Summer—steamy, humid, and hot—is finally here. Houston certainly enjoyed a nice reprieve last week, as Bush Intercontinental Airport recorded a streak of four mornings (Thursday through Sunday) of low temperatures ranging from 67 to 69 degrees. The monthly average temperature so far is about 2 degrees below normal.
But by Sunday afternoon it “felt” like summer outside, and that’s how conditions will remain for about the next three months, and of course we’re only going to get warmer as we get deeper into July and August.
Today
After several mostly sunny days, clouds will return to the forecast area today, and this will herald a pretty decent chance of rain. Moisture levels are higher to the east of Houston, so rain chances will be considerably higher to the east of Interstate 45 than to the west. So look for scattered showers for the eastern half of Houston, and fairly isolated showers to the west. Accumulations for the most part will be low, perhaps a tenth of an inch of rain or two. Highs today should be around 90 degrees, with muggy overnight lows in the upper 70s.
Tuesday
A similar day to Monday, although with a bit less moisture I’d expect a bit less rainfall coverage for the area. Humidity levels remain very high, with temperatures around 90 degrees and lows in the upper 70s.
Wednesday through Friday
Moisture levels will fall off some, which will leave us in a summer-like pattern for the region. This means partly to mostly sunny skies, with a slight chance of afternoon showers as the sea breeze moves in. Look for highs in the low 90s, and overnight low temperatures in the mid-70s.
Saturday and Sunday
Moisture levels don’t look particularly high, but the upper-level pattern suggests that some storms may be possible. For now I’d feel comfortable saying there’s a 20 to 30 percent chance of storms for Houston, but most likely we’re going to see warm, partly sunny days.
Tropical note
We’re now about a dozen days into the Atlantic hurricane season. So far conditions have been calm, but forecast models are hinting at some development in the Caribbean Sea this weekend that may eventually move into the Gulf of Mexico. I say this not to alarm you, but because some people may share forecasts about this system that show something developing near Texas. I’m not ruling that out, but there are quite a few factors weighing against this happening right now, so I wouldn’t be overly concerned. We’ll watch it and let you know if there’s anything that matters.
Posted at 6:55am CT on Monday by Eric