After a splendid day today, a strong cold front arrives Friday

Congratulations, Houston. You’ve made it to the one day this week that will have truly spectacular weather, with mostly sunny skies and highs in the 70s. A strong cold front will push into the region on Friday, of course, bringing much chillier conditions back into the picture. However, beyond this, overall nice conditions look to be in store for Spring Break, with highs mostly in the 70s next week and plenty of sunshine.

Thursday’s highs will be in the low 70s, with plenty of sunshine. (Weather Bell)

Thursday

As we’ve been saying for awhile, today will be splendid for outdoor activities. Winds should be fairly light, out of the south, and highs will warm into the low 70s for most areas with mostly sunny skies. As moisture levels come up some this afternoon and evening, we’ll start to see the development of some clouds overnight, and this should help to ensure overnight lows do not drop below 50 degrees for most of our region.

If you’re making the trek out to the Houston Rodeo this evening to see Journey, your migration there should be a smooth sojourn. Temperatures this evening should be in the low 60s, with light winds. Post-show temperatures will be in the mid- to upper-50s, so pretty mild weather for this time of year. Some light showers may develop overnight, but I don’t think they’ll do so until well after the rodeo closes.

Friday

Some light showers will be possible on Friday morning, as moisture surges inland ahead of the cold front. Skies, otherwise, will be mostly cloudy with temperatures likely pushing into the upper 60s. The aforementioned front is on track to push into northwest areas of the region during late hours of the morning, and probably will reach the central part of Houston during the afternoon, and the coast around sunset, give or take a few hours. The front will bring sharply colder air, and winds will blow out of the north at 20 to 25 mph, with higher gusts. As skies clear out, expect temperatures to plunge into the 30s on Friday night, with parts of the metro area seeing a freeze. Just how much of Houston sees a freeze depends on several factors, so it’s impossible to pinpoint a freeze line just yet (see forecast map for the best guess).

Low temperature forecast for Saturday morning in Houston. (Weather Bell)

Saturday and Sunday

Winds will still be blowing out of the north on Saturday morning, but they won’t be quite as strong as Friday night. Despite sunny skies, highs will only get into the 50s, with another chilly night in store, as lows drop into the 30s. Sunday should be mostly sunny, with highs in the 60s.

Next week

Monday will warm up quite a bit, with highs in the mid-70s, in response to a southerly flow. This will help to increase cloud cover. However, a weak front should arrive Monday night, or thereabouts, and this will help bring mostly sunny skies and somewhat drier air back into the region. As a result, most of the rest of the week probably will see highs in the 70s, lows in the 50s, and a fair amount of sunshine. Enjoy!

Wednesday & Thursday to bring nicer weather back to Houston before a chilly weekend

Good morning! We expect nicer weather today after yesterday’s dreary outcome. Before getting to that, Emma Balter over at Chron.com had a fun conversation with me about food that you can check out if you’re interested!

Also, a number of you pointed out the fairly loud “boom” on Monday night, right around Midnight. No one has really come up with a satisfying answer, so the truth is, we don’t know for certain what it was either. The suspicion is that it was a meteorite, but that’s speculative. I suppose the noise may have been enhanced by the fact that a temperature inversion (temps warming as you go up in the atmosphere) was in place right around 5,000 feet up (with a second one around 10,000 feet up). That, plus the insulation provided by Monday night’s cloud cover could have acted to enhance the sound, which may explain why it was so loud. This is about 80 percent speculation on my part though, and I freely admit that this may be completely wrong. Whatever the case, we’re aware of it, and if there’s any follow up we find out, we will share it with you!

Temperatures will be a good 15 degrees warmer today than they finished yesterday. Gradually increasing sunshine is likely as well. (Pivotal Weather)

Today

It will be a much nicer Wednesday than it was Tuesday. Yesterday’s rain and mid-40s are behind us, and today we’ll see decreasing clouds and temperatures poking up above 60 degrees in most places.

