Houston gets one last warm Thursday before the next cold front hits
Get ready for another round of weather in Houston over the next 24 hours. A cold front is expected to move through Southeast Texas on Friday, ushering in cooler weather and the potential for beneficial rain.
Ahead of the front, despite clouds and scattered rain chances, temperatures on Thursday are expected to rise into the lower 80s. Could Thursday be the last day it’s 80 degrees in Houston?
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What is the forecast for Thursday?
The temperature at Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston’s official climate watch site, reached 87 degrees on Tuesday, two degrees away from the record daily temperature set on Nov. 7.
Houston will be even colder than that on Thursday, with expected maximum temperatures ranging from 81 to 83 degrees, depending on cloud cover and precipitation development. After Thursday, daytime temperatures will drop into the 60s through early next week. The forecast is for the next week to 10 80-free days, but that doesn’t mean Houston is done with the 80s. Since reliable record keeping began in Houston in the late 1800s, the average date of the last 80 degree day has been December 2.
Rain disrupts flights on Friday
Rain chances arrive in Houston by Thursday afternoon, with dry weather remaining in most areas into the morning. Although there is a chance of rain in the afternoon, precipitation should be light on the move Thursday evening. As a cold front moves in overnight Thursday into Friday, more widespread and heavier rain is expected across Southeast Texas.
This map shows what the radar could look like on Friday evening. Several showers and thunderstorms are possible, especially near and south of Houston.
WeatherbellWidespread rain will likely disrupt your Friday morning commute, so plan to leave early to get to work or school. From North Houston to South Houston, a slow-moving cold front will provide a rainy and cool day on Friday. Some models indicate that precipitation will become less numerous by midday Friday before a second round of rain arrives Friday night.
However, this period will also have the greatest chance of some pockets drying out. The cold front is expected to stall just off the upper Texas Gulf Coast, with several ripples of energy expected to occur along the quasi-stationary front over the weekend.
Cold and wet weekend
Earlier this week we had some uncertainty about the weather this weekend. But the latest forecast data has more certainty. Numerous rainfall is expected during Saturday, especially before 8 p.m., and rainfall rates may become heavy at times, especially in the event of heavy rainfall associated with thunderstorms.
A coastal system of low pressure is expected to develop through Saturday before eventually pushing eastward overnight into Sunday. As this feature moves farther into the Gulf of Mexico, rain chances will begin to ease from Houston northward by Sunday. This doesn’t necessarily mean it will be a completely dry Sunday from Conroe to Huntsville, but it does mean more dry than wet.
The coastal areas will be closer to the exit area of the low and the stalled front, leading to increased chances of rain until Sunday.
Shown here are the cumulative rainfall totals expected through next Monday. Widespread rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are likely across Southeast Texas, though higher amounts are possible along the coast.
Weather Prediction Center/Weather PivotalRainfall totals over the weekend will range from 1 to 3 inches across much of Southeast Texas, with higher amounts possible along the coast. Many locations are still experiencing a cumulative annual precipitation deficit of at least six inches after a particularly dry summer this year, so this will go a long way to helping us catch up.
Southeast Texas will find itself on the cold side of the front, meaning highs through early next week will likely only be in the 60s. Nighttime temperatures will only be in the 50s over the weekend, meaning cold rain is expected for night owls.
