In brief: The heat goes on. And on. Houston is also dealing with a good bit of haze and smoke in the air from Central American agricultural fires, common in late spring. We remain cautious about a brief cool front next week, however.
First, a quick programming note. As summer is now underway in Houston, look for the Space City Weather summer outlook later this morning from Eric!
Haze, haze go away
Temperatures this week, while very, very hot have actually come up a couple degrees short of forecasts for the most part. Not by like 10 degrees or anything but something on the order of 1 to 3 degrees. Why? Almost certainly because of the low clouds and haze that have been ever-present over the area.
Why the haze? Well, this is the time of year when agricultural burning is ongoing in Mexico and Central America. How much? A lot.
With winds out of the south across the Gulf, this will transport all that smoke into our area. This is a common issue here in Texas this time of year, but it feels a little worse because of how hot it is so early. Whatever the case, given the number of fires ongoing and the amount of smoke already in the air to our south, I do not expect that this haze will relent anytime soon.
Today through Sunday
The heat continues. We may begin to push heat advisory criteria at some point soon. We’ve had a couple bursts of drier air this week that helped keep heat index values mostly in check (we did touch 100° for heat index at both IAH and Hobby yesterday briefly). While that could continue, we should begin to see a bit less wind. Overall, it will just start feeling a little more uncomfortable today, tomorrow, and perhaps Sunday. Expect highs in the low to mid-90s all three days with clouds, sun, and haze.
Rain chances are pretty close to zero, however, if you live around Brenham, Navasota, or Huntsville, it looks like there will be scattered thunderstorms firing up to your northwest on Friday afternoon. I would not be shocked if some of those make an attempt to reach these areas this evening. Just something to note.
Next week
Monday and Tuesday will probably just serve as an extension of the current weather pattern. So look for clouds, sun, haze, and 90s.
Now, later Tuesday there could be some showers or thunderstorms around closer to the area. And this continues to look like it *may* come with a brief front. If that can happen, it would still be rather hot on Wednesday, but the front would take a huge bite out of the humidity, in addition to cooling off our nights a bit. Will it happen? <Cue: Dramatic music> Find out Monday on the next edition of <studio audience cheering> SPACE! CITY! WEATHER!
I’m seriously praying the front balances this atrocious July-like garbage.
I’ll join you in the prayers. The heat is too early. Plus, five months of summer swamp is enough for everyone.
Unfortunately it will only be a brief reprieve from the oppressive humidity. As June sets in it will be dew points in the upper 70s to low 80s, with heat index values between 108 and 110 most days. If we get stuck under high pressure through most of this summer than it is probably going to be even worse than 2023.
So the haze is quite literally ‘smoke from a distant fire’?
I don’t love the forecast, but I loved today’s post!
The last figure in this post reads close call for front clearing the coast. Is this the same as a close call for a front stalling over Houston?
It’s been near 100° in MN. Same in CA. Something about a two-prong heat wave. Yale Climate Change says it was over 30° above average.
and now MN is having lows in the 30s in a few nights. WOW!
There are some viral images of lows at the end of next week at 63-65. Is this just a cruel joke?
EMCWF stalls the front and grips temperatures at 70s still, it’s the GFS that brings it.
Scanning thru a 10 forecast, I see a low of 65°F Thur morn and 67 on Friday morn.
Looking at another 10 day, I see a low of 63°F for Thur morn and (again) 63 Fri am
Thanks for the levity. We all need it with the weather we’re having.
Why are there so many fires in Florida?
Must be all those Florida Mans doing Florida Man things!
Listen to the Screaming Trees…,
Hey I’ve not ever seen dew point in low 80s. Certainly not in the urban core. Is that near the coast ? Would take a very warm morning with some kind of steamy to get there. What’s the history on that