In brief: We rate today as one of the 10-best weather days in Houston this year, combining low humidity, moderate temperatures, and clear skies. Please enjoy. We’ll warm up for the rest of the week, with likely rain showers on Friday, and uncertain conditions this weekend.
A top 10 day
Opinions on the best kind of weather in Houston vary: some like it a hotter, some cooler; some people enjoy sunshine, others are in the mood for a cloudier day. But in my opinion, the best weather comes when we have clear-ish skies, low humidity, light winds, and temperatures in the mid-70s. Today will be one of those days, one of the 10 best weather days of the year. We are going to fall into that combination of ideal conditions for a few hours this afternoon, just before the onshore flow really gets pumping. It’s going to feel beautiful outside, and part of that beauty for me is knowing that it won’t last. A warmer and much more humid spell begins later this week and it will persist at least into the middle of next week. So as ever in Houston, perfection in our weather is fleeting.
Tuesday
We are starting today with chilly conditions, with low- to mid-50s in Houston and cooler temperatures further inland, but we are going to warm up nicely this afternoon. Highs will vary from the mid- to upper-70s with mostly sunny skies. Winds today will be from the northeast, at 5 to 10 mph, and gradually shift throughout the day to come from the southeast. Low temperatures tonight will fall to around 60 degrees in Houston, with slightly cooler conditions further inland, and a bit warmer closer to the coast.
Wednesday and Thursday
Both of these days should see high temperatures in the vicinity of 80 degrees. Wednesday will start out with somewhat low humidity levels, but these will be on the increase throughout the day. Similarly, with sky cover, we’ll see partly to mostly sunny skies on Wednesday transitioning to partly to mostly cloudy skies on Thursday. Both days will carry a low-end chance for rain showers, perhaps 10 or 20 percent, and I would not expect much in the way of accumulations.
Friday
From Friday onward, at least through Wednesday or so of next week, I would not expect much change in our temperatures. Daily highs will be in the vicinity of 80 degrees to the mid-80s, with overnight lows only reaching 70 degrees. The air will feel fairly humid, but below what we experience during the summer in Houston. Skies will be partly to mostly cloudy. So that leaves the question of rain. Will it? The answer for Friday is, very likely yes. I think a majority of Houston will at least see some sprinkles, with a fair bit of the city seeing showers. We also cannot rule out some thunderstorms but right now that is not a major concern. I think accumulations will be greater to the southwest of Houston, in places like Fort Bend and Southern Brazoria County, but we’ll see. Most of us will probably see tenths of inches of rain rather than inches.
Saturday and Sunday
The weather for this weekend remains uncertain. If we take an “average” forecast from the various models we probably are looking at a pair of partly sunny days with highs in the low 80s, and a fair amount of humidity. Each day, in this scenario, would have about a 30 percent chance of light showers. But there will be plenty of atmospheric moisture to play with, and while my base case is for a mostly rain free weekend, there is the possibility of more widespread showers, especially on Saturday. This is something we’re going to have to continue to watch and see.
Next week
Our warm and fairly humid weather continues next week. The first chance of a front, and I wouldn’t rate it very highly, does not arrive until Wednesday or Thursday at the earliest. So for the most part we’re looking at partly to mostly cloudy days, with humidity, and highs in the low-80s-ish. I think we’ll see daily rain chances in the 20 to 30 percent range, but I don’t feel particularly confident in that. Bottom line: If you like clear, cooler, and lower humidity conditions, today is the day for you.
