Summary: Temperatures will begin warming up today as we clear out the clouds. Look for a super Saturday and a decent Sunday with temperatures rebounding to near 80° once more. A system Monday brings us our next rain chances before we slowly clear out Tuesday.

Today

It’s a cool start today once again with temperatures in the 40s and 50s across the region.

We will probably be socked in with clouds over most of the region this morning. But as a weak system exits, slightly drier air will push in and dissipate much of the cloud cover, setting up what should be a nice afternoon. It feels like it will be tough to squeeze much more moisture out of that system as it exits today, so other than a few isolated morning showers, especially on the coast or around Matagorda Bay, that should be that. With some added sunshine and slightly warmer air in place, we’ll likely rebound to 70 degrees or better this afternoon. That’s close to what is typical for this time of year.

Rodeo Forecast

As far as this forecaster is concerned, tonight is worth much more than half a buck. Look for temperatures dropping through the 60s with light winds and generally clear or partly cloudy skies. No need for 21 questions about the weather, as there will be no rain and nothing to worry about in da club afterwards.

We’ll open the evening around 70 degrees and close in the low-60s.

Weekend

Saturday looks great. Highs will be near 80 degrees, with humidity remaining at a fairly tolerable level. Sunshine and just a few clouds are expected, though the morning could stay gray in some spots, especially close to the coast or Galveston Bay.

Sunday may see additional morning low clouds or fog, giving way to a mix of clouds and sun. Highs will again be near 80 degrees. I wouldn’t entirely rule out a few raindrops Sunday afternoon, but it should not wreck your day.

Monday

A storm over the southern Plains will drag a “kinda sorta” front toward Houston on Monday. It honestly may just fall apart before it actually gets here. What it will do, regardless, is deliver an increasing chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms. I would not call Monday a washout, but it looks like our best rain chance in a minute. Temperatures will start the day in the 60s and warm to near 80 once more, even with rain chances.

Moisture levels in the atmosphere look pretty beefy on Monday, so a few folks may see heavier downpours. But this rain looks very manageable, if not welcome.

Tuesday

Arguably, Tuesday is the most interesting forecast day. Behind Monday’s decaying front, we may get just enough lowering of humidity to allow for temperatures to have a little more runway to work with Tuesday. Drier air heats up more efficiently than humid air, and that drop in humidity between Monday and Tuesday will boost temps some. The question of how warm comes down to whether or not we see clouds and lingering showers Tuesday. If that happens, we’ll probably take a run toward 80 or so once again with morning lows in the 60s.

However, with enough sunshine, we could push rather decently into the 80s. In fact, I looked “under the hood” at the National Blend of Models, and it even has a 10 percent chance of high temperatures exceeding 90 degrees on Tuesday. I surely would not forecast that, but it gives you an idea that the atmosphere is ready to go warm. Will we get the sunshine to do it? I’m not sure. But expect at least 80 on Tuesday, with risk for hotter.

Rest of next week

Beyond Tuesday, the week looks a little cooler, with highs in the 70s most days, perhaps near 80 at times. Morning lows will be in the lower half of the 60s. A few passing showers can’t be ruled out between Wednesday and Saturday. A more robust cold front may approach the region around next weekend, which could allow for a sharper drop in temperatures, not as cold as it was yesterday and this morning but notably cooler. We’ll keep an eye on that.

Summary: Houston will experience some fairly chilly weather for the next 24 hours, with highs today in the 50s and lows in the 40s overnight. We may also see some light showers on top of that. The weekend will warm nicely, with plenty of sunshine on Saturday. Our best chance at widespread rain, with decent accumulations, will come next Monday.

Thursday

We’re starting out today with temperatures of about 50 degrees, and due to a preponderance of clouds we likely aren’t going to rise much higher. Temperatures this afternoon should peak in the upper-50s across the Houston region and now that we’re at the end of February, I can’t help but wonder when that will happen again. Probably not for many months. (Houston’s first high in the 50s last fall came on October 30).

In any case it’s going to be cloudy and chilly. The atmosphere is pretty dried out right now, but that will change today as a more southerly flow takes hold just above the surface. With more moisture in the atmosphere we’ll see an increasing chance of very light rain this afternoon and evening, although accumulations during the overnight hours will be measured in hundredths of an inch for most.

