Tornado watch in place as strong storms approach Houston

Good morning. As anticipated a cold front is approaching Houston from the west this morning, and will bring with it heavy rains, a tornado watch, and a chance of severe weather. You’ll need to pay close attention to weather conditions this morning. The storms will clear out this afternoon, and Houston will cool off for the remainder of the work week.

Today

Due to favorable conditions for tornado formation, the National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for the entire Houston metro area through 1pm CT today. One measurement of a storm’s potential to produce tornadoes is a parameter know as Convective Available Potential Energy, or CAPE, and values later this morning could run as high as 2000 J/kg in the Houston area. While this value is far from extreme, it means there will be enough instability for tornadoes to form. Tornadoes appear most likely between Interstate 10 and the coast.

Severe weather outlook for Tuesday. (NOAA Storm Prediction Center)

 

A line of storms should begin moving into western Harris County by around 7am CT this morning, and spread into most of the region by 8 to 10am CT. The most favorable conditions for tornadoes to form should be in place from around 8am to Noon. If your area falls under a tornado warning—issued when forecasters believe a tornado has developed and touched thr ground in a given area—please take shelter indoors, in an interior room, until the warning has ended.

The other primary threat from these storms this morning is heavy rainfall. Some of the heaviest storms could produce 1 to 2 inches of rain per hour, and isolated areas could receive as much as 5 inches of rain. While I don’t anticipate any home flooding, some streets in areas hardest hit could become briefly impassible later this morning and early this afternoon. Most areas will probably see 1 to 2 inches of rain, total.

(Space City Weather is sponsored this month by Darrell Lee’s The Gravitational Leap)

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Storm threat increasing for Houston on Tuesday

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has upgraded the risk of thunderstorms in Houston on Tuesday from “slight” to “enhanced.”

(NOAA/Storm Prediction Center)

This means the following for the Houston area:

  • Numerous severe thunderstorms are possible across the Houston region, with the greatest chance most likely along the Highway 59 corridor.
  • A few of these storms may be particularly intense, capable of spawning weak tornadoes, damaging winds or hail.
  • Some moderate street flooding is possible where thunderstorm training occurs, but for the most part these storms should move through at a good clip, from west to east.
  • The most likely time for storms will be from 10am to 2pm CT, with clearing likely during the late afternoon hours.

We’ll stay on top of the latest forecast for you.

(Space City Weather is sponsored this month by Darrell Lee’s The Gravitational Leap)

Severe storms possible Tuesday before a cooler week in Houston

After a weekend of record-setting high temperatures—85 degrees on Saturday and 86 on Sunday—the region will cool down a little today, and a lot on Tuesday. The big concern, as noted my Matt, is the possibility of storms and severe weather on Tuesday afternoon.

Today

A very weak front will slowly move southward through Houston, and likely get hung up near the coast. This will create mostly cloudy conditions, and bring a chance of sprinkles to the area, but no major rainfall accumulations are likely. An easterly wind should help limit high temperatures to the mid-70s. Lows tonight will be in the mid-60s.

Temperatures this morning are in the upper 60s across the Houston metro area. (Weather Bell)

Tuesday

On Tuesday a stronger front will move through Houston, and with a deep source of moisture streaming in from the Gulf of Mexico we’ll likely see some rain showers and possibly some severe thunderstorms with the front. Given the setup it’s likely that most areas see 1 to 2 inches of rains from storms as the front passes through—probably between about 11am CT and 4pm CT on Tuesday. A few areas might see as much as 3 to 5 inches of rain, which could cause some street flooding problems.

(Space City Weather is sponsored this month by Darrell Lee’s The Gravitational Leap)

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After record heat, thunderstorms Tuesday

After a weekend which has seen two record high temperatures broken in Houston, we turn our attention to thunderstorms and the possibility of severe weather on Tuesday. There’s been some “noise” about that being a possibility, so we want to give you a quick synopsis. Eric will have the latest in the morning.

Cooler Weather to Come

We hit 85° on Saturday, breaking the record of 82° from 1999. We exceeded that Sunday, hitting 86° and breaking the 95 year old record high of 84° from 1922. A weak cold front will push through tonight, and that will end the record warmth. This is evident when you look at dewpoints. The HRRR model below shows the higher dews getting blunted back southward as the front rolls through.

A cold front will wipe out the record heat and humidity overnight, as seen by dropping dewpoints after midnight. (Weather Bell)

 

So tomorrow is a transition day. We’ll see a mix of clouds and sun, maybe a shower, and temperatures peaking in the low 70s. Meanwhile, an area of low pressure will develop in West Texas, bringing places like Lubbock (that hit 91° yesterday) a chance of snow. That becomes our weather-maker for Tuesday, bringing us rain & thunderstorms.

(Space City Weather is sponsored this month by Darrell Lee’s The Gravitational Leap)

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