run in, it was a nice change in temps. I was running in Kemah this morning and the wind was stronger than expected, if it’s getting stronger this afternoon, it really going to be tough.
Not too much stronger, just some occasional gusts.
Talk about micro scale weather events, the wind never went calm apparently here on the mainland of Galveston county. Never got the ideal radiational cooling to get temps down like other areas.
Angleton got to 48, but here in league city only was around 58. Wind direction was coming from Galveston bay which is still in the low 80s for water temp. Never allowed us to drop and feel the colder air this morning.
Thanks, I’ll put my sweater back in its dark little corner.
To bad this will provabaly be the last cool fall like day we will have again until mid November.
My neighbor, who moved from Ohio in June, was very relieved yesterday that Fall was FINALLY here and said good riddance to Houston heat. I just laughed and said that’s not how weather works here.
I remember plenty of Halloween’s in the 90s, which is what I’m planning for. It still sucks. 🙁
Your memory may be playing tricks on you because the all time record highs for Halloween in Houston are 88° at IAH and 90° at Hobby.
Those are the high at IAH and Hobby that you quote. Those two place are not representative of the entire metro area. I too remember several Halloweens in the 1998 to 2008 time frame where it was HOT and HUMID on Halloween. We were in Missouri City then, and many Halloweens it was just downright nasty.
Yep! Growing up in Clear Lake I distinctly remember having to make costume choice changes.
Yep – not much difference between 90 and 88 & humid when you have a full costume on.
When was the last time Houston had a week in which there was a high temp of 99F and a low temp below 50F. I’ve been here many years and can’t recall a similar event during that time.
The last time it happened was in 1999. The high at Bush was 99 on the 20th and the low was 49 in the 23rd. Needless to say, it don’t happen often at all.
September of 1999. I forgot to mention the month.
The Fall of 1999 was quite unusually dry and quite sunny, with temperatures always shooting upwards by nearly 30 degrees between morning and afternoon despite some potent cold fronts.It also has the warmest November on record for the Lower 48, due to drought conditions. On September 20th of that year, the high shot up to 99 after a morning low of 60, a nearly 40 degree rise!
That’s awesome that you remember that. We did end up in a bad drought in this area that fall. Some heavy spring rains help temporarily ease the drought but then it turned dry and very hot during the summer of 2000. SE Texas ended up in severe ro extreme drought conditions that summer.
I’ll take highs in the mid to upper 80’s with lows in the 60’s anytime!
I would prefer cooler in late October but I agree. I would much rather have that over high in the upper 90s with lows in the 80s any day.
Just a question Eric or Matt may know the answer t0. Nexrad radar has been down for a few days. Why and when might it return?
Thanks
Walker
Ah, see that? Now it’s cold! Miss me with “anthropocentric global warming” nonsense.
That name though!! 😂🤣😂
LOL
Cute
Keeping an eye on if we get a front by next weekend for the Houston Half Marathon. Last year was miserably warm and humid.
Isn’t the Houston Marathon and the Half in January? I’m supposed to be supporting someone, hope he doesn’t miss me.
That’s the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon. It’s a bit confusing, yeah. The UT Health Houston Half & 10K are held the last Sunday in October typically.
Unfortunately, yes, it looks like another warm and humid event this year, unless timing for the next front speeds up. I remarked above that I remember years wearing gloves and/or arm warmers for this, but it’s been a long time for that kind of racing apparel.
All the temperatures mentioned in today’s post, from a forecasted, possible 89° Fahrenheit to a reported 47° F. at Bush Airport, are all normal Fall temperatures for Houston, Hobby Airport and more specifically for Hobby Airport’s zip code 77032. The above numbers are from the Space City Weather post, the Houston Chronicle 2023 and from the Weather Channel.
The forecasted highs of mid- to high-80s are normal temperatures for Houston from September 22nd to October 10th. The low of 47° F. is a normal temperature for Houston in December 4th. In conclusion, enjoy Houston’ Fall for the next 10 days. It mostly won’t be in the 90s or fall below the 40s. Enjoy.
Obscene how we got BACK TO BACK days over 95, let alone a 99 and 98! Glad we have this nice cold front as nature’s reparations.