Good morning. After a week of all-Nicholas, all-the time, we’re returning to a period of more normal late-summertime weather in the Houston region. As for the hurricane, it’s now a tropical depression nearing southwestern Louisiana, and should soon dissipate. After more clouds today our weather will turn more sunny, and highs around 90 degrees likely return for the weekend.
Wednesday
Some very light rain has fallen across parts of the area overnight, and additional spotty showers will be possible later today. But for the most part, this should simply be a cloudy day with moderate high temperatures of about 80 degrees. As we’re on the backside of Nicholas, winds will be out of the north or northwest for much of the day at 10 to 15 mph. Tonight should be mostly cloudy and pleasant, with lows dropping to around 70 degrees in the city.
Thursday and Friday
Skies should start to become at least partly sunny on Thursday, and this will help to push highs into the mid- to upper 80s tomorrow, and possibly as high as 90 degrees on Friday. Rain chances for both days are low, perhaps 20 percent, but not non-existent.
Saturday and Sunday
After a few days of a drier overall flow, we’ll start to a see a more pronounced return of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico this weekend. This will result in rising rain chances, but I think there’s still a shot for mostly sunny skies on Saturday. Highs are likely in the low 90s. Even if most of us get through Saturday without too much rain, showers probably become more widespread on Sunday, with perhaps two-thirds of the area seeing some rain. Accumulations shouldn’t be huge, perhaps one-quarter to one-half inch for most.
Next week
Daily shower chances remain in the forecast through the middle of next week, with highs likely settling out in the upper 80s to low 90s. At that point we’re going to be looking for our first “fall” front of the season, which knocks temperatures below 65 degrees in Houston. It’s possible that is coming around next Thursday or so, but at this point we have no guarantees. But I’m ready. I suspect you’re ready as well.
Tropics
The tropics remain very active, which is usual for this time of year. But we’re getting closer to the end game for the Texas coast, in terms of hurricanes. And while there is the potential for a few tropical systems to develop this week, none appear likely to trouble the Gulf of Mexico (even that ominous looking red blob in the eastern Atlantic). I suspect you’re OK with that as well.
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I can’t get enough space city weather 😊
Thanks for all you do, guys! We’re truly spoiled by this service.
Thank you so much for your hype-free information. You set a standard of excellence for all.
Those are some impressive gradients around the county lines (see polk/liberty/chambers vs tyler/hardin/jefferson/)! I’m very curious to know what in the model might account for that – is it just the sparseness of data inputs, combined with jurisdictional boundaries in their modeling software? Weird and remarkable.
I am wondering if we are having more storms develop in the Gulf from tropical waves than we used to have. I have lived near the coast much of my life, and primarily remember them developing as they crossed the Atlantic.
It is interesting that the last few years it seems most of the Gulf major hurricanes only got strong once they reached the Gulf and, once there, they have intensified very rapidly. (Harvey, Michael, Laura, Zeta, Ida, etc.)
The official low a few nights ago at IAH was 62 by the way. Would that be considered our first “fall” front”?
I was just about to say that too!! It was 62 at IAH on 9/11 and was 60 in the woodlands!! Days were still hot in the low 90s tho.
Very happy to hear that the first fall front is a week from Thursday (or so). And, yes, I’m also glad to hear that those Atlantic basin storms will stay far, far, far away from the Gulf.
Let’s just close the doors on this hurricane season early. Blame it on the pandemic. 🙂
I can’t believe that more rain is forecast for next week. Although they will tell us we are in a drought, it has rained more days than not, and even in West Texas, there are pools on the salt flats, due to the excess of rain.
Thankfully only 10% of Texas is abnormally dry, with 0.5% being in moderate drought per the NOAA. We were having higher percentages at the beginning of summer, but the nice, slow rains sure help to keep everything moist and ward off the drought well enough.
Being born and raised in the North I was only exposed to the occasional tornado warning but being in Houston for the last 35 years has introduced me to lots of rain, tropical storms and hurricanes. Even so after 35 years I have not become accustom to hurricanes and have only developed extreme anxiety but I have to say after my niece told me about Space City Weather last year it has given me a little comfort to know I am able to get constant updates on the hurricane or tropical storms. I just wanted to Thank you all for everything you do to inform the general public and say keep up the great work!
The thing about hurricanes and tropical storms is that there is often advance warning. Which can be helpful to prepare, or, if necessary, evacuate. However, it can also induce anxiety, and frequently checking for updates.
Even worse are earthquakes. Experienced the Northridge Quake in CA in 1994. No warning whatsoever, and it hit at 4:36 AM. Felt like a freight train running at 80 mph 2 inches from my ear. Thankfully, we were far enough from the epicenter and our house was over bedrock – no damage. And regular homeowners insurance covers hurricanes and tornadoes, but not earthquakes. That insurance typically comes with a 10% deductible. While tropical weather is of concern, we can get out out of the way of it, not so an earthquake.
I’ll take earthquakes any day. As I told a friend on Monday as Nicholas was bearing down on us, “I’ve lived in Houston for the last 17 years. I lived in just south of Los Angeles for the 17 years before that. I have had so much more property damage and disruption of life normal life from hurricanes . And with earthquakes, damage is typically more localized. Hurricanes can leave a path of devastation for hundreds of miles!”
There’s maybe a 50 or so houses in my subdivision, way up here by FM 1960, that still have no power. They really need to harden the power grid. I would not mind paying a little extra if they would do that.
Die, big red Atlantic blob! Or at least, bother only the fish!