Good morning. Houston faces the first of two days of fairly widespread showers, and the potential for some thunderstorms. Today and Thursday will offer a nice reprieve from the very high heat the region experienced in June. Temperatures will start to rise again this weekend, before we’re back in the upper 90s next week.
Before jumping into a detailed forecast, I want to go through a few housekeeping notes. The social network site Twitter used to be an amazing place to share weather information in real-time. However in the months steps have been taken to end the free dissemination of information, especially by National Weather Service accounts. The site has increasingly been gated and walled off, and is clearly evolving into something that will be not free and open and accessible to everyone. So our social media outreach strategy must evolve as well.
Today I wanted to remind readers of the four main ways to access our forecasts, and provide an update on our social media channels.
- By visiting our website, SpaceCityWeather.com, any time, day or night. A Spanish-language version is available at Tiempo Ciudad Espacial.
- By subscribing to our newsletter (the form is on the right side of this page on a desktop, but you have to scroll down on mobile to find it). There is no BS with our newsletter; just every post we do, directly into your inbox.
- By downloading our app for Apple iOS or Android. Speaking of which, we have a brand new version of the app, with some new features and bugs squashed, coming within a week or two. Look for more details on that soon. The price remains the same: $0.00.
- And finally, there’s social media. We’re on Facebook, Instagram and yes, for now at least, Twitter. We’ve also just created a Blue Sky account, and likely will start a Threads account when it launches this week (Threads is a Twitter-clone from Facebook). We’re considering Mastodon as well, but I have to tell you, this is a lot to keep track of. As noted above, we’re still navigating this landscape and trying to decide which sites work best for our messaging, and reaching people during times of inclement weather.
OK, now on to the forecast.
Wednesday
In the absence of high pressure, our region is open to an influx of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. Already this morning we see showers starting to fire up offshore, and with daytime heating these should migrate inland later this morning. The peak time for showers and thunderstorms will come this afternoon. You probably have about a 60 percent chance of seeing rain today. Thanks to the clouds, and rain-cooled air, most of the region should see highs of only around 90 degrees today, although it will of course remain plenty humid outside. Winds will be light, out of the south.
Thursday
Our chances for rain will peak on Thursday, as the upper-air pattern becomes most favorable for rising air. The coast will likely see the highest accumulations, but the entire area should see at least some modest accumulations. I’m not particularly concerned about flooding, as I think most of the area will see between 0.5 to 1.5 inches, and our soils are quite dry. Highs Thursday may not even reach 90 degrees in some locations. Winds will again be light, from the south.
Friday
As high pressure starts building in again, we’ll see rain chances start to tamp back down. Look for partly sunny skies and highs in the low 90s.
Saturday and Sunday
Expect mostly sunny conditions this weekend, with highs likely in the low- to mid-90s. Rain chances aren’t going away entirely, but we’re likely back down to a 10 or 20 percent chance, daily. Bottom line, it should be a hot, but not exceedingly hot July weekend. Conditions will be fairly typical for this time of year, actually.
Next week
Most of next week looks hot, with highs in the upper 90s to 100 degrees for much of the area, and mostly sunny skies. Rain chances will be very low, but perhaps not zero. The bottom line is that if you like your weather on the sane side of blazing hot, enjoy the next few days.
Your comment about twitter was unnecessarily hostile. Shame on you!!!
Katherine, honest question: what specific word or phrase do you feel was hostile regarding the current state of Twitter and why do you feel that way?
I agree, I don’t see anything hostile about the description of Twitter here. It’s an honest, and fair analysis of the state of Twitter and the direction it is heading.
Only if you’re blind or dumb or both. Musk’s policies crush honest, free, and open discussion and elevate racism, white nationalism, and radical death-cult evangelicalism. If you think the level of discourse there is going up, you’re part of the problem. Are you a racist, a white nationalist, or a radical death-cult evangelical?
Honest question: what specific word or phrase do you feel is hostile regarding the current state of Twitter, and why do you feel that way?
Not a specific phrase; more the tone. Passive aggressive. To answer your question in good faith, I provide examples:
“Twitter used to be an amazing place…” Implies it has deteriorated.
