A few days ago we anticipated that the worst of the rains would hit Houston this weekend. However, that no longer is likely to be the case as the biggest threat has begun to shift east of the Houston metro area over Louisiana. Nevertheless, we are going to maintain our Stage 1 flood alert through Sunday, as it will still be possible for localized areas to see heavy rainfall and some brief street flooding this weekend. But to be clear, most of the Houston region will not experience this.
Friday offers a case in point. Whereas most of Houston saw a few drops or perhaps one-tenth of an inch of rain, communities such as Bacliff, San Leon, and Kemah right along the west side of Galveston Bay saw 6 inches or more, which quickly flooded streets and even a few homes. There is the potential for this kind of isolated storm again today. It’s the classic Houston situation, you know? Some areas will see sunshine and dry roads, and a few miles away storms may be training.
The bottom line is that you should keep an umbrella handy this weekend. Rain chances are fairly high across the region, although we expect most of you to receive 1 inch or less through Sunday. We’re increasingly confident the heavy rainfall threat will end by Sunday evening, after which we’ll transition to a more summer-like pattern. Unless this forecast changes dramatically, we’ll see you on Monday morning.
I spent an early June in the late 90s running emergency operations for a state agency where flooding was a significant issue. The problem? A “cut off low” that was “meandering” around Central Texas. Multiple inches of rain in a few days. It’s one of the reasons there’s often a “Memorial Day Flood” in most local history books…it seems to happen this time of year and, yes, they are incredibly difficult to forecast since nothing is really moving them.
Hope that high pressure system eventually builds in. I’m not in favor of drought, but am in favor of letting this dry out. The mosquitoes are getting big enough, I’m worried they’ll carry off my dog!
I really like the app. It is fantastic! I like the radar and the link to the local NWS discussion allows me to get quick updates as the weather changes. I would ask that you consider adding a satellite picture as well. Also, it would be convenient if you can add links to the radar and NWS discussions to your web page as well. Thanks!
The app is fantastic! A small suggestion. In the app we cannot see the comments section, and that is ok and understandable. But if possible, please add a link to the web page so we can access the comments on our phone.