HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A real fall front is on the way to Houston, but before it arrives, we’ve got several opportunities for showers and thunderstorms in the days ahead. With another round of torrential rain on the way for parts of the area, we’ve designated Wednesday as an Weather Alert Day.
A Flood Watch is now in effect until 10 p.m. for Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Matagorda, and Wharton Counties.
Tropical moisture continues to flow in from the Gulf of Mexico, and the weak steering currents are creating slow-moving thunderstorms that are training over the same locations. Some communities have already picked up 6 inches of rain south of Houston, and an additional 2 to 6 inches of rain are possible on Wednesday. The latest data suggests some of the heaviest rain may fall over the Houston area, and an isolated 8″ total is not out of the question. If the heaviest rain trains over areas that have already picked up significant rainfall, street flooding would be possible.
Rain chances go up Thursday as the front moves through. A reinforcing front moves in Saturday, bringing in cooler and drier air for a real fall feel this weekend.
When will the front arrive this week?
The front is expected to move in Thursday, bringing a line of showers and storms to southeast Texas. Moisture is expected to linger behind the front, which could lead to widely scattered showers on Friday. A reinforcing front moves in Saturday morning, bringing a bigger push of cool and dry air.
And this is a cold front, right? So, how cool will it get behind the front?
The cooler air moves in during the weekend, which should result in lows in the upper 50s/low 60s and highs in the upper 70s/low 80s.
What are we expecting for the weekend?
It should be delightful! There will still be plenty of high clouds around on Saturday, which, when combined with a cool north wind at 20 mph, should keep highs in the 70s. With the sky mostly clearing out Saturday night, temperatures will dip into the mid to upper 50s across Southeast Texas Sunday morning. Then, even with an abundance of sunshine, highs will only warm into the upper 70s Sunday afternoon.
Is Texas done with the hurricane season?
At this time, no tropical development is expected in the Gulf in the next 7 days, and we’re nearing the latest date on record a hurricane has made landfall in Texas, which is October 15th. Based on the projected steering currents over the Gulf and the resulting high wind shear, we are likely in the clear from any direct hits. That said, we’re entering the time of year when we have to pay closer attention to what’s happening in the Pacific since those storms can recurve into Mexico and send heavy rains to Texas. For the latest on Atlantic Tropical Storm Philippe, head to our Tropical Update page.