“steps have been taken to end the free dissemination of information, especially by National Weather Service accounts.” An enormous claim with no substantiation. What information specifically did Twitter block?
“The site has increasingly been gated and walled off, and is clearly evolving into something that will be not free and open and accessible to everyone.” OK, that sentence is highly critical. Not saying it’s incorrect. How would I know?
I am not even on Twitter because I hate politics and all that junk. Now I am disappointed to see it on Space City. Oh, well, I have found a radar app without commentary. Guess it’s going to be that app and looking out my window because this petty schoolyard snideness is just annoying.
I’m with you. Twitter has always been a hot mess. It’s got nothing to do with weather. I usually find this blog to be free of this. It’s disappointing to see SCW feel the need to make these opinions in a weather forecast. 👎🏼
Yep. I follow them on Twitter and see some of Matt’s political commentary that I disagree with often. But I choose to ignore it and continue to refer people to SCW all the time. I’m disappointed to see it here on this site.
You’re incapable of looking any of this up yourself? Twitter has been restricting NWS warning tweets for months. Two seconds of googling could have saved you from looking lazy and ignorant.
If you think this is “politics,” maybe go cry into your maga hat and wipe your pissboy tears with your thin blue line flag. THAT’s politics.
They’re just pointing out what’s changed at Twitter that is preventing them from continuing to provide good weather coverage as they have been doing.
It would be a disservice if they didn’t let us know.
I don’t know what you expect. Things are changing with one of the major platforms they use to cover weather (Twitter) and they’re letting people know and offering alternatives.
That’s not politics. It’s just common sense reporting.
I found it to be factual. He gave an honest appraisal, and an explanation should they decide to discontinue a Twitter. Nothing hostile at all.
I didn’t think it was hostile at all. I mean the site makes you pay just to have a verification checkmark and now you have to be logged in just to view tweets…
No it wasn’t. You’re an ass. Get your forecast at a fascist weather site. This one isn’t for you.
What is a fascist weather site?
Lighten up Frances.
I don’t think there was any hostility in it whatsoever. It was clear that these are facts and it’s clear that twitter has become problematic for many. They are just trying to find an alternative that works for them. Hostile is a very strong word and I’m curious as to how you came up with it.
I seem to see you on Twitter frequently, so not sure about that. Just wanted you to know. I also receive your emails.
Yay Mastadon! I went there and have never looked back. Twitter has indeed become completely walled off. I cannot even look at a single post anymore without it begging for me to create an account to view it’s content.
I just looked at Mastadon. Seems too confusing to me. Why can’t we just be our own HTX community here. SCW opens with a blog post daily and we stick to intelligent weather commentary. Sometimes good, sometimes bad as in Eric/Matt give us some hope! 😀. We can all learn and gain solace from the comments. Houston weather is annoying. Police ourselves for objectivity. No trolls like the opening comment here. Inflammatory use of “shame”? Is she kidding? PS it’d better rain today. Yesterday was a bust.
Oh I agree it’s better to stay ‘simple’ sometimes. Mastadon’s weakness is it isn’t as simple as other social media sites in terms of signing up. Once you get past that though, it’s a breeze to use.
The good news with Threads is that it runs off a federated interface so I, on Mastadon, should be able to see Threads if I wish straight from my Mastadon account if Threads goes federal. Right now I don’t think they will be at first. Just like I can see Lemmie and Kbin already from my Mastadon account. This photo describes it perfectly:
https://mastodonapp.uk/@ArtBear/110585353680501945
Yesterday wasn’t a “bust”. The PoPs were about 30-40%, which was probably about right. Quite a few areas, including where I live saw some heavy, albeit brief, showers yesterday. Looking at Doppler during that time showed a scattered, but aligned swath of pulse showers moving through the area. Some got it, most didn’t.
I meant “bust” in personal sense. Yes I knew widely scattered showers. Just unnerving to see them fade downtown. As I said weather here is just annoying. Have to be very careful on this site huh people always think critical
Too much noise and hype on that Twitter thing. I just stick with SCW on desktop since comments are low and slow (like any good brisket cooking method).
