Tracking more heavy rain for Sunday in the Houston area

Anyone who has lived in Houston knows there are basically two choices for weather during the months of July, August, and the beginning of September: Hot, sunny, and humid; or Warm, wet, and still humid. Houston has experienced both of these extremes already in July, with three days of highs in the upper 90s, followed by a day of 70s and heavy rain on the July 4th holiday. Over the next several days we’ll lean more toward the warmer and wetter variety, with an eye toward more widespread, heavier rainfall returning Sunday.

July in Houston: Do you want heat, or monsoons? (National Weather Service)

Friday

Storms have remained offshore this morning, and some slightly drier air has worked its way into the Houston region. However, as temperatures warm into the mid- to upper-80s later this morning, and the sea breeze gets going, I expect we’ll see some decent rain showers this afternoon, with a few heavy cells setting up (like we saw on Thursday, with a narrow, but heavy band of showers near Highway 288 and the South Sam Houston Tollway). I don’t expect significant problems. Look for highs around 90 degrees, or a bit warmer depending on how much sunshine your area sees this afternoon.

Saturday

I expect Saturday will be a lot like Friday, although with a few more clouds, and slightly reduced rainfall chances. The potential for heavier rainfall remains low, and any intense storms should be fairly scattered in nature. Highs in the low 90s.

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A calmer Thursday for Houston

After yesterday’s wild weather, things will scale back a bit today, and we should end up calmer. All bayous and rivers are within their banks and generally lowering, including the San Jacinto River at Humble, which briefly popped into minor flood stage last night.

The West Fork of the San Jacinto River near Humble briefly went into flood last night, but it has since fallen back a bit. Other bayous and rivers are receding or safely below flood stage as well. (NWS)

Calmer weather doesn’t mean totally dry, however. Over the next several days we’ll be dealing with a few disturbances to bring us more rain chances, though at this point none look quite as significant as what we just experienced.

Today

We’ll see a return of some sunshine and heat today, as we start the day partly to mostly sunny. A few showers will be possible south and west of Galveston this morning, down through southern Brazoria and Matagorda Counties. As we heat up, I do expect at least a few more showers and storms to develop elsewhere in the region, but these will be more of the hit and miss variety, with many neighborhoods staying dry today. Expect high temperatures in the lower 90s.

Any storms that do occur today will be capable of briefly heavy rainfall and some gusty winds, as well as lightning. So just be aware of that.

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Rain ending, street flooding continues in Houston

The worst of the rain is now over as of early this afternoon in Houston. Heavier rains have migrated west toward the Sealy area, which has seen 1-3″ of rainfall over the last hour or two.

A Flash Flood Warning remains in effect there. Houston’s Flash Flood Warnings will expire soon, but with street flooding likely to continue, travel within the city through the late afternoon is discouraged. We’d advise people to just stay put through late day if possible. Road and weather conditions will improve this evening.

While weather conditions will generally improve area-wide this afternoon and evening, there will still be a few showers and storms scattered about the region. So I can’t promise the evening will be entirely dry. But it should be mostly cleared out. Still, a sub-optimal July 4th overall.

No change in thinking from earlier this morning regarding tomorrow and into the weekend, as additional showers and storms will be possible each day.

Total rainfall from this storm will top 8″ in parts of Houston, centered just west of downtown.

4-8″ of rain has fallen in much of central Houston, with 1-4″ surrounding the city, though with pockets of higher amounts south and east. (Harris County Flood Control)

On average about 4-8″ inside the Loop and down near Clear Lake. Surrounding that, about 1-4″ fell. Most bayous are in their banks, but a few have come out in spots, exacerbating flooding in those neighborhoods. You can see rain totals and inundation maps from Harris County Flood Control here.

Unless something changes, that’s it for today, and we’ll be back with more in the morning.

 

Widespread street flooding in Houston

Quick mid-morning update for you. Heavy rains on the order of 2-4″ per hour have led to widespread, and in some cases, serious street flooding in the city of Houston and areas southeast and just west. A flash flood warning is in effect for much of the city through Noon, and I suspect it will be extended through early afternoon.

Rainfall of 2-5″ over a good chunk of Houston, much of it in a short time, has led to widespread street flooding in the area. (Harris County Flood Control)

Rain isn’t in much of a hurry to exit the city of Houston. Expect heavy rain over the next 2-3 hours through Midday.

We continue to think the rains will exit this afternoon. But there will be some heartburn between now and then. Our best advice is to just stay put and off the roads for awhile in Houston.

See our morning post for more.

We’ll tackle questions in the comments as time permits.