Finally, Drying Out!

After several soggy days, skies will finally begin to clear and a surge of cooler air is poised to moved in by Wednesday. Shown above is the expected morning low temperatures across the region. 

High pressure moving in behind the front will last for several days and so will a dry and mild air mass. Eventually the high will drift eastward and by late Saturday, onshore winds will return. That will signal the return of typical humidity, but rain should hold off until the early part of next week. 

Storm Threat Later Today

The Norman Number for Wednesday April 22 in Houston is 7. Increasing clouds this afternoon with scattered storms before rush hour. Breezy and warm with highs near 80. Happy Earth Day, by the way!

We've enjoyed a few nice spring days; now storms return to the forecast. A vigorous area of low pressure developing east of the Rockies will spawn strong thunderstorms across the Red River Valley later today and into the overnight hours. 

The Storm Prediction Center shows that area as having the highest chance for storms that could produce damaging wind, large hail and isolated tornadoes:

Southeast Texas falls into the slight risk category due to the fact that storms that may also become severe, but more scattered in nature. Southeast winds will pump moisture into the region and the combination of a sagging front and short wave of upper-level energy may provide enough lift for storms.

The best timeframe for seeing any rough weather will likely be during the afternoon, especially west of I-45. Then storms that form will move eastward through the afternoon and early evening hours. 

A larger storm threat looms for later in the week; more details as that forecast becomes clearer.

Finally - A Break

Today's Norman Number in Houston is 8, as the sun returns and the memories of weekend storms that brought high wind and hail quickly fades. For a while, parts of eastern Harris and Liberty counties were under the threat of a possible tornado, but nothing has been confirmed as of this writing.

The week begins on a more pleasant note as high pressure moves in behind the front that sparked the stormy weather. North and northeast winds deliver some refreshing dry air and clear skies for at least one day. As the high shifts to the east Tuesday, we'll see a return of southeast winds which brings back the clouds.

The next chance for rain is Wednesday, although stormy weather like we saw over the weekend isn't likely.

Yep, You Guessed It - More Rain

Sure was nice to see the sun return today! Too bad it won't last. The next round of rain moving in might rival the soaking that started the week. So, once again, watch out for ponding on roadways or worse as the drops fall. 

Current model trends indicate that the rain should begin during the early part of the day Thursday and continue on and off through the afternoon. The picture above depicts the weather at 7 pm CDT - all that green is rain. And it doesn't stop there; more of the wet stuff moves in Friday as well.

Southerly winds surge ahead of an approaching cold front linked to a cold front emerging from the Rockies. See those blue splotches in the Colorado? Yes - that's snow and yes, it is the middle of April!

Sun Goes AWOL

It might be a while before the sun returns to Southeast Texas. After a weekend of rain, there is more on the way. A series of cold fronts will sweep across the state this week, leading to more periods of rain. So, if you've some gardening recently, you want need to run the hose of sprinkler. If things time out correctly, the wet weather moves out by the weekend and the sun returns to dry us out a bit.

These fronts won't bring in cold air after they pass either. Each one is proceeded by a moist southerly flow pumping in Gulf moisture into the region. As each front approaches, it adds the lift needed to produce showers and some thunderstorms. Once the fronts move through, those southerly winds quickly return along with morning fog.

Already saturated grounds lead to localized flood concerns if any of the rain episodes sets up in "training" patterns. That will have to be monitored through the week. So, grab the umbrella and prepare to wear out the windshield wipers.

Storms On The Horizon

Enjoying the balmy warm weather the past few days? Get set for a brief change. A vigorous cold front slicing through the middle of country arrives along the upper Texas coast Friday during the early part of the day. It will likely touch off a few showers and possibly a strong thunderstorm as it arrives. However, anything we see won't be nearly as dangerous as what will occur in the Central Plains and Ohio and Tennessee Valleys Thursday and Thursday night. Here is the latest severe weather outlook from the Storm Prediction Center for that time:

The front struggles to push off the coast late Friday, nevertheless, there will be a slight drop in humidity and temperature. By Saturday morning, we'll wake to upper 50s and low 60s:

It is possible that with lingering cloud cover, highs may not get out of the upper 60s. However, that break from the warm weather is short-lived. Sundays highs are back in the 80s. Stay tuned for any changes in the severe weather threat for Friday.

Warm Days Ahead

After a murky Easter, the week ahead looks warm. Above is the projection for temperatures indicating low 80s for the early part of this week. 

Sunday's lingering clouds, fog and occasional drizzle developed along a warm front. This week, that front lifts northeastward leaving in its wake southerly winds that will push the mercury higher along with increasing the humidity. That could lead to a return of morning fog for several mornings this week, but it should lift quickly, leading to a mix of sun and clouds during the afternoon.

The next real chance for rain and possibly some storms doesn't return until the end of the week. A strong cold front develops across the southern Plains and arrives along the upper Texas coast by Friday. That could temporarily cool things off by next weekend.

Changes Move In This Weekend

A cold front will put an end to our string of warm, spring-like days. The front moves in late Friday night bringing with it a few showers and possible some thunderstorms. However, severe weather isn't very likely. The front fizzles, instead of clearing the upper Texas coast, leading to lingering cloud cover and periods of light rain this Easter weekend.

Temperatures will drop a bit after the front moves by late Friday night. Highs Saturday should be in the upper 60s with a steady east breeze. By Easter Sunday, the mid 80s return, despite the cloud cover.