And, for the record, I didn’t find today’s report hostile in any way.
Twitter changes more often than our weather patterns.
Twitter has changed to where you have to have a free account in order to browse content. I wouldn’t call it “walled off”. I’m sure virtually every social media site mentioned requires some kind of an account, including Mastodon and Bluesky.
But they have also rate-limited it. You can only read 600 posts per day with a free account, now. The NWS just posted that they are no longer able to use the platform for things like weather spotting. And since Twitter also decides which posts you see via algorithm, that 600 will go by fast and uselessly.
Ok, now that is an intelligent comment that gives actual information and does not sound snide or hostile. I stay far away from Twitter, so I did not know that. This information should have been in the original article to avoid the hostile tone.
Yes, I was an editor before retiring.
Seriously who in their life should have the time to read more than 600 post? That falls into find something useful to do with your time.
No other social media network currently requires an account just to browse content. Twitter has been walled off since Saturday.
I didn’t take the twitter comment as hostile, but I have seen posts from one of the faces of SCW that are definitely political. For that reason I’m out. Really wish you guys could have kept it in the center but now days that seems impossible.
The content here is resolutely factual. It’s not their fault that one of the major political parties has incorporated “denying reality” into its platform.
Questioning the human impact on any climate change should be welcome and explored. Not just disregarded by agencies who have a financial interest in propagating a preferred theory.
A certain major political party that believes men can be women and have babies as well as women can add a unit on and be a man. Reality be damned. Assume that’s the platform referenced
It is welcome and it has been explored. The problem is that the scientific community of experts has settled on an evidence-supported conclusion, and the right disagrees with that conclusion and continues to present debunked studies, irrelevant information, distractions, and straight-up confabulations in an effort to get people to ignore reality.
Physician, heal thy self.
The scientific community with admitted modeling issues, bias, and assumptions. Climate change is real but the human impact is far from concrete. It is politically convenient though.
Both political parties have incorporated denying reality into their platform.
Me, too, Scott. Just the facts, just the facts. Too bad they couldn’t stick to facts. And predictions.
Everything Eric said is a fact. You’re welcome to add something useful to the conversation and try to debate or disprove it, instead of just being sad and calling things you don’t like “political,” but it sounds like you’re not capable. Maybe stick with readers digest and/or farmers almanac for your weather needs. Sounds like it’s more your speed.
I sure am glad it’s going to be cooler whew
And very glad to not have surprise 90+ mph heat-dome-edge-storm winds. That’s a new factor that I didn’t factor in.
Nice & quiet for now.
🌬☁️🌧🌦⛅🌤
Twitter has always been something that would be better off not existing, but I don’t see how the changes that have recently happened would affect SCW at all.
On the other hand, I dont use twitter, so I don’t really know. But I do know that people should not be so averse to reading political statements they don’t like. (regardless of whether this post was political).
You are absolutely right about Twitter. I joined right before the platform purchase so I have no concept how it was before. Glad you’re exploring alternatives and keep up the great work!
Can you explain more about the Why?
Why in the world would Twit restrain info to the public about The Weather‽
The National Weather Service is an Important Service! It’s THE WEATHER, for heck’s sake. It affects the Nation – All Of Us. And it is a Service!
It cares not about your politics, or even You, personally; just your Geography.
Human life, animals, food crops, and property can be saved. How can it be dis- , or mis – information?
Guess what? You can’t change or stop weather when it’s coming already.
Oops, there’s a tornado aiming at you … and you don’t Care??
Insanity Incarnate!
…Help! – I don’t understand…🤔
Please stop bringing your political agenda or things not pertaining to the direct forecast into these posts. I started reading y’all years ago because you stayed out of these kinds of things. Unfortunately, atleast one of y’all cannot seem to stay away from political issues. I have had to stop following this person as a result. Please get back to what made this site great and away from sensationalism and politics.
Agreed. Well stated.
Then go away. This is a weather site. That global warming exists is a belief held by both the sites authors. Maybe go get your weather information from a more maga-oriented source, one where where they tell you things people like you find more comfortable—like maybe immigrants cause hurricanes, but we can stop them if we all just drink enough miracle bleach or something.
