Well, thank goodness that’s over. Another weekend of seemingly unending rain. Surely that can’t happen again, right? RIGHT? Don’t worry, we’re going to talk about next weekend.
TODAY and TUESDAY
Weak winds and very wet grounds have created some foggy conditions this morning, and a dense fog advisory is in effect until 9 a.m.
With clearing skies the rest of Monday and Tuesday look great, with mostly sunny skies and high temperatures in the mid- to upper-70s. Lows around 60. Enjoy the great fall weather.
After a break in showers on Saturday afternoon, intermittent rain returned last night and during the overnight hours. And again this morning Houston was greeted by rain showers. So what happened?
An upper-level low pressure system that drove rain early on Saturday moved a little slower, and has been a little more effective at drawing moisture in from the Gulf of Mexico. Hence the slow and steady rain for much of the metro area this morning.
Location of the upper-level low at 7:30 a.m. CT. (NOAA)
Unfortunately, given the slow movement of the upper-level low pressure system, instead of seeing rapid clearing today we may see continued intermittent light-to-moderate rain. This shouldn’t be enough to cause any kind of flooding in Houston because the bayous were able to recover on Saturday afternoon and during the overnight hours.
But it does mean today will be mostly gray, intermittently sodden, and overall not the Sunday we were all hoping for.
I’m still pretty confident that Monday and Tuesday will be pleasant, mostly sunny fall-like days, with highs in the 70s. But that won’t make today any better.
As of noon on Saturday the heaviest rains associated with today’s storms have moved through central Houston and are pushing off to the east.
Finally, right?
Radar snapshot at 12:05 pm CT. (Intellicast)
Although forecasts for the timing of the heavy rains were accurate — I had pegged midnight Friday to noon on Saturday for the most intense rains — amounts were not. Instead of isolated areas of six or more inches, widespread areas of the metro region received that much. And isolated areas to the east-northeast of Houston, including Crosby, received a staggering 11 inches of rain during the last 24 hours.
A broken line of heavy thunderstorms has reached western Harris County as of 8 a.m. CT and will move through the metro region during the next several hours.
These storms could bring an additional 1 to 3 inches of rain to Houston, but fortunately many of the region’s bayous have had a couple of hours to recede.
Brays Bayou at Rice Avenue has receded 5 feet from its early morning peak. (Harris County FWS)
