Houston this week: Days in the 80s, a few chances for scattered storms

Good morning, Houston! We’ve got a couple of chances for showers and few storms this week, but mostly we’re going to see warm days and moderate nights. The weekend forecast remains somewhat in flux.

Tuesday

Temperatures are fairly warm this morning, about 70 degrees for much of the area, as a southerly flow has established itself over the area. With a mix of sunshine and clouds today, highs will climb to around 80 degrees, and winds will become more pronounced out of the south, with gusts up to about 25 mph. With daytime heating we may see a few brief, very scattered showers during the afternoon hours. Conditions will remain breezy tonight, with lows only dropping to the upper 60s or 70 degrees again.

Wednesday

This day will start out a lot like Tuesday, but it now appears likely that a cool front will in fact make it most of the way through Houston, if not all the way to the coast. High temperatures on Wednesday should still make it into the low 80s, but rain chances will increase during the late afternoon and evening hours as the front approaches the area. Perhaps about 40 percent of the region will see anything from a sprinkle to a brief thunderstorm. Conditions for storms are slightly better for areas east of Interstate 45, as can be seen on NOAA’s severe weather outlook for Wednesday and Wednesday night. A brief influx of drier air should drop lows on Wednesday night into the mid-60s.

NOAA severe weather outlook for Wednesday.

Thursday

The drier air will begin to recede on Thursday, but enough of it should remain to allow for warmer temperatures inland, with highs in the mid- to upper-80s possible for areas west of downtown Houston. Skies will be partly sunny and rain chances nil. Lows Thursday night will probably only fall to around 70 for most as dewpoints rise.

Friday

During the daytime, Friday will be a lot like Thursday. However, at some point during the afternoon or evening hours, a front will push into the area. There are hints within the models of more inclement weather with this front, including the possibility of stronger thunderstorms or hail. But it’s not clear to me all of the ingredients necessary for this will come together, so we’ll have to wait and see with this forecast.

Saturday and Sunday

We still have questions about the weekend, as well, with the potential for another front on Sunday. But for now the best guess is highs somewhere in the low 80s, with partly sunny skies, and nights somewhere in the 60s. Rain chances are low, but not zero. Details very, very much to come.

Overall, rain chances will be better just north of the metro area this week. (Weather Bell)

Next week

Our weather next week will depend upon whether a somewhat stronger front makes it through Houston by Monday or so. If this is the case much of next week may feel more spring-like, with highs in the 70s and 80s, and lows in the 50s and low 60s.

Houston to warm steadily this week, but rain showers will remain scarce

Good morning. After what turned out to be a rather pleasant Easter Sunday, Houston will now begin a warming trend that will culminate with temperatures at least in the upper 80s toward the end of this week. We have unresolved questions about when the next cold front will push all of the way through Houston, and when the region might see a meaningful amount of rainfall—something we need after a dry late winter and early spring have led to an emerging drought.

Low temperatures on Monday morning range from the low 50s to upper 60s. (Weather Bell)

Monday

Winds are very light out of the southeast this morning, and will only slowly pick up to around 5 to 10 mph later today. After a cool start for some, temperatures will rise into the upper 70s, with partly sunny skies. Like on Sunday, a slightly disturbed atmosphere will do battle with a drier upper atmosphere, with the result likely producing some very scattered, light showers later this afternoon. Low temperatures tonight will again drop into the low- to mid-60s.

Tuesday

This will be another day a lot like Monday, albeit with daytime highs a few degrees warmer, and overnight lows in the upper 60s to low 70s. We’ll again see a chance of light, scattered showers to go along with our partly sunny skies.

Wednesday

More clouds will build overhead on Wednesday, and a cold front will approach the region. However, it’s likely to stall around the College Station area, rather than pushing into Houston, or all the way down to the coast. As a result, we’ll likely see highs in the low- to mid-80s, with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the city and surrounding areas. Lows will be sticky, in the upper 60s.

Thursday and Friday

Houston’s warm pattern will intensify toward the end of the week, with highs likely ranging from 85 to 90 degrees for most areas to go along with partly to mostly sunny skies. Nights will be quite warm, not dropping below the 70s for much of the region.

High temperatures on Thursday will near 90 degrees. (Weather Bell)

Saturday and Sunday

The weekend forecast is a bit of a mess. The most likely scenario is that a weak cold front pushes into Houston on Friday night, bringing with it a decent chance of rain (a few tenths of an inch for most). This would knock back temperatures into the mid-80s, with a smidge of drier air and sunny skies, for the weekend. But it’s nearly as likely that the front won’t make it, and we’ll stay in a more humid, warmer pattern without much of any rain. Feel free to flip a coin on this one.

Cool but just a little gray at times for Easter weekend

Easter weekend is upon us, and with many folks planning to take their gatherings outdoors this year, we want to try and pin this forecast down as precisely as possible for you to plan around. In a nutshell: We don’t expect any significant weather at all this weekend, and you should go forth with your plans unaltered due to weather. But there will be just enough of an annoying chance of some light showers later on Sunday.