Rodeo forecast

Bring a jacket, maybe. Temperatures will be in the mid-50s this afternoon as you venture out to the rodeo, and as mentioned there will be a chance of light rain, perhaps about 40 percent or so. Winds, from the northeast at the surface, will be fairly light. Things won’t change much after the concert, with temperatures in the low-50s, more clouds, and a continuing chance of light rain.

Friday

This will be our coldest morning for some time as much of Houston falls into the upper 40s. We’ll see some clearing skies later on Friday, and in conjunction with a more easterly flow this will help temperatures warm to about 70 degrees, perhaps a tick warmer. Lows on Friday night will drop into the 50s.

Saturday and Sunday

The weekend still looks good to go for outdoor activities. Saturday looks quite nice with mostly sunny skies and highs in the upper 70s to 80 degrees. Lows will drop to around 60 degrees. Sunday will see more clouds, and a bit muggier air, as highs reach about 80 degrees. There’s a slight chance of some showers later on Sunday but I think they’re likely to hold off until Monday. Lows on Sunday night will only drop into the 60s.

Next week

The details are still uncertain, but it looks as though a front will move into the vicinity of Houston on Monday and stall out. This will lead to a healthy chance of rain showers on Monday and Monday night, possibly stretching into Tuesday morning. I think most of the area probably will see around 1 inch of rain, give or take. After that temperatures will depend on the front, but since it now seems likely to stall, I bet we see highs of around 80 degrees, with lows in the 60s, for most of next week. Conditions may turn a bit cooler toward next weekend.

Wild weather

In some parts of Texas, and around the country, there’s been some pretty wild weather of late. We’ve got the rundown on wildfires in the Texas panhandle, tornadoes in Michigan, and more in The Eyewall.

Summary: A front will blow through Houston this morning to bring a surge of much drier air into the region. This will result in a couple of cooler nights. We’ll also see the return of some light rain showers on Thursday night, but the weekend should yield some sunshine.

Wednesday

A cold front will push into Houston this morning to displace the muggy air mass overhead. Temperatures will drop only a few degrees initially, but dewpoints will fall off a cliff. Skies will remain mostly cloudy. We should see wind gusts jump up above 30 mph for a few hours this afternoon as this drier air blows in from the north. In short, more winter-like weather will come raging back into Houston for a little while.

Rodeo forecast

Winds will begin slackening late this afternoon and evening, but I still expect gusts above 20 to 25 mph as you’re heading into the rodeo. Temperatures before the show will be in the 60s, dropping into the 50s after the show. With the breeze, it will definitely feel a bit chilly outside. Overnight lows will eventually drop to around 50 degrees by Thursday morning, with cooler conditions for outlying areas.

Thursday

This will be the one cold day this week. I’m not sure highs will get out of the 50s, with mostly cloudy skies. Unlike a lot of fronts we see in Houston, this one is not going to be followed by a lot of sunshine. Rather, pretty quickly the flow is going to turn northeasterly, and in concert with some weak atmospheric disturbances it’s possible that we see some very light showers later on Thursday afternoon or Thursday night. into Friday morning. Lows should drop to around 50 overnight.

Friday

This will be a transition day back to warmer weather. After light showers end during the morning hours we should actually see a bit of sunshine later in the day, with highs in the upper 60s to 70 degrees. Winds will be fairly light, from the northeast. With a warmer flow in place, lows on Friday night likely will only drop into the low 60s.

Saturday and Sunday

The weekend looks fine. We should see partly sunny skies and highs in the upper 70s to 80 degrees. Humidity levels will be moderate, but not oppressive. Overnight temperatures will be mild. I can’t entirely rule out a chance of showers later on Sunday or Sunday evening, but I think these will hold off until Monday.

Next week

Next week’s forecast is filled with a whole lot of “I don’t know.” The uncertainty is due to the approach of a cold front by around Tuesday-ish, and a lack of clarity on whether it pushes all the way through Houston. The bottom line is that I do think we’ll see elevated rain chances on Monday and Tuesday, with accumulations of perhaps half an inch, give or take. But as for temperatures, who knows. We’ll probably be somewhere in the 70s during the daytime, but the nights will depend on the progression of the front.

Summary: Houston will see one more warm day before a front arrives on Wednesday to cool us down for a couple of days. The first half of the weekend looks rather pleasant, but we’re keeping our eye on the potential for the return of some decent rainfall next week.

