The first half of Christmas week will stuff your stocking with sunshine

Good morning—and for most of you its quite the cold one. Temperatures have fallen to freezing, or below, for most of the region except for the coast and the central Houston urban core (click the map below for details). Outlying areas such as Conroe, Cleveland, and Dayton have recorded temperatures in the upper 20s this morning. This should be the last of the really cold nights for awhile.

Thursday

Winds are generally calm this morning, and as high pressure moves off, this will open the region to a more easterly flow. This somewhat more moist flow should allow for the development of some clouds later today, and especially tonight. Highs today should reach about 60 degrees, give or take, with light easterly winds. As clouds build overnight, lows should only fall into the mid-40s

Friday

The forecast for the first part of the weekend has changed somewhat. As atmospheric moisture levels rise, and an upper-level system in the atmosphere provides the impetus for rising air, we’re going to see some decent rain chances. However, most of the region will probably stay dry throughout the day Friday—the best rain chances appear to be west of Harris County. Expect cloudy skies, and a high of around 60 degrees. Scattered, light rain should gradually spread into the greater Houston region during the overnight hours, into Saturday morning.

Saturday

None of the forecast models are particularly bullish about rainfall in the metro region, keeping the heavier totals (one-half inch, or greater) well to the southwest of Houston, nearer to Matagorda Bay. Your best bet in Houston is to be prepared for the possibility of light rain through about noon on Saturday, but not necessarily to expect it. We had expected skies to clear out on Saturday afternoon, but now the most likely scenario is partly to mostly cloudy skies prevail throughout the day, with cool temperatures in the 50s. Lows Saturday night will drop down to around 40 degrees.

Sunday

The first day of Hanukkah still looks exceptional, with sunny skies, light northerly winds, and highs in the low 60s. Sunday night will be a tad warmer, with lows in the mid-40s perhaps.

Next week

We’ll see a progression of warmer temperatures throughout the first half of next week, beginning with highs in the low 60s on Monday, and warming to the low 70s on Christmas Day. The air will be somewhat dry, and with sunny skies and cool nights these should be quite pleasant days. While it won’t be Christmas-cold, the days leading into, and through the holiday will be rain free.

Better rain chances return by Thursday and Friday of next week, along with humidity, so we probably can expect daytime highs in the 70s until Sunday or so, when some kind of front probably pushes through.

Galaxy Lights

Just a reminder here from Reliant that if you’re looking to get the kids into the festive spirit after the release from school this week, Galaxy Lights at Space Center Houston offers a fun option (read our review here). When weather is cool and clear as it will be for most of the week leading up to Christmas, you can enjoy the outdoor light experience to the fullest.