As drought returns to Houston area, some relief may be on the horizon

[WeatherBot]

Originally published at: As drought returns to Houston area, some relief may be on the horizon – Space City Weather

In brief: In today’s post we check in on the drought status in the Houston region (it’s baaack) and look ahead to next week when the region may see some meaningful relief. Also, are we just about done with highs in the upper 90s? Please?

Drought is back?

Houston has seen its precipitation fortunes wax and wane this summer, with June and most of July bringing widespread showers into the region before very dry conditions across most of the region in August. Much of the area has seen some relief this month (some areas near Sugar Land picked up more than an inch of rain on an otherwise hot and sunny day yesterday), but not everyone.

If we check the US Drought Monitor this week, we can see that some areas near Houston, particularly to the southeast including Clear Lake and all of Galveston county, have slid back into a moderate drought. I don’t expect much relief through the weekend. But what about after that?

There is an increasingly strong signal in the models showing that high pressure will ease away from our region, allowing for atmospheric moisture levels to increase and bring a healthy chance of rainfall into the region. We are still about a week out, but right now it does appear as though the Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday period of next week will bring a decent shot of rainfall, with the potential for a few inches. We’ll be keeping a close eye on things.

Tuesday and Wednesday

These will be sunny days, with uncharacteristically hot weather in the mid- to upper 90s for most of the region. We could possibly see some scattered to isolated showers and thunderstorms, like the region experienced on Monday, during the afternoon hours with daytime heating. But most of us will probably just see sunshine. Humidity remains high, with warm and sultry nights. Winds will be light, from the east-northeast.

Thursday and Friday

Some slightly drier air will start to arrive later on Thursday. This will not have much impact on daytime temperatures, with highs on both days likely in the mid-90s. However, it should lead to some slightly cooler nights, with lows in the low- to mid-70s and modestly lower humidity. The most noticeable time will be Friday morning. The effect will be subtle, but there. Skies will be sunny, with rain chances near zero.

Saturday and Sunday

The weekend will be sunny and hot, with highs in the low- to mid-90s for much of Houston. If you have outdoor plans this weekend there should be nothing to worry about except for the heat.

Next week

Monday should bring more of the same before we see high pressure move off, as discussed above. Right now the models are pointing toward Wednesday as having the best chance of rainfall, but it’s difficult to have any precision from this far out. As for temperatures, increased cloud cover and rain should take some of the heat out of daytime highs, possibly pushing us down into the 80s. The pattern will also open up the possibility of a real fall front moving into the region, but as of now I wouldn’t want to try to put a firm date on things. But I do feel pretty confident in saying that we should be done with this mid- to upper-90s malaise that has characterized much of September.

[Blackhawks_Fan]

The drought is definitely back, in the past five weeks or so I have had 1/8" or less twice. And on the first day of fall, it’s still in the upper 90s! This is ridiculous!

I’m convinced it’s never going to rain or get cool here again.

[Weather]

The heat will continue until morale improves

[Humidity-Connoisseur]

Don’t be so dramatic. Weather changes. Hot, cold, wet, dry, windy, calm.

[rflores23]

with a high of 99 degrees today, i am going to punch anyone who says happy fall.

Anyways, my idea of a fall front is highs in the upper 70s or low 80s when mornings in the high 50s. Looking through the first week of october, there is no sign of a cold front.

[Blackhawks_Fan]

Not around here, unless we get hit by a hurricane

[Joseph]

Today is what I like to call the fall weakinox.

[Shelby]

Good day, fellow weather nerds.

Well, I have given up on my rain gauge. That is my straight sided cement bucket installed May 19. I did not make it accurate to the nearest 1/8”. That level of gradation seemed at the time silly to me. I have had just a few instances of rain being in there, worthy of recording a picture, the last on August 18. I’ve stopped watching my radar too. Like a tea pot of water on the stove. When will it boil? So frustrating! I don’t need that.

For those who post their rain gauges, there is a special place in my mind for you. You, who lack some ordinary pathos in a rain drought. I reserve my comics and emojis for you.

I share BH’s sentiment. Maybe he - I assume ‘he’ because few women would be a Chicago hockey fan, right? - grows grass and summer annuals. Both are looking very sad, or worse, gone. The window of growing season closes soon. Late summer is not always hot and dry here but when it is, one does not well remember when it wasn’t. So it seems like it always is.

I do appreciate SCW and Reliant and Lee making a good place to air our weather complaints. Thank you.

[richbeat]

@rflores23 Yep, 50’s-70’s for me. I’m not going to do any serious yard work(other than edging) until then.

[richbeat]

@Blackhawks_Fan NOW NOW!

[Joseph]

These are the happening rain gauges in our region right now.

[TXMs]

Same here - Oak Forest umbrella (over my block) open since mid-July. August 1 5/8" total for 3 days here and there); September so far - 3/8". Water bill tripled - watering only one 20’ flower bed.

[richbeat]