Before the forecast, two programming notes. First of all, if you missed it, we did our first monthly Q&A feature on Monday, and we hope to do these regularly going forward. Secondly, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo begins today, and it’s an iconic event for our region attended by more than 2 million people. Accordingly, we’re going to offer daily forecasts, brought to you by our sponsor Reliant. we’ll share what you need to know about the expected weather before and after the rodeo and concert every day. Additionally, make sure to scroll to the bottom of this post and read Reliant’s fun Rodeo experiences (I’m definitely stopping by the Space City Cowboy photo op!)

Tuesday

Today will be another warm one, with highs likely topping out in the low 80s across much of the region. There may be a bit more sunshine than on Monday, but I still expect more clouds than not. Winds will be noticeable from the south, gusting up to 30 mph at times.

Rodeo forecast

If you’re heading out to the Blake Shelton concert this evening, hold on to your hat. Actually, the winds should be backing off a little bit later this evening and afternoon, but I just wanted to say ‘hold on to your hat.’ Temperatures will be mild this evening, perhaps about 70 degrees, with moderate humidity. Expect cloudy skies. Temperatures will only be a few degrees cooler after the show, heading down to overnight lows in the mid-60s tonight. Despite the clouds I don’t expect any rain showers today or tonight.

Wednesday

After a warm night a cold front will sweep through Houston on Wednesday morning, and the change will be pretty immediate. I’d expect the front to be near areas like Katy and The Woodlands around sunrise or an hour or two after, and be off the coast by or before noon. In the wake of the front we’ll see gusty northerly winds, mostly cloudy skies, and temperatures in the 60s with much drier air. Lows on Wednesday night will drop down to around 50 degrees in Houston.

Thursday

Here the brief spell of ‘winter’ I mentioned in the post headline. Skies will be cloudy on Thursday, with highs likely only peaking in the upper 50s to lower 60s. Winds will slow down. The air is going to be rather dry, with low dewpoints. However by later Thursday afternoon we’ll see winds turn to come from the south, and this will mark the beginning of an onshore flow. Lows on Thursday night will drop into the low 50s for most away from the coast.

Friday

We’ll see some decent rain chances late Thursday night into Friday morning, but accumulations look rather slight, likely in the hundredths of an inch. Skies, otherwise, will be mostly cloudy with highs in the low- to mid-70s. Lows on Friday night will probably drop down to around 60 degrees.

Saturday and Sunday

The first half of the weekend looks pretty good for outdoor plans. We’ll see highs of around 80 degrees with partly sunny skies. Rain chances look to be close to nil. Lows Saturday night will be mild, in the low 60s.

Sunday will bring more clouds, and a slight chance of rain. Still, anything that falls should be very light. Highs will again be around 80 degrees.

Next week

The forecast for next week is somewhat in flux. However, in general, we can expect warm conditions on Monday and probably Tuesday. At some point a front is going to move toward our area and help generate conditions for rainfall. This will probably our best chance at some decent accumulations of rainfall in a while. This front will be followed by some cooler weather for a couple of days. So, basically, more spring is on the way.

A message from Reliant

This isn’t our first rodeo, and, at Reliant, we’re here for a rootin’ tootin’ time at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, now open today through March 17. Here are a few fun places to stop by: 

• Saddle up in Space City at Reliant’s new photo op for Rodeo fans to enjoy, located in the lobby of NRG Center at Hall C. A tip of the cap to Houston’s ‘Space City’ roots, grab your partner and take a trip to the moon in this interactive photo op that makes you and your posse feel like a Space City Cowboy.  
• Stop by the Reliant Ranch in NRG Plaza for an interactive experience for rodeo-goers of all ages. Two step on over to enjoy festive games like Get Your Ducks in a Row-deo, Boot Toss, Ring Toss, and a Souvenir Penny Press. And don’t forget to say howdy to our pal Hugo, Reliant’s friendly brand ambassador! 
• Hold your horses, we can’t forget the iconic Reliant Big Boot! Standing at 25-feet-tall, this staple of the Rodeo provides visitors with another great Instagram-worthy moment. Grab the whole crew and giddy on up before you head to the concert, carnival, or let’s face it… the Champion Wine Garden! 
• While you’re busy snapping pics as a Space City Cowboy or over at the Reliant Big Boot, we also have you covered with free charging stations throughout NRG Park, so you can stay powered up and present! With a valid email and credit card ($1 hold), rodeo-goers can borrow a power pack and return them at any charging station once they are done. 

See y’all at the Rodeo!