If your definition of “political” includes “lives in the real world where climate change is happening and talks about it,” then your the one who has politicized the weather by insisting on dragging your your feels-over-facts safe space blanket with you out of your red hat bubble and into the real world with the rest of us. Sorry you’re having trouble coping.
Not a ‘red hat’ or ‘maga’ person. Simply stating that I am tired of both sides making everything political. Your rude comments insinuating who I am and what I believe is a sad attempt to silence me. Furthermore, it is quite hypocritical of you and the owners of this site to complain about Twitter ‘blocking content’ while not saying anything for years when Twitter was silencing opposition to your platform. Both sides are guilty of this behavior and me asking for others to stay apolitical so that attacks, such as yours to me and others in this comment section is a perfect example of why. Good day.
BoTh SiDeS
Your comments about Twitter made no sense. No one is being “walled off.” What does that even mean in practical terms? Do you have any evidence that somehow Twitter’s new management is keeping people from seeing weather reports? That seems like a bizarre claim – particularly as it is unsubstantiated. Also…it is the opposite of the “hype free” approach that your fans (myself included) love so much. Please…just don’t.
Non logged-in users can no longer see tweets. If you don’t have an account, like if you’re a casual reader, twitter has been walled off. This happened on Saturday.
It means people without an account cannot read tweets right now.
Twitter has for several months now been preventing a number of both national and regional National Weather Service accounts from tweeting out automated warnings about severe weather conditions, yes.
Googling this will provide you with mountains of substantiation.
Lee
This was an awesome point-by-point response to Daniel’s uninformed comment.
Some of y’all are really out there with the comments today.
1) if you want SCW content just follow SCW, not the authors
2) if you follow the authors you will get their personal opinions – on space, Rutgers basketball, parenting, Houston/Texas, and yes politics
3) I wasn’t aware talking about Twitter policy changes was now “political”. When did Elon get elected and how did I miss that?
If the SCW guys don’t like the changes that Twitter has implemented, they are free to deprioritize their use of that site or discontinue all together. You can always ask for a refund from them I’m sure for what you paid to access SCW today….
I don’t follow the authors personally. I just clicked to read about weather to decide whether I should plan on mowing my front yard. Then I was smacked with griping about Twitter being a meanie. I don’t care about Twitter. Or the authors or their politics. So I said so.
Just need to know whether to mow today. What a dysfunctional society.
I don’t care about your yard or YOUR politics, which you have decided to shove in everyone’s faces. So I said so.
Good Lord.
If you don’t care about Twitter, why did you feel the need to insult the author of the site? I assume it’s because the owner of Twitter is an alt-right hero. Why so triggered?
First, I did not see anything particularly political on today’s post or comments and replies, but maybe the material was edited out by the time I came online. Second, I am amazed how many people will cancel themselves, because they disagree with someone.
I sincerely hope SpaceCity weather doesn’t start getting political. The Twitter commentary (which was rather vague), accurate or not demonstrates a political awareness on this site that I find unwelcome. My expectations were that the site would be politically agnostic. I guess I was wrong. It’s a shame really, to sully yourselves in this way with Political Hype. I thought you were different.
Please explain how them noting that they won’t be able to use a platform as much as they used to because of changes made to that platform is “political.”
…I might also add that if I wanted political innuendo mixed with my weather, the Weather Underground and Dr. Masters is an awesome place to get the two mixed together. The appeal of SCW was to get away from that crowd.
All social media – yes I mean Twitter, FB, Instagram, and all other mind numbing crap, is just that, crap. Social media is the most destructive force in the world and I would prefer if this site and all others would confine itself to disseminate it’s information on it’s site and not feel it has to open the dam gates of disinformation and screwed opinions to do so
Agreed. We’ve all seen hints of his political leaning on here before, but I’ve always just brushed it off because the weather content’s so good. But this twitter thing is annoying because he’s clearly picking a side. It was fine when twitter censored conservatives and alternative viewpoints (just look at the Twitter files released). Elon was loved by liberals before the pandemic, heck Eric even wrote a book praising him and Space-X. But the moment he purchased twitter and stopped the censoring, especially for all things pandemic related and of course for allowing you know who back, he became the new boogeyman basically for NOT censoring, because ya know, “misinformation” would be spread.