Today

Skies will start off mainly clear today with ample sunshine. Look for that to continue with just a few high clouds passing through at times later today. It will be another very pleasant, temperate day, with highs in the 60s to perhaps near 70 degrees.

Saturday

Tomorrow won’t be the worst day ever, nor the best day. Look for a good deal of clouds sprinkled with breaks of sunshine. A weak disturbance could squeeze a little virga (rain that evaporates before reaching the ground) out in the afternoon, but for the most part I think Saturday will be fine for all our outdoor plans.

The forecast from the National Weather Service National Blend of Models shows about 80 to 90 percent coverage of clouds Saturday afternoon, meaning at times it will be mainly cloudy. (Pivotal Weather)

Temperatures will warm from the 40s or 50s in the morning to 60s in the afternoon, held down a couple degrees due to clouds. A few spots could break into the 70s with enough sunshine.

Easter Sunday

We will once again see a good deal of clouds and breaks of sun for Sunday. The forecast has become relatively tricky here, with another disturbance pivoting through and a little more moisture available than on Saturday. The odds of any one location seeing rain is fairly low. But I do believe some locations will see a shower on Sunday. So, the best advice we can offer right now is to go forth with your plans as scheduled, but you may feel some “spritzes” out there Sunday afternoon. By no means will it be enough to wash you out for the day, but it may be enough to be annoying in a few locations.

Temperatures on Sunday should start in the 50s and work their way to about 70 degrees or so. If it does rain in your neighborhood, temps could drop back into the 60s for a few hours.

Next week

We begin to turn the corner back toward warmer, more humid weather on Monday. Highs should top off in the 70s, with morning lows in the 50s once more. A shower is possible with a mix of sun and clouds.

By Tuesday, we’re starting the morning in the 60s and reaching well into the 70s, if not low-80s. Wednesday looks even warmer, with morning lows in the mid to upper-60s and highs in the mid-80s. We should see a typical spring pattern of morning clouds giving way to afternoon sunshine and a token 10 to 20 percent chance of a shower.

Even warmer weather looks possible later in the week, with maybe a weak front in there at some point between late week or early the following week.

Can we hit 90 degrees next week?

Last year, we hit 90 degrees for the first time on March 25th. In 2019, we did it on April 9th. Typically, we don’t reach 90 for the first time until May 7th (though since 1990, that date has moved up to May 1st). Yes, we could hit 90 degrees next week or weekend. As of right now, the European ensemble is projecting that the air mass over Texas by late next week or next weekend (Friday shown here) will be about 10 degrees or more warmer than normal.

The forecast of temperature anomalies over Texas next week is expected to be about 10 degrees or more above normal on Friday. Upper air temperatures are similarly warm, which means 90° could be attainable by late week (Pivotal Weather)

We start to see average high temperatures get close to 80 degrees next week, so it becomes simple math at that point. Given the dry soils and growing drought over most of Texas, this will not be a Herculean task. There are still some question marks Depending on your point of view, that’s wonderful or the worst news ever. Either way, it is what it is, and we’ll update you on things Monday!

Houston will enjoy some of its last really dry air for six months

Only six weeks ago Houston endured its coldest spell of weather in three decades. Now, we’re on the cusp of a period of much warmer weather, with highs in the upper 80s possible next week. So tonight, as temperatures drop into the upper 40s, be sure and enjoy this taste of fairly cold weather. We probably won’t see its like for another six months, at least.

Thursday

The cold front has come and gone, and except for the coast (where gusts are still in the 30s) winds are beginning to die down. Skies will be sunny today, with highs in the upper 60s to 70 degrees, and a persistent northeasterly wind. As those winds settle down tonight, we’ll see conditions ideal for cooling, with lows dropping into the mid-40s in much of Houston, upper 30s for far inland areas, and low 50s near the coast.

Forecast low temperatures for Friday morning. (Weather Bell)

Friday

We’ll enjoy another splendid springtime day, with highs in the upper 60s and more sunshine. As winds shift to come from the east, and then southeast, overnight temperatures will be a few degrees warmer.

Saturday

Clouds will begin to develop Friday night, and Saturday should therefore see mostly cloudy skies to go along with moderate southeasterly winds. Highs will reach about 70 degrees. A bit of an atmospheric disturbance will pass across the region Saturday night, and there may be enough moisture to squeeze out some very light, scattered showers on Saturday night. Lows will drop into the mid- to upper-50s for most.

Easter Sunday

Any showers should be gone by sunrise, and skies for Sunday should be only partly cloudy. Overall, conditions will be pleasant, with highs in the low- to mid-70s. Hide those Easter eggs with confidence!

Expect a pleasant Easter Sunday with these high temperatures. (Weather Bell)

Next week

The story of next week concerns how warm temperatures will get. I think we may hit the upper 80s by Wednesday or Thursday, along with increasing humidity levels. It won’t be akin to summer in Houston, but it will remind us of what Mother Nature can do as the calendar turns toward April and May. It now looks like our next front may come around Friday, April 9. That’s also when our next chance of significant rain is likely to come. But confidence in that system, and its effects, is rather low at this time.