Skies are already clearing this morning across the Houston region on Wednesday morning, setting the stage for a splendid holiday weekend—and as discussed Tuesday our weather looks really fine for quite awhile. We have only one small concern, which surprisingly after a year in which Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, is a lack of rain. Over the last two months a large part of the region has received just two to three inches of rainfall. As the US Drought Monitor map shown below indicates, the region is not yet in a drought. We are not yet even “abnormally dry,” but conditions now represent a mild concern as we enter a La Nina winter that is likely to be drier than normal. For now, it’s just something to watch.
Drought map for Texas as of Wednesday. (US Drought Monitor)
Wednesday and Thursday
What you see this morning is what you get. Wednesday will be breezy, as cool northerly winds blow in, but these should die down this evening. Both days will be sunny, with highs in the 60s, and chilly nights. For Thanksgiving morning, we should see temperatures as cool as the mid-30s for far northern reaches of the Houston metro area, with low 40s in the city, and around 50 degrees right on the coast. Thursday night will be a few degrees warmer.
Houston will see some spotty rain chances today before a cold front blows into the area tonight and brings chilly, holiday-like weather to the region for Thanksgiving. This will provide a nice contrast to the holiday’s weather the last two years, which has been muggier, with high temperatures in the 70s.
Tuesday
Some showers popped up near the coast this morning, and we will probably see additional showers and perhaps a few isolated thunderstorms to the south and east of the city today. A majority of the city will probably see little or no rain at all, however, as mostly cloudy skies limit high temperatures to the mid-70s. I expect a warmish evening before the front pushes through the region between midnight and sunrise on Wednesday morning. A broken line of storms may accompany the front.
Wednesday and Thursday
Expect breezy conditions when you wake up on Wednesday, as cooler and drier air will be blowing in from the north. We could see wind gusts in the upper teens to lower 20s of mph, and highs should only warm into the mid-60s under sunny skies.
Low temperature forecast for Thanksgiving morning. (NOAA)
Wednesday night and Thanksgiving morning will be a cold one, with lows in the mid- to upper 30s for inland areas, and lower 50s right along the coast. After a clear and cold start to Thanksgiving, expect light winds, sunny skies, and a high of around 65 degrees during the afternoon.
As part of our commitment to helping the community recover from Hurricane Harvey, we thought it would be helpful to write a “week in review” post every Monday. In the post-Harvey world, there has been no shortage of news about recovery, future projects, and ramifications of all that happened during the storm. This weekly post, largely produced by Matt, attempts to summarize the major news of the week, without editorializing. Please feel free to share anything we missed in the comments, or suggest additions for next week’s post.
November 20th’s Bloomberg Businessweek talks about some of the Energy Corridor’s experiences during Harvey. (Bloomberg Businessweek)
Harvey Recovery
Repairs to Harvey-damaged San Jac bridge to start early 2018 (Houston Chronicle): TxDOT has a lot to consider after Harvey, including elevating roads. Meanwhile, work to repair the US-59/I-69 bridge over the San Jacinto River, which was heavily damaged by the flooding will begin after Christmas. Some of the repair work could be quite substantial.
Houston area groups propose plan for how third Hurricane Harvey relief package should be distributed (Community Impact News): The U.S. House will soon pass a third aid package for Harvey relief. Governor Abbott has asked for over $61 billion in funding for various flood control projects and buyouts in addition to recovery. Much of that request is based on the Rebuild Texas plan. Another group has advocated for more comprehensive flood control the rest of Harris County. You can read about some of the differences between Rebuild Texas and this Better Houston plan in the article.
As a homeowner, I just want things that are supposed to work, to work. I’m not particularly handy, so when something breaks it always frustrates me. Even worse, if there’s a plumbing problem, it can damage a home. Or if the AC breaks down in August, heaven help us all. Frankly, there’s never a convenient time for a major system in your home to break down. In today’s sponsored post from Reliant, we discuss one option to address this.
Reliant has created a package to help protect your home from potential AC, heater and plumbing issues. The idea behind the Reliant Home Maintenance Package is to alleviate the stress of the homeowner who relies on their major home systems to perform all year long.
For $249 a year, a homeowner can enjoy the benefits of a full plumbing inspection once a year, two seasonal air conditioner or heater tune-ups per year.
The details of each inspection are as follows:
Heating Tune-up (October – November)
Inspect and test the gas valve
Inspect and test the pilot light (manual or electronic)
Visually inspect the heat exchanger
Check flue for proper ventilation and clearance
Inspect and test the electrical disconnect
Check amperage readings on heat strips
Verify proper wiring size on heat strips
Inspect and test the electrical power switch
Inspect blower motor for proper ventilation
Check the evaporator drain line
Check the overflow pan drain line
Inspect all air filters
Inspect and test thermostat
Plumbing Inspection (January – February)
Check the water pressure
Visual inspection of faucets for leaks
Visual inspection of toilets and tanks for leaks
Check the drain speed in bathtubs and sinks
Visual inspection of shower pan
Inspect flexible hoses/water supply lines to: Toilets, sinks, washing machine, dishwasher, refrigerator, water heater
Drain and sewer line inspection (if accessible)
Water heater: Check temperature, inspect venting system, ccheck water and gas connection, inspect drain and pan piping
AC Tune-up (March – April)
Inspect condenser coil
Clean and clear debris
Inspect all electrical connections
Adjust the system for optimal cooling
Check for refrigerant and oil leaks
Check the expansion valve and coil temperatures
Check refrigerant levels
Check condensation drain
Run the cooling cycle
Inspect and test the thermostat
Inspect all air filters
Perform a wash-down of the condenser coil
Although such a service cannot fully guarantee there will be no unexpected problems with your home, it can often find problems before they happen. There is nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night to rain showers falling onto your bed. Which has happened to me. When the water heater burst about a decade ago in the attic.
