We have continued to amass nice stretches of weather here in Southeast Texas over the last couple weeks, as our seemingly endless gorgeous autumn continues. We have one small bump in the road to get through today and perhaps tomorrow before we resume our regularly scheduled programming for a few more days.

Today

We’re starting off a good bit warmer this morning than in recent mornings.The map below shows the difference in temperature between 5 AM this morning and 5 AM Thursday morning.

Locations east of Houston are running about 10 to 15 degrees milder than yesterday morning, while from Houston to points west, temperatures are as much as 20 to 25 degrees warmer. This is because clouds have increased overnight. While there may be a few pockets of sunshine around this morning, expect those to fade as the day progresses.

It may look like rain is imminent at times today, but it may take a bit before you actually see any reach the ground. The air is still a bit dry after our recent nice weather, so it needs some time to saturate. Overall, a few light showers, light rain, or sprinkles may be observed today but for the most part, it likely won’t rain much before sunset. The best odds of any measurable rain will be west or well south of Houston.

Cloud cover should keep temperatures in check. Look for highs in the 50s for most folks.

Tonight

Houston will be caught between the best ingredients for rainfall tonight, with one batch to our south and another well east into Louisiana. Look for scattered showers here in the Houston area. The best chance for rainfall and some thunder will be to Houston’s south, closer to Matagorda Bay or Corpus Christi. There could also be some scattered showers north and west of Houston at times through the night. By Saturday morning, it is likely some of us will have seen a little measurable rain, while some others may not have seen much of anything. Overnight lows tonight will probably be in the mid- to upper-40s.

Saturday

It appears that Saturday will be a continuation of this trend. The best chance for more nuisance rain will be along the coast or south of Houston, again toward Matagorda Bay or Corpus Christi.

Rain chances should end by Saturday afternoon. Total rainfall is not going to be anything spectacular for most of us.

Saturday won’t be the prettiest, as clouds dominate with highs in the 50s. We could see a few breaks of sun in the afternoon. A bit of a breeze could develop along the coast later Saturday and linger into Sunday, with some 15 to 20 mph gusts possible.

See full post

Good morning—and for most of you its quite the cold one. Temperatures have fallen to freezing, or below, for most of the region except for the coast and the central Houston urban core (click the map below for details). Outlying areas such as Conroe, Cleveland, and Dayton have recorded temperatures in the upper 20s this morning. This should be the last of the really cold nights for awhile.

Thursday

Winds are generally calm this morning, and as high pressure moves off, this will open the region to a more easterly flow. This somewhat more moist flow should allow for the development of some clouds later today, and especially tonight. Highs today should reach about 60 degrees, give or take, with light easterly winds. As clouds build overnight, lows should only fall into the mid-40s

Friday

The forecast for the first part of the weekend has changed somewhat. As atmospheric moisture levels rise, and an upper-level system in the atmosphere provides the impetus for rising air, we’re going to see some decent rain chances. However, most of the region will probably stay dry throughout the day Friday—the best rain chances appear to be west of Harris County. Expect cloudy skies, and a high of around 60 degrees. Scattered, light rain should gradually spread into the greater Houston region during the overnight hours, into Saturday morning.

See full post

Temperatures have fallen to freezing levels this morning at some locations, including The Woodlands and Sugar Land, while remaining just above freezing in downtown Houston and closer to the coast. In short, it’s a cold morning, but at least the winds have died down across the region. It will feel like winter for a few more days before a warming trend next week.

Wednesday

Today will be a pleasant winter-like day for the region, with highs generally in the upper 50s under mostly sunny skies. Winds will be calm, to just a few mph out of the north. Low temperatures Wednesday night will probably be a couple of degrees warmer than Tuesday night, but a light freeze remains possible for inland areas. Venus is brilliant in the evening sky—be sure and check it out after sunset.

Thursday

Another mostly sunny day, although as light winds shift to come from the east we may begin to see development of a few clouds during the afternoon. Highs will likely rise to around 60 degrees for most of the region. This changing flow, along with additional cloud development, should keep lows in the 40s on Thursday night.

Friday

This should be a gray and fairly gloomy day. There will be a couple of impulses for rain—the first during the day with rising moisture levels, and the second early on Saturday morning as an upper level system drags a front through the region. Accumulations look quite modest in Houston, as most of the region probably will see about one-half inch of rain, or less. Regions near Matagorda Bay could see as much as 1 inch. Highs Friday will reach about 60 degrees.

See full post

Welcome back to winter, Houston, where lows have generally dropped to around 40 degrees this morning. A freeze is possible later this week for parts of Houston, especially north of the city. Oh, and looking ahead to the weekend—it should be gorgeous again.

Tuesday

Skies are clear near the coast this morning, and should clear out over the entirety of the region throughout today. Even with the sunshine today, however, the cold air mass should help to limit temperatures to about 50 degrees. It will feel even colder, as a breeze persists out of the north at about 15mph, with occasional gusts.

Wednesday and Thursday

Clear skies and weakening winds will lead to ideal cooling conditions on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Expect temperatures in the mid- to upper-30s along the coast and just inland on both mornings, lows in the mid-30s to near freezing downtown, and lows at or just below freezing for Bush Intercontinental Airport and points north. Both days should be mostly sunny, although we probably will start to see the return of some clouds by Thursday afternoon along with the onshore flow. With light winds, we’ll see temperatures in the mid-50s to around 60 degrees.

See full post