After lows in the 30s across many spots yesterday morning, we’re waking up a touch less cold today. Some clouds in the region and a return to onshore winds have ensured we begin the transition back to something less winter-like and more autumn-like for a few days.

Rain will be at a premium over the next week or so, with our best rain chances probably holding off until next Thursday or so ahead of what should be our next cool front.

Today and the weekend

So if you have any plans this weekend, we don’t expect any real complications to impact you weather-wise. Look for highs in the mid-70s today and upper-70s to around 80 or so on Saturday and Sunday. Morning lows will be in the 50s tomorrow and probably close to 60 or so on Sunday. Winds look fairly light. We may see a little additional cloud cover Saturday and especially Sunday, but no rain is currently expected.

Monday and Tuesday

We’ll transition back more to an early autumn type pattern here with highs in the 80s and partly sunny skies. Morning lows will also bulk up into the 60s. Rain chances remain fairly low, though a couple isolated showers or sprinkles cannot be ruled out. Weather should not impede voting on Tuesday.

Mid to late week

Wednesday is going to be very warm and very humid. Look for morning lows well into the 60s and daytime highs well into the 80s. Can we print out a rogue 90 degree day? I would give it about a 15 percent chance. We’re more likely to hit 86 to 88, but you definitely cannot rule out 90 entirely. Houston has never recorded a 90 degree day in November, so this would be decidedly abnormal. We’ll see.

A cold front will likely end the hotter weather by Thursday or Friday, with highs backpedaling into the 70s and lows in the 50s. There’s a bit of uncertainty beyond the front regarding whether we clear out entirely or see lingering clouds and rain chances. But it will turn cooler. More Monday!

I hope it’s not just me. My backyard is a carpet of acorns, and they just keep falling. There are so many it is painful to walk with bare feet. With such an abundance our younger dog started to eat them—which we tried to stop, but it’s difficult when dogs like to go outside, and this good boy loves to run and play and chase squirrels—and he got really sick because of it. This experience, no doubt, will provide him additional incentive when chasing the squirrels who inhabit our backyard, and are no doubt enjoying a bumper crop of fodder.

This is a mast year for acorns, of course. Scientists don’t precisely understand why oak trees, every two to five years, produce an abundance of acorns. There are some theories, one of the most prominent of which is that a springtime drought is good for pollination. And if you go back to when the oak trees were pollinating this year in early March, much of Houston had not seen much rain for a few weeks. So things were pretty dry. But we don’t know for sure. Most likely it is part of the oak natural cycle to ensure that new trees will grow.

There are also a lot of non-scientific theories that suggest mast years portend a hard winter ahead. But I’d slot those into the category of old wives’ tales, not that I have anything against old wives! So I’m not sure this mast year has much to tell us about the upcoming winter. The only forecast I’m reasonably confident in is that we’ll see a bumper crop of squirrels next spring.

Thursday

As expected, temperatures this morning are quite cold. Much of Houston has dropped into the mid- or upper-30s. We’re going to get close to our record low for today, 34 degrees set in 1991, but probably will remain a couple of degrees above this temperature. In any case lows this morning are about 20 degrees below normal. It’s also the turning point for the current cold spell, and marks the beginning of a return to warmer conditions. With sunny skies we’re going to see high temperatures reach the upper 60s today, with light easterly winds. Low temperatures tonight will be about 10 degrees warmer for most locations.

Friday

The warming trend continues as high pressure fully shifts to the east, allowing for the onshore flow to resume. After temperatures start out at about 50 degrees on Friday morning, they’ll rise into the mid-70s with mostly sunny skies. Lows on Friday night will only drop to around 60 degrees.

Saturday and Sunday

The weekend looks warm, sunny, and mild. Highs on both days will be about 80 degrees. By Sunday night, overnight temperatures will only be dropping into the mid-60s, so most of fall’s chill will be gone. Dewpoints will also be creeping up so it will feel humid, but not Houston-humid, if you know what I mean. And unless you just moved here in the last week, you probably do. Rain chances are about 10 percent near the coast, and closer to zero percent further inland.

Next week

Most of next week looks warm, with highs generally in the mid-80s, or possibly a tick higher on some days. Lows are going to increase to the upper 60s, and humidity will continue to rise a bit. Rain chances increase toward the end of next week in association with what probably will be our next front. But I don’t have much confidence in the timing or strength of said front. So if you like cooler and drier air, my advice is to spend some quality time outside today and tomorrow. Just, you know, don’t let your dog feast upon the abundant buffet of acorn delights.

