Some far inland areas see a light freeze, as coldest snap of this season sets in

In brief: Cold conditions will hold on for about 24 more hours before a more southerly flow starts to moderate Houston’s conditions. This weekend looks mild, with periods of light rain, but also some sunshine on Sunday if you want to plan outdoor activities with some confidence. Colder, winter-like weather probably returns about a week from now.

A cold start

Air temperatures in the metro area this morning are generally in the upper 30s to 40 degrees, and with the wind chill tacked on it feels several degrees colder. The bottom line is that it’s a good morning to bundle up. A few of the usual suspects, such as Cleveland, Conroe, and Navasota well north of the Houston region have dropped to 32 degrees, or just below this morning. We will experience one more cold night before the region returns to relatively balmy conditions for this time of year, with milder nights in the upper 50s to lower 60s.

Wednesday

Skies are clear this morning, and will remain so all day. Winds will come consistently from the northwest today, but we won’t see the gusty conditions the region experienced on Tuesday afternoon and during the overnight hours. A few areas saw gusts of 40 mph or even higher as a second front blew in yesterday. Despite the sunshine, our high temperatures today will struggle to push beyond 60 degrees. The air will be very dry today and tonight, and temperatures should be as cold as Tuesday night, if not a few degrees colder. More areas in Montgomery county may experience a light freeze.

Thursday

Sometime after midnight, winds should turn southerly. By Thursday morning we’ll start to see dewpoints rising and this is the beginning of a more moderate pattern. Highs on Thursday should reach the mid-60s for most locations, with mostly sunny skies, and lows on Thursday night will probably only fall into the upper 50s.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

The weekend forecast is still a bit uncertain, but we’re starting to have a little more confidence. Daily high temperatures will generally range from the lower- to mid-70s, with mild nights generally in the lower 60s. Skies on Friday and Saturday should be mostly cloudy, but we could see some more sunshine on Sunday. As a front approaches the area, but likely stalls out, we probably will see some light to moderate rain on Friday night and at least the first half of Saturday. Accumulations will likely total a tenth of an inch, or two, so nuisance showers mostly. Rains should come to an end on Saturday afternoon. Sunday is probably your best bet for rain-free activities.

Next week

Rain chances return on Monday ahead of another front. Although this is a weaker front, at this point it appears likely to make it down through Houston and to the coast. In addition to perhaps 0.5 to 1 inch of rain on Monday and Monday night, this should bring slightly cooler weather on Tuesday and Wednesday. After that time, we probably will see a stronger front to bring daytime temperatures into the 60s, and lows into the 40s. We shall see!

Site note

Due to scheduling issues, it is possible that Thursday morning’s post will be an hour or two late. Thanks for understanding. Do not be alarmed! If Space City Weather does not post, the Sun shall still rise.