Cooler, cloudy, winter-lite type weather today

Today will be one of the Houston days I like to call “Winter-Lite.” It’s definitely chilly by Texas standards, but it’s really not going to be frigid. We’ll have some ups and downs in the days ahead. We’re also watching Texas slip deeper into drought. More on that at the bottom of the post.

Today & Weekend

Our cold front slipped through the area overnight. Rain chances should be minimal to near zero today. Basically, today looks mainly cloudy, breezy, and chilly with temperatures stuck in the lower or middle 50s.

If you have outdoor plans this weekend and can choose Sunday over Saturday, that’s the right play. Tonight will start quiet with just some clouds. The Gulf will see a trough and warm front develop and begin to push back toward us. As it does so, a couple of disturbances several thousand feet up will approach from the west. The combination of these features will likely lead to showers developing overnight.

Unfortunately, I think this means Saturday will be damp. Look for showers, periods of rain, or even a thunderstorm to persist through Saturday morning and into the afternoon. How much rain? I’m thinking around a quarter inch in most spots, maybe a little less south and west or more north and east.

Total rainfall through Saturday evening should be around a quarter inch, with higher amounts possible, mainly east of US-59. (WPC/Weather Bell)

Last weekend sort of snuck up on us, and while model guidance has trended slightly rainier this weekend, I don’t think we’ll see nearly as much rain as we did last Saturday. So we’ll call Saturday a damp one, but not as wet as last weekend.

Temperatures should warm through the 50s during the day, perhaps getting into the 60s by later in the afternoon tomorrow. Look for fog (especially at the coast) on Saturday night into Sunday morning. I’m skeptical of rain chances Sunday. Rather, I suspect we’ll see clouds and/or fog in the morning gradually yield to sunshine, with temperatures warming into the 70s. A weak cold front on Sunday will allow temps to drop back into the 50s heading into Monday morning. More fog is possible at the coast Sunday night.

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Mixed weather this weekend, but nothing too extreme ahead

The onshore flow has kept temperatures generally in the 50s across the Houston area this morning, and as a result we’re seeing the development of some fog across the area, although visibilities for the most part remain OK.

Thursday

We should see partly sunny skies later this morning, and this will allow high temperatures to climb into the mid- to upper 70s, with Houston possibly seeing its warmest day of the year. As moisture levels rise and a front drops out of the north, we may see a some scattered, light rain showers this afternoon, evening, and during the overnight hours. However anything that forms should not be threatening. The front itself could reach the northern part of the metro area by or before sunset today, and move through the region during the overnight hours.

Dewpoint temperatures for 6pm Thursday evening show much drier air behind the front, and the coast still remaining pretty humid. (Weather Bell)

Friday

Any rain should end after the front moves through, and we’ll be left with a chilly day Friday as northerly winds blow in, and highs struggle to climb above the mid-50s. Mostly cloudy skies will add to the winter-like ambiance.

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Weekend forecast coming into better focus for Houston

Clear skies have allowed temperatures to cool down this morning, and more importantly they’ve afforded most of the region a good view of the total lunar eclipse. The Earth passed between the Sun and Moon just as the Moon set, and Sun rose over southeast Texas on Wednesday morning.

Wednesday

Southerly winds have returned to Houston, and this will allow temperatures to climb today to about 70 degrees under partly to mostly sunny skies. All in all, it should be a fairly pleasant day for the region, with temperatures tonight 10 to 15 degrees warmer than Tuesday night.

Thursday

Thursday will be even warmer, with highs in the mid-70s as southerly winds draw in warmth to the region. Some scattered, light showers are possible during the afternoon, evening, and overnight hours as a cool front approaches the area, and moves through. It should be off the coast before sunrise on Friday.

Thursday will be one of the warmest days of the winter in Houston. (Pivotal Weather)

Friday

A much cooler day, with mostly cloudy skies and highs generally in the upper 50s. Winds will be out of the north, but I don’t think they’ll be too gusty like they are after some cold fronts we get. Lows Friday night should fall into the 40s for most of the region.

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Mostly clear weather for Wednesday’s total lunar eclipse

Houston is seeing temperatures this morning that range from the mid-30s inland to the upper 40s along the coast. This will probably be the region’s coldest night for about a week or so, and at this point another freeze seems unlikely for the next 10 days.

Tuesday

The region will see quintessential winter weather, with highs of around 60 degrees under full sunshine. Lows Tuesday night and Wednesday morning will probably be about 5 degrees warmer than Tuesday morning and, importantly, skies should be mostly clear.

Lunar eclipse

Clear skies are important because of the opportunity to see a total lunar eclipse shortly before the Moon sets. For Houston, the totality begins at 6:51 am but the partial eclipse begins about an hour before that, so plan to get up a little early tomorrow to see a neat celestial sight. You’ll want a jacket.

Texas will see a total lunar eclipse on Wednesday morning as the Sun rises, and Moon sets. (Fred Espenak)

Wednesday

Southerly winds will return sometime on Tuesday, and that will allow for the return of scattered clouds on Wednesday, and nudge temperatures into the upper 60s. We should also see a much more mild night, with lows only in the 50s across the area.

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