Good morning. Although today will be our region’s warmest day until Sunday, the high temperature will probably not reach 60 degrees for some locations. Beyond the chillier conditions, and the potential for a light freeze on Saturday morning, there is not a whole lot to remark upon as Houston experiences fairly typical weather for this time of year. And if you like it, you’re in luck. After a brief warm-up early next week, this chilly weather could persist through at least the first half of February.
Tuesday
Temperatures will rise from the upper 40s this morning to around 60 degrees for much of the area today, but likely not go any higher due to mostly cloudy skies. A northerly flow will bring drier air into the region later today, and this will eventually erode cloud cover late today or tonight. As this drier and cooler air works its way into the region, expect temperatures to drop to around 40 degrees tonight, with cooler weather inland and warmer conditions along the coast.
Wednesday and Thursday
These will be a pair of chilly winter days, with highs generally in the 50s, and lows in the 40s. Wednesday will see lots of sunshine, but Thursday should see the return of some clouds. Both days will probably see light northerly winds, with possibly a shift to southerly winds by Thursday evening.
Friday
Another cold front will arrive on Friday, probably during the morning, to shut down any kind of a serious warmup for the region. The atmosphere will be fairly dry so I’m betting against rain with this front, but it can’t entirely be ruled out. Winds will be breezy, out of the north, on Friday in the wake of the front and highs may struggle to reach the low 50s despite sunny skies. Temperatures will drop sharply on Friday night with clear skies and lessening winds. Much of the region away from the coast, and outside of Houston’s urban core, will probably see a light freeze on Saturday morning.
Saturday, Sunday, and beyond
Saturday is likely to be sunny, with moderate winds, and a high of around 60 degrees for most areas. This will be a fine winter day for any outdoor activities. Sunday should be partly sunny as well, with highs in the mid-60s as winds shift to come from the south. I think rain chances will remain near zero for most of Sunday, so this should be a fine day for outdoor activities as well.
A warming trend will occur from about Monday through Wednesday of next week, with highs reaching perhaps the low 70s by the middle of the week. Rain chances look to be healthy all three of these days, with accumulations of perhaps 1 to 2 inches, but it’s way too early to say anything more specific than the pattern is likely to turn wetter. A front on Wednesday night, give or take half a day, is likely to bring colder and drier weather back to the region.
A few words on generators
I wanted to say a few words about generators this morning because now is the time to be thinking about such a project in advance of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season. As demand for whole-home generators has surged following the great Texas freeze last February as well as COVID supply chain issues, there is now an industry-wide lead time of 8-9 months from initial inquiry to completed installation. While these times have begun to shorten, if you want to have peace of mind with backup power this summer and fall, now is the time to begin planning.
As you probably know, Reliant is a long-time sponsor of Space City Weather. They partner with a company called Quality Generators that offer a range of generator products, including whole-home generators. I had one installed last year, and the process was quite smooth. Buying a generator capable of powering your entire home is a major investment. For the average homeowner in Houston, it will likely cost between $10,000 and $15,000. But for many, it may be a worthwhile investment.
Here are a few other things to consider:
- Quality Generators provides free assessments to determine the best generator for your home and power requirements.
- If a whole-home generator isn’t right for your family, Reliant’s sister company Goal Zero provides portable backup power options that are great alternatives in cost and lead time.
- On the topic of inclement weather incidents, Surge Protect is a service to help defray costs of making expensive, unexpected repairs to appliances and electronics damaged by electrical surges. This service is available to all Texas customers and can be added to Reliant residential customers’ monthly electricity bills.
- Readers can click here for more information on generators, Goal Zero and Surge Protect.
Is surge protect available for those who don’t have Reliant? The link you shared goes to the Reliant website which says it’s available to Reliant customers.
I see Surge Protect is insurance against damage. Are you aware of any products that will prevent a surge so there isn’t damage? I’m thinking perhaps something that connects to the breaker box? Would be nice to have something like that to protect our Sub Zero fridge.
Look up “whole house surge protectors”. They need to be installed by an electrician. Brands like Square D, Eaton, Leviton, Siemens, etc.
I didn’t want to spend quite so much for a whole house generator that only gets occasional use. For about $2000 I bought a portable duel fuel Champion inverter generator and installed a power transfer switch on my circuit breaker box. It powers everything but the AC or heat, so I bought a couple of small window units and space heaters. Good enough for emergencies. During last winter’s horrible freeze I ran a 100′ 12 amp line to my neighbor’s house whose wife is on an oxygen machine. Made a good friend.
What transfer switch did you buy? How many amps? I too have a 2kw inverter generator.
Good on you for helping them.
I know they’re really spendy but if you can possibly afford a whole house generator it’s a very good investment. My elderly parents purchased one for their home over ten years ago. It has been a godsend! And a relief to me to know they’re ok when the power is out. The generator has kicked in more times than any of us ever anticipated since it was installed.