BoTh SiDeS
It is entirely possible to approve of what Musk has done with Space-X and disapprove of how he runs Twitter.
The only kinds of things that are a good reason to boycott a weather site are moral issues. Not scientific disagreement or advocacy; e.g. positions on global warming, misinformation, vaccines, etc. I.e. if he mentions Pride marches again in anything but a negative light, as he did several weeks ago, that might be a good reason to boycott.
PS. Musk is and always was a horribly misguided guy. As is anyone who is as into technological progress (or any modern form of “progress”) as he is.
Come on over to Mastodon 🦣.
There may be a way to post to bluesky simultaneously (and other sites too). No need to do Threads which will collect too much of our data, like Facebook.
That final it’s should read its, 🙂
I agree with many others above: avoiding the subtle political commentary would be appreciated.
What “subtle political commentary?” Twitter is a private business that provides certain business services. For SCW and the NWS, that service is timely communication with stakeholders.
If a business is no longer providing adequate services to its customers, it’s absolutely normal for the customers to find other service providers. Twitter has changed its service offerings rather substantially in the last year—this is a fact and not in dispute. Their services no longer meet SCW’s needs and so SCW is switching to another service provider who can.
I’m in favor of adding Mastodon to the list of social media sites SCW uses. That said, I will probably mostly just go straight to the webpage just because I don’t do a lot of social media of any kind.
I agree with and am in favor of RAIN. It’s out there but keeps dissipating inside the loop
I’m so happy to live in my own bubble – I don’t have social media, don’t watch ANY news, don’t have kids, and am holed up in my office too much to really talk to people at work. You all got worked up over 3 sentences about Twitter that doesn’t matter in the scheme of things. Who cares, I’m here for the weather and how it impacts my day and when I need to water my shrubs or cut my lawn.
And I thought posts about climate change riled up people here… whoa man. Also people seem to forget everyone who comments on any site bring their beliefs with them as well.
Would you want this site to turn off comments completely?
One comment about issues experienced on a website lately (Twitter in this case), and already the tantrums are starting. Sheesh.
Space City Weather,
Hype-free forecasts for Houston?
You had to know you were stirring the pot.
It might be better to stick to the weather and save the drama for FB and Twitter.
Penni
What drama? All they mentioned was specific issues that have come to Twitter lately due to website changes, especially notable with the NWS updates.
Facts:
SCW used Twitter to share information quickly at no cost to their readers . Starting this past Saturday, Twitter changed its user policies so that it was difficult or impossible for a lot of SCW readers to use the platform.
The National Weather Service used to use Twitter for the same purpose, until the company changed its corporate policies in a way that made it hard for the NWS to use the platform. The SCW teams rely on NWS data as part of their forecasting, so this affects them too (not just their readers).
As a result of #1 and #2, the people who run SCW have decided that the business services Twitter offers no longer fits the needs of SCW or their readership, so they are going to stop using Twitter’s services
As a courtesy to their readership and to avoid confusion, the SCW team informed readers that they are switching business service providers to providers/platforms that will meet their needs and the needs of their readers.
What about any of this is pot-stirring? And why do you describe what is obviously a straightforward business decision as drama?
There is blob of storms sitting out over the Southern Gulf of Mexico. I dont beelive it is anything at this point but maybe it will develop? I didnt see any mention of it here so I am guessing it is of no concern.
Too much shear and dust, which would impede development. No worries for this week 😀
(& hopefully the next 😉)
Twitter has now been politicized. So any opinions about it, from the point of view of its current champions, must necessarily be viewed as political commentary. Much ado about nothing from my point of view.
It has /now/ been politicized? What did you think it was before, when only leftists could get verified, when any conservative view was suppressed by the ‘truth and safety’ administration at Twitter, when facts were called misinformation and conspiracy theories, and later turned out to be true or at least truer-than-not?