The weather will definitely be one thing right for Kane Brown tonight at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Look for pre-show temperatures in the upper-50s, cooling back closer to 50 degrees on your way out. Chilly but certainly not awful.

Thursday

Tomorrow looks fantastic. Expect sunshine, morning lows in the 40s and daytime highs a bit above 70 degrees, and a light southeast breeze. This will front run any significant humidity returning to the area, so it’s going to be delightful.

Friday

The week will end on an interesting and much colder note. After Thursday’s stellar weather, look for a strong cold front to plow through with scattered showers and thunderstorms. The exact timing of the front is a little sloppy, but in general the showers will be in the morning through early afternoon and the major temperature changes are expected during the later afternoon hours. Once the front comes through, you will know it, as temperatures will plunge from the 60s into the 50s and 40s. Winds are also going to howl out of the north, sustained around 20 mph, gusting to 25 or 35 mph on land and near 40 mph around the bays and coast. The signal on the models for gusty winds has been locked in since late last week, so while the cold will be the story this weekend, the winds late Friday into Saturday morning will be another notable element.

Weekend

We will have our first shot at a late season freeze on Saturday morning, depending on how quickly skies clear out and winds calm down. It will be a close call, but the best chance for sub-freezing morning lows Saturday will be north and west of the Houston city limits.

Freezing temperatures are likely in parts of the area on Saturday morning, mostly away from the coast and outside the city. (Pivotal Weather)

After a sunny, chilly Saturday with highs in the 50s and diminishing winds, look for another cold morning Sunday. I think the odds of a freeze are a little lower on Sunday than on Saturday, but they’re still reasonably elevated for parts of the area, mainly outside the city of Houston and coast once again. Sunday will also be sunny with highs back into the 60s.

Next week

Eric covered Spring Break week (for many) yesterday, and there’s not much more to add today. Look for a generally benign, somewhat warmer week. There may be a front in the cards, aiming for the back half of the week, but it’s too soon to get into specifics. For now, the week still looks mostly fine!

After winter-like weather this week, most of Spring Break looks nice

Good morning. It’s cold, dreary, and rainy out there this morning, and we’re not going to warm up much today. And just as temperatures finally start to push back toward 70 degrees at the end of the work week, and even stronger front will arrive on Friday to plunge us back into deep winter this weekend. A freeze will even be possible for some locations. But looking ahead to next week, when most area kids will be on Spring Break, the weather takes a turn to the more moderate side. It looks, dare I say it, quite nice?

The high temperature forecast for Tuesday is not particularly high. (Weather Bell)

Tuesday

As expected, we’re seeing warmer air above thin layer of cold air at the surface, and this lifted moisture is generating light to moderate rainfall across much of the metro area. A few thunderstorms will also be possible this morning before we transition to more scattered, lighter showers this afternoon.

Overall, most areas probably will see about one-quarter to one-half inch of rain, but we can’t rule out some higher amounts for isolated areas. With gray skies, temperatures won’t warm much today, likely topping out in the upper 40s to low 50s for most areas. Lows tonight, generally, will drop into the low 40s, with any lingering showers ending.

If you’re headed to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this evening to see Maren Morris, there is the possibility of some very light rain during the late afternoon and early evening hours, but at this point it looks like even these showers will move off shortly after sunset. Temperatures will be in the upper 40s on the way into the show, and only a degree or two colder afterward.

Wednesday

Skies should start to clear out on Wednesday, with this sunshine helping to warm temperatures to around 60 degrees. Lows Wednesday night should drop into the 40s for all but coastal areas.

Thursday

As stated Monday, this day will be the pick of the litter for outdoor activities this week. Expect sunny skies, highs in the mid-70s, and relatively light winds. Overnight lows drop into the 50s.

