Fabulous fall weather on tap for Houston, rain may return Sunday

Temperatures are cooler and drier this morning, and this has largely ended the chance of fog like that which the Houston area experienced Wednesday. We now will see some very pleasant weather before rain chances return on Sunday.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday

Thanks to a dry, northerly flow the region will have three dry and sunny days, with moderate high temperatures in the mid- to upper-70s. Low temperatures will range from the upper 40s north of Houston to the upper 50s to 60 degrees right on the coast. Overall, the weather should be just about perfect for the fall in Houston.

Houston received a ton of rainfall at the end of August, but not much since then. (National Weather Service)

Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday

The one concern we’ve been discussing is the lack of rain since Hurricane Harvey. I know, it seems daft to worry about drier weather after a storm like that. But the fact is, most of Houston has had just 4 to 6 inches of rain in the 14 weeks since the storm, and this is causing the region to slip into drier than normal conditions. We’re not in a drought yet, and there are no major widespread, or significant concerns. However by the end of a La Niña winter (typically drier than normal for Texas), we might be.

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After a foggy Wednesday, more perfect weather to end the week in Houston

A dense fog advisory is in effect for Houston this morning, and will persist through 9am or 10am. Visibility will be as low as one-quarter mile for some areas, and less than a mile across much of Houston. Please take care during your morning commute today, and expect delays in marine operations.

Wednesday

After the fog burns away this morning, temperatures will be warmer today for most of Houston, as the next cold front pushing toward the region is doing so only slowly. That should allow high temperatures today to reach about 80 degrees under partly sunny skies later today. The front should finally move into Houston and through the region this afternoon, and reach the coast by around the evening. Rain chances with the front are near zero.

As of about sunrise, a cold front has yet to reach most of eastern and southern Texas. (Weather Bell)

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday

We’re going to see a run of three days of absolutely gorgeous weather, with high temperatures in the 70s and lows generally in the low- to mid-50s, and dry air. Skies should be mostly sunny. Our only concern is that, at this point, we could really use a bit of rain as the region has dried out quite a bit since Harvey. (More on that Thursday).

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Winter is coming to Houston. No really, it is.

Most of us remember last winter, right? November was 4.4 degrees above normal, and then came December. While the month had a couple of decent fronts, the second half had a run of extremely warm days and nights, including 80 degrees on Christmas and an overnight low of 71 degrees on Christmas night. Here’s what that looked like:

December, 2016, high and low temperatures. (NOAA)

Temperatures this November have averaged about 5 degrees above normal, too, a lot like last year. But I’m willing to bet that December won’t see a repeat. Indeed, as I’ll discuss below, there are good reasons to think that a good chunk of December will see cooler than normal temperatures.

Tuesday and Wednesday

Temperatures will warm into the upper 70s today, and humidity levels will rise a bit. However, a weak cool front will arrive on Wednesday morning to put a lid of temperatures for the rest of the week. This front could spur a few showers near or along the coast, but for the most part we won’t see any precipitation. Highs Wednesday should be in the mid-70s with continued sunshine.

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Post-Harvey week in review: November 27, 2017

Welcome to our week in review of news and stories about Harvey recovery and flooding issues you may have missed over the last few days. If you weren’t able to check out last week’s edition, you can find it here. Feel free to share any links we may have missed in the comments. On to the news.

Reads of the week

What bond investors weren’t told about a threat facing Cinco Ranch (Houston Chronicle): Ten municipal utility districts (MUDs) in the Cinco Ranch area have had over 70 bonds sold since 1992 and only one of those disclosed a flooding risk to those neighborhoods.

Harvey was three months ago. These displaced families are still in limbo (Texas Tribune): A pair of Houston families grapple with the same decisions and problems that many thousands in our area are going through a few months after Harvey.

Houston housing

Harris County proposing dramatic overhaul of floodplain regulations (Houston Chronicle): Harris County (not Houston, for now) may require developers to use the 500-year floodplain for new development, as opposed to the 100-year floodplain as it is now.

A House’s Flood History Can Be Hard To Find (Houston Public Media): Trying to find out if a home you’re considering buying or renting has flooded is often pretty difficult to do.

Rental market tightens, but it may not last (Houston Chronicle): Houston’s apartment occupancy has experienced a heck of a reversal over the last few months. More volatility may be in the future.

How Much Damage Did Harvey Do To Texas Homes? There May Never Be An Exact Answer (Texas Tribune): With a substantial amount of money coming in and numerous government agencies involved in the recovery effort, some things may fall through the cracks when assessing the scale of the disaster, concerning advocates.

We may never know precisely how much damage Harvey did to Houston neighborhoods. (Texas National Guard)

Displaced by storm still yearn for home (Houston Chronicle): 47,000 flood victims are still displaced in hotels all over the country. The housing aspect of the recovery usually moves slowly, and in a post-Harvey world, it’s no different.

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