Yes, Twitter has gone /so/ downhill! Skeptics and heathens are allowed to speak their mind on there without being shadow banned, suppressed, or having their account suspended! It’s awful! People we hate and want to censor are now able to express their forbidden views, and we just can’t have that. It’s unconscionable to allow all members of a society to say what they think, because if you allow that, then you’ll hear some things you disagree with or find offensive! Mercy! What if someone questions something we believe in fervently, with all our hearts? I’m crying just /thinking/ about it! Terrible! The humanity!!! Won’t someone please think of the children!?!? AGHH! RUN!! Hide!!!
Twitter has always had its issues, and it has now changed for the worse. Vital weather information that used to be available to anyone online is now restricted. That’s not politics, that’s objective fact. It’s not surprising when you purge so many people who are needed to keep things running. Online forums without adequate moderation devolve into chaos, hate, and garbage. Also objective fact.
Totally understand your social media comments. I’d like to encourage you include Mastodon if you’re branching out. It’s where a lot of people who have fled Twitter have gone.
Meanwhile, I like the app and will keep following. Thanks for everything.
I have been a SCW reader for years when Eric was from the Chronicle, and I can not guessed if the writers are liberal or conservative from all these years of reading their posts (as I am here for weather). In fact, I don’t even notice or care who is writing it. I am here for an in-depth analysis of weather (as I am sorta geek and like to hear every details)
I did not feel the writer is making a political statement. As I was reading the post, I though it was rather a business decision than a political notation (until I saw the comments as some suggest). I would think if SCW wanted to make a political statement, they would have left Twitter long ago when Musk took over. In fact, they have stayed until the recently raised issues. I assume what they meant is they MIGHT leave Twitter if/when Twitter might start charging $ on business accounts…but again, this is just my own assumption after reading the article. I don’t think there is a lucrative $ opportunity by running a weather website. Therefore, keeping the cost down is a must for business practice as I used to a business owner.
It is unfortunate we live in a hostile environment where almost everything could turn into a political argument. Word like “hot” or “Twitter” could make people boiled. Maybe there is a political statement, or maybe not…Maybe we should give others a benefit of doubt just to keep the temperature down, no?
I have never left any comments ever in this site, and I want to use this opportunity thank them for providing great info, especially when there were extreme weather such as hurricanes, winter storms, and power grid outage. These guys have written great information and kept us updated, days in and days out. Sometimes they wrote their posts in late nights or VERY early morning as to keep us updated when they had their own personal issues to deal with. For that, I want to thank them, and I am willing to overlook and accept whatever their political views are even there were differences.
Of course we live in a hostile environment and of course every statement is taken as an attack. Of course, because the culture is grievously ill, and everyone disagrees about the anthropological, philosophical, and religious foundations of their worldview and life. One person’s statement will likely be a challenge to the very foundations of another’s way of life. Both parties are helping to destroy the culture in the name of progress and freedom. I’m afraid there is not much use in trying to just “get along,” for when there is no common moral and religious foundation of society, you will not be able to stay on the nice side of everyone no matter what you say.
Twitter changing the rules on the fly makes it an unstable media platform. That’s it. That’s the not-a-tweet.
Maybe the author was being a bit vague about twitter by not outline what’s going on, but you would think some readers can just google (or any other engine of your choosing, duckduckgo for example) it and see what just happened recently.
In the beginning when this new policy begun:
-You can’t read people posts unless you have an account and log in.
-You have a quota of 6000 tweets read per day for PAID account
-You have a quota of 600 posts read per day for free account / if you create new account it is only half at 300
On the same day, they said it would now be 400/800/8000 and then 500/1000/10000, who know what number it is right now or if it is even true since there is no counter.
And the way the site loads, if you click on a tweet to read and then scroll to see some of all of the posts, it would count all of them and you basically run into max limit super fast
All of these things have been FREE before this. That is why people are leaving the site, it’s that simple.
I’m amazed some people bother to comment before doing a simple search to see what’s going on, which is quite ironic because you know some of these people love to “do their own research” for pretty much about anything.
And yes, that last one is a snide remark.
You didn’t have to go there. A simple notification would do. You just had an ax to grind. Well…bye!
“bye” indeed. That’s what everyone does nowadays. In all circumstances. Walks away. That’s why we are where we are as a society.