Friday

Friday should start out fairly warm, with temperatures rising into the 60s for most of Houston. Then we’ll be on the lookout to the northwest, for the next frontal passage. I still don’t feel great about pinpointing the timing of this one, which could pass through Houston anywhere from late morning to early evening. The front will likely have some rain with it, and while it looks like these will be fairly light, scattered showers, we cannot yet rule out the potential for some briefly heavier rainfall. After the front passes winds will quickly turn to come from the north, with gusts likely above 30 mph. Skies, too, will clear out pretty quickly allowing temperatures to plunge into the 30s by Saturday morning, with a freeze possible for some locations in and around Houston. We probably won’t have a clear idea of where the freezing line will be for a few more days.

Current low temperature forecast for Saturday morning. (Weather Bell)

Saturday and Sunday

The weekend looks chilly and sunny, with highs in the 50s on Saturday, another cold night in the 30s, and then highs in the 60s on Sunday.

Next week

This will be Spring Break for many children in the Houston area, including my own. The good news is that much of next week should feel like a really nice spring week. I’m betting on partly to mostly sunny skies for most days, with highs in the upper 70s, give or take. There’s also not too much in the way of rainfall, at least through the first half of the week, if not longer. Enjoy!

After a spring fling, winter returns for a dramatic encore this week

Good morning. Following a warm and humid weekend in the 80s, a cold front has moved through most of the Houston metro area overnight, and will soon push off the coast. This will set the stage for much colder weather this week. Then, just as we’re warming up, an even stronger front arrives on Friday. A freeze is probable for part of the Houston area, and possibly even the city itself.

Sunrise temperatures are much colder on Monday morning for most of our region. (Weather Bell)

Monday

Temperatures have fallen to about 50 degrees for inland areas this morning, and this colder air is moving south. Temperatures should stay in the 50s today for most of the region. Light rain is possible through the morning hours, but any showers should end by this afternoon as drier air moves into the region. The story for today will be gusty northerly winds, with brief bursts possibly exceeding 30 mph before conditions calm down somewhat this evening. Overnight lows should drop into the upper 40s for most of Houston, but not much further as skies remain overcast.

If you’re headed out to see Luke Bryan tonight at the Houston rodeo, wear something warm. Temperatures should be around 50 degrees before the show this evening, but winds probably will still be somewhat gusty. I don’t think precipitation will be an issue, however. Temperatures will be about the same after the show.

Tuesday

Tuesday won’t be much nicer. Highs will probably only reach the mid-50s or so, and we’ll add rain to the mix. Essentially there will be a thin layer of colder air at the surface, with warmer air riding up on this thin layer. This warmer air should lead to the development of fairly widespread showers, and a few thunderstorms, on Tuesday morning. Accumulations will probably range from 0.25 to 0.75 inch for most, but a few areas may see somewhat higher totals during the late morning and afternoon hours. Lows Tuesday night will drop into the mid-40s for most.

Wednesday

We can’t rule out some additional rain showers on Wednesday, but for most of us this should just be a partly to mostly cloudy day, with highs around 60 degrees. Clearing skies will allow overnight lows Wednesday night to drop into the low- to mid-40s.

Thursday

This should be a warmer day, with partly to mostly sunny skies and highs perhaps around 70 degrees. If you had to pick one day this week for outdoor activities, Thursday is definitely the day.

Low temperature forecast for Saturday morning. Temperatures subject to change. (Weather Bell)

Friday

Friday will start out warm, but at some point a strong cold front will barrel through. At this point I’d guess the timing is around noon, but there’s definitely some wiggle room in that. Some brief showers are possible with the front, but as dry air blows in any rain chances should quickly end as skies clear out. Lows Friday night will plunge, possibly into the mid-30s in Houston, possibly to freezing. It’s going to be fairly close, and at this point it’s impossible to say where the freezing line will be.

Saturday, Sunday, and beyond

Saturday should be sunny and cold, with highs likely in the 50s. Expect another cold night, with temperatures probably similar to Friday night. But by Sunday we should be warming back up, with highs in the 60s. Most of next week, in fact, should be in the 70s give or take.