Good morning. If you’re enjoying the colder weather, the good news is that we’ve got a couple of more cool and dry days on tap. If you’re a fan of warmer and more humid conditions, the good news is that we’ll transition back into the mid-80s by early next week. If you’re hoping for some more rain, I’m afraid I’ve only got bad news today.

Most immediately, with the forecast, we’ve got a very chilly night on tap. A light freeze will be possible for far inland locations, such as College Station and areas north of Conroe.

Wednesday

The gusty winds are gone, finally. In their place we’ll see generally light winds today from the north, transitioning to come from the northeast tonight. Skies will be sunny, with highs near or just above 60 degrees. With light winds and clear skies, temperatures will cool efficiently after the Sun goes down. Lows will drop into the 30s for much of the Houston metro area, away from the coast and urban core of the city. Areas such as Katy and The Woodlands may drop all the way down to the mid-30s. So yeah, chilly.

Thursday

As high pressure at the surface shifts eastward, winds will follow. Look for light easterly winds during the daytime, with highs in the upper 60s and sunny skies. Lows on Thursday night will drop to around 50 degrees in Houston, with cooler conditions in outlying areas.

Friday

A trend of slowly warming temperatures, and rising humidity will continue on Friday. Look for highs in the mid-70s, with sunny skies and lows Friday night down around 60 degrees.

Saturday and Sunday

Skies look to be mostly sunny this weekend. Although our atmosphere will be moistening up, right now the upper-level dynamics do not favor the development of rain showers. Look for highs of around 80 degrees on both days, with lows only falling into the mid-60s by Sunday night. In short, this should be a really mild weekend, suitable for most types of outdoor activities. Enjoy!

Next week

We’re going to see a continued warming trend next week, with highs most days in the mid-80s with a decent (but not oppressive, I think) amount of humidity. Some sort of front appears to be in the cards by around Friday-ish of next week, but I don’t have much confidence in the details. That’s probably when our next decent chance of rain will come as well. So expect mostly sunny weather until then.

Good morning. It’s chilly outside, with temperatures generally in the 40s across the region. Today will see the return of some sunshine this afternoon, but a persistently northerly breeze will keep a chill in the air. Kids will want at least a light jacket while trick-or-treating. We’re still headed toward the coldest night of the week on Wednesday into Thursday morning, when lows could drop into the 30s for inland areas. Then we’ll warm back up for awhile.

Tuesday

The last of the light rain showers will sweep out of Houston this morning, but clouds will probably linger until noon, or a bit after. As a result, temperatures will be slow to warm, before finally pushing up to around 60 degrees late this afternoon. The emerging sunshine will help. But with a breezy day, and gusts up to 20 mph, it’s still going to feel chilly. Temperatures will drop pretty quickly into the low- to mid-50s after the sun sets, with lows dropping to around 40 degrees in Houston overnight.

Wednesday

This will be a sunny day, with a high temperature of about 60 degrees. However, winds from the north will be lighter, so it likely won’t feel as chilly outside. As winds slacken even further on Wednesday night, we’ll see ideal cooling conditions to go along with the very dry air, so temperatures could be a degree or two cooler than Tuesday night. A light freeze is possible for far inland areas.

Thursday

The lessening winds will continue to shift from the north to northeast to east as high pressure moves away. As a result we’ll see high temperatures climb into the upper 60s on Thursday, to go along with sunny skies. Lows Thursday night will be appreciably warmer, only dropping into the low 50s.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

The warming trend continues into the weekend, with continued mostly sunny skies, and low to non-existent rain chances. Look for highs in the mid-70s on Friday, around 80 degrees on Saturday, and likely the low 80s on Sunday. Lows will drop into the 50s on Friday morning, but we’re likely to stay around 60 degrees or a bit warmer by the weekend. Some humidity returns, but it does not look oppressive.

Next week

The early part of next week looks fairly warm, with highs in the mid-80s. After this, the pattern may favor the passage of a fairly weak front in the Tuesday or Wednesday time frame, but I don’t have too much confidence in this outcome yet. Some readers have understandably asked about rainfall, as we’ve been fairly dry. Unfortunately, I don’t see particularly great chances for meaningful rainfall for at least the next 10 days.