Houston is about to have an amazing week of weather for August

Perhaps you’re not impressed with the region’s rare mid-summer cool front, but anyone who knows what August feels like in Houston will be pleasantly surprised when stepping outside this morning. Dewpoints in the northern half of Houston have generally fallen below 70 degrees, which is remarkably low for this sultry time of year. These pleasant mornings and evenings will linger for a few more days, and daytimes should be moderate as well with increasing rain chances. Essentially, for most of the rest of this week, it will be like late May or early June, only it’s actually the dead of summer. That may not seem like much, but August is typically so consistently hot and humid, that this weather is kind of amazing.

Tuesday

After a cool, dry start today should see partly sunny skies, with highs in the low 90s. Today’s probably the last day of the week that most of Houston will not see any rain.

Wednesday through Friday

As a very strong ridge of high pressure builds over the western United States, and lower pressure over the east, the Houston region will kind of be stuck in the middle. But that’s better than being under the ridge, which is just going to bake the western United States. Places like Portland, Ore., are likely to see highs above 100 degrees.

High pressure to the west, low pressure to the east. Houston sits pretty in the middle. (Weather Bell)

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After a super hot weekend, a surprisingly cool start to August

Houston was promised a hot weekend, and Houston got a hot weekend. Here are how temperatures ended up at the major weather sites in the Houston area. Of note, the city’s official station at Bush IAH recorded its first 100-degree day of the year, and Hobby Airport set a record high on Saturday, breaking the old mark of 100 degrees set in 2015.

Weather site Friday Saturday Sunday
Bush Intercontinental 99 degrees 100 degrees 96 degrees
Hobby Airport 100 degrees 102 degrees 97 degrees
Galveston 91 degrees 93 degrees 91 degrees

 

But then a funny thing happened. A rare late July front slogged through the area on Saturday night and Sunday, and this morning nearly all of the region is seeing demonstrably drier air.

Today

With sunny skies we’ll see high temperatures reach the low- to mid-90s today, but with low humidity this evening should feel quite pleasant. Lows tonight will be in the 70s.

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Houston’s highest heat of 2017 upon us

Thursday was the hottest day of 2017 to date. Hobby Airport hit 99°, tying a record last set in 1965, while Bush Airport officially hit 98° on Thursday. Friday has a chance to equal or top it, but there is some good news.

Today and Saturday

Simply scorching. High pressure remains on top of Texas. This will both limit rain chances and maximize temperatures today. Expect temperatures very near where they were on Thursday, with highs in the upper 90s to near 100° in and around Houston. Minimal relief at the coast, with Galveston through Matagorda seeing highs in the low-90s Friday afternoon.

A scorching map of NWS forecast high temperatures for Friday. (NWS/Weather Bell)

 

There won’t be too many showers around today, but as we saw on Thursday, you could conceivably get one or two that pop up in parts of the area (most likely south of I-10) and dump a couple inches of rain in a short time. But the majority of the region will stay dry.

Combined with a bit of humidity, it will again feel uncomfortably hot today. Heat advisories are unlikely, but regardless, you should take it easy outside today and tomorrow.

It’s always a good idea to review some heat safety tips. (NWS Houston)

 

Saturday will be similar, although the chance of showers may be just a tick higher, but temperatures will be fairly close to where they end up today. The best chance of showers will be east of I-45 and in Louisiana on Saturday. Still, a handful of downpours may occur around the Houston area Saturday afternoon or evening, and storms east of Houston could be a bit on the strong side.

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Very hot to end the week in Houston, surprisingly temperate next week

Houston has yet to have a 100-degree day this year. Some summers we get lucky, such as in 2014, when the mercury never got that high. Sometimes we get more. For example, during the ridiculously hot summer of 2011 every day but one during the month of August had a high of 100 degrees or higher. The average high temperature that month was a staggering 102 degrees.

This summer won’t be nearly so hot, far from it, but the Houston region has a slight chance to hit 100 degrees today and Friday at its official weather station, Bush Intercontinental Airport, today and Friday before things cool off a bit.

Thursday and Friday

Houston will lie on the edge of high pressure to end the work week, and this will allow for mostly sunny, and hot days. While I won’t rule out a few stray showers, for the most part we’ll be dry, with highs reaching the upper 90s—and possibly 100—for inland areas, and lower to mid-90s closer to the coast.

High temperatures are likely over central Texas to end the week. But will they move as far east as Houston? (Weather Bell)

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