Nearly two weeks ago, we predicted that the “rest of January” would feel rather winter-like for Houston. Since that time, with one exception, nighttime temperatures have been in the 30s and 40s. Now, it’s safe to say the rest of this month will remain on the colder side of things. This week will see high temperatures generally in the 50s, with lows in the 30s and 40s.
Monday
The story for today will be widespread rain showers due to the proximity of a low pressure system near the coast. During summer time, such a system would have greater atmospheric moisture levels to work with, so we’d be more concerned about heavy rainfall. In this case, however, most areas will likely pick up 0.5 to 1.0 inch of rain as light to moderate showers ebb and flow across the region. Coastal areas could see a bit more than this, but we’re really not expecting anything too extreme. With leaden skies, high temperatures today should peak in the mid-50s, before dropping into the upper 40s tonight.
Tuesday
Rains should end on Monday evening as the system pushes off to the east, and this will help to pull in a surge of cooler and drier air on Tuesday. Temperatures should reach about 60 degrees in Houston on Tuesday, with partly to mostly cloudy skies and northerly winds, before lows Tuesday night drop to around 40 degrees.
Wednesday and Thursday
These should be a pair of partly to mostly sunny days, with highs in the mid-50s and overnight lows dropping into the low 40s.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Another front should arrive on Thursday night, possibly bringing some more light rain into the area. This front will help keep temperatures on the cool and sunny side for most of this weekend, with highs in the 50s on Friday and Saturday, and perhaps the mid-60s on Sunday. It looks like Saturday morning will bring the coldest temperatures this week, with a light freeze possible for much of the area.
This time there likely will be no front to end the warming trend, so temperatures should jump up into the 60s or perhaps lower 70s by Monday, and we may also see an increase in rain chances later on Sunday and into Monday, but the details of all this will remain fuzzy for now.
The bottom line is that as the calendar turns toward the end of January, we’re really into the depths of winter for Houston now, and weather this week with consistently “cold” days is going to feel like it for our southern region. Enjoy or disapprove at your discretion!
I say – with great hesitancy given past events – we need the rain.
Don’t blame me if we get 20″ today.
I will definitely enjoy. The overly oppressive heat and humidity more than get their fair share of time down here…
I’m hoping that the extended burst of cooler weather will suppress the mosquito population. Other than that, this is a fine time to make lots of herbal tea.
won’t happen. Even the horrible freeze we had last year didn’t do anything to help the fleas or mosquitos!!!
Did anyone note the Sunrise yesterday? A massive dark red sunrise….like nothing I have noted before.
Red Sky in the morning. I looked for any weather requiring such a warning, but nothing 😉 Lovely weather.
Only 55 more days until spring. Fortunately, this is normal “winter” so no deep freeze, and no ice or snow, just chilly weather. It is good herbal tea or hot chocolate weather, also good for baking.
In my 15 years in Houston we typically only have a couple weeks of true winter temps, then it shifts east in Feb and the slow warmup towards brutal summer begins with just a few cold snaps here and there. Feb of last year was an exception.
Any sense of what next week looks like for lows after we get past the possible light freeze Saturday? Looking for a window to start putting a few dozen plants (and the lizards that rode in with them 😉) back outside. Thanks!
Since you already have the plants I suggest waiting another week. As for new plants, this all depends on the garden shops getting new supplies in – maybe middle of February for that to happen?
Thanks! All mature, some decades-old, brought inside so as not to freeze. No newbies.