In brief: Houston’s early February warm spell is bringing record high temperatures and plenty of sea fog, and this pattern is unlikely to change before at least Sunday. And even then there is some uncertainty about the timing and strength of a front that will be moving down toward Houston.
Unseasonably warm
We’re starting to set some fairly serious heat records with this present warm spell. The high temperature at Bush Intercontinental Airport on Tuesday afternoon reached 84 degrees, smashing the previous record of 81 degrees for the city of Houston, set during 1957. The city of Galveston, too, eked out a new record of 75 degrees, besting a mark of 74 degrees originally set way, way, way back in 1890 (and subsequently tied in 1957). With a very warm southerly flow in place for the remainder of the week, we can expect more records to fall in the coming days.
Wednesday
Warm air temperatures are continuing to contribute to the development of sea fog across coastal areas, as this air moves over the cooler Gulf waters. In addition, we’re seeing some light, misty rain in coastal areas. If you’re driving through the soupy air, take a little extra time and give the car ahead of you a little more space. This fog should dissipate between 9 and 10 this morning. Afterward, highs today will reach around 80 degrees under mostly sunny skies. Winds will be from the south at about 10 mph, with higher gusts. Lows tonight may briefly drop into the upper 60s.
Thursday and Friday
The warm pattern continues, with sea fog possible in the early morning hours. Highs will be in the lower 80s, with mostly sunny skies and southerly winds. Nights will be warm, in the upper 60s.
Saturday and Sunday
We can be confident in the weather for the first half of the weekend. It will be warm, with partly sunny skies, and highs in the lower to possibly mid-80s, pushing record levels. (This is moderately amusing because about 10 days ago you may recall some social mediarologists telling us about an “Arctic blast” coming through during the weekend of Saturday, February 8). A weak front will approach the Houston area on Saturday night and Sunday, but it remains an open question as to whether the front will make it all the way into Houston proper. Accordingly my best guess is that highs reach about 80 degrees on Sunday, but there’s some uncertainty around that. As the front stalls, we may see a few scattered showers.
Next week
At some point next week a stronger push of cooler air is likely to come down, but how strong and how long it lasts remains to be seen. Perhaps we’ll see a night or two in the 40s.
I’m so tired of the phrase ‘record highs’
inb4 I’m told to move. (I mean if you wanna pay for it that’s cool. Hit me up.)
GROSS x 1000
Guess I won’t be using the Aquanet today…
Houston Closets:
Everything, Everywhere All at Once.
one week I need my heavy fleece and mere days later am digging out shorts and tank tops
Ugh… and it’s only February.
And just think, it will only get worse in the coming years. By the 2030s we will probably start seeing weeks of highs in the 90s in February.
Thanks for ‘mediarologists.’ I read some of those predictions, and smiled, having learned from SCW that 14-day forecasts based on single models and hope are relatively untrustworthy.
Love the term “mediarologists” and will definitely be stealing it!
Grrroooooooossssssssss
Oh wow, I didn’t even see Other Ashley’s comment, lol
It’s crazy to me how many bugs came out recently. There’s a loud hum of insects in the trees already, and I killed a mosquito the other day. The cold and then record warmth seemed to convince everything that spring was here…
The current weather pattern of record warmth in December followed by a blizzard (literally just to our east)in January ensued by more near record warmth in February is eerily similar to the crazy weather described in the book “The Little Ice Age: How Climate Made History 1300-1850” by Brian Fagan. Especially when you consider the fact that over the last nine months we experienced a Derecho, Hurricane, a mini drought and heatwave in addition to the near blizzard…
I know we live in Houston and all of these things have happened in the past but the weather over the last nine months seems to be hyper volatile. Perhaps this is a sign of some bigger climate shift? One caused, partially caused or influenced by man? Maybe just a natural cycle shift like the one described in Fagan’s book? Maybe just weather? But it “seems” like things are changing…
Hyper volatile is right
It’s climate change except it’s not natural this time like the other changes in the past. It’s from our excess greenhouse gas emmisions warming the surface of Earth up more and more over time. This is throwing the jet stream patterns all out of wack, leading to the shap swing between extremes that we’ve been seeing for years now.
Sure there is still some natural variability at play, but the effects of global warming are adding extra fuel to extreme weather events now and making them more likely.
“Mediarologists”!! Love it!
“Mediarologists” made me laugh out loud. I may steal that. A Facebook friend a week or so ago posted a map with a front and a RED arrow pointed directly at Houston. They did the same thing during hurricane season. I’ve watched with interest the overnight lows for next week. Nothing approaching what the fear peddlers want us to believe.
Social media is all about clicks, likes and shares. Unfortunately headlines sell and dramatic thumbnails are a sign of the times.
Only in Texas can it be snowing with temperatures in the teens and then 2 weeks later in the 80s and 90s. 🙄
We have seen record heat in the 90s across parts of Texas with no clear end in sight in February, and Australia just had a record heatwave. Gee, it’s almost like there is a rapid warming trend going on with the climate because of our endless co2 emmisions, and maybe we should do something about it but the deniers will still say that nothing is wrong and global warming is fake. Drill Baby Drill!!
So, was all that talk about colder weather coming over the 2nd half of February just a bunch of hogwash?
Back in the day having a week of highs in the 80s in February was like a once in a decade anomaly but now it’s happening every year. Infact, 80 degree days in general have been happening much more often during the winter months here since 2017. It seems like what the scientist have been saying is correct.
If we get more heat out of the way early in the year that means less heat left for the summer months, right? 😀
Ha ha if only it worked that way 😅
It’s ridiculous the lack of moderation between the extreme temperatures these days. We go from blisteringly cold pipe, bursting freezes to feeling like May a week later. It’s just so dumb. 🤦♂️
Wonder what caused the high temps in 1890?