Houston’s pollen season bursts to life as spring takes hold across the region

Good morning. Houston’s forecast continues to hold no concerns weather-wise, with spring-like conditions persisting as far as the eye can see. Of course springtime in Houston also means that our lawns, trees, and flower beds start to emerge from their wintertime slumber. And that means pollen. For now, the major concern comes from our trees—particularly oaks—shedding pollen. According to the City of Houston’s Health Department, tree pollen levels are “extremely heavy” at present, having risen nearly 10-fold over the last week.

This, of course, will pass after a few weeks. But until then expect to feel the effects on your allergies, or in a thin film of yellow-greenish dust on your vehicle or other surfaces outside. This is a small price to pay for summertime shade!

Thursday

Temperatures have generally fallen to about 50 degrees this morning, and we’ll see another sunny day today with highs pushing up to around 70 degrees. You probably won’t notice it too much, but a reinforcing shot of dry air should arrive this afternoon with another moderate front. This will be felt most keenly as winds shift to come from the north-northeast this afternoon. Lows tonight should drop into the 40s with drier air and clear skies.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

As high pressure in the wake of this second front dominates our weather, expect fair conditions through the weekend. Each day will see high temperatures of around 80 degrees, with nights mostly in the 50s. Skies will be mostly sunny, with the possible exception of Sunday, which may see a few clouds. Dewpoints will start to rise this weekend as winds turn southerly, but there will be enough dry air both days such that it won’t feel overly humid. So, yeah, this will be a great spring-time weekend.

Next week

As the onshore flow gets going, clouds will return next week, along with some modest rain chances by later Tuesday and Wednesday. Highs will remain in the range of 80 degrees, with nights in the 60s. It looks like our next front, a relatively weak one, will arrive later on Wednesday or Thursday, likely dropping lows back into the 50s.