HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A weak cool front arriving Sunday will stall out nearby, keeping healthy rain chances going for a few days next week.
First we have to get through a couple more record-challenging hot days. Temperatures Friday morning will barely dip below 80 degrees as the Gulf breeze picks up. Sunshine will push highs back into the low-to-mid 90s in the afternoon with a heat index a few degrees hotter.
When can we expect the rain to begin?
Most of us will have to wait until Sunday, but our confidence is growing that a front will deliver us needed rainfall. A late day thunderstorm is possible as early as Friday and again Saturday, but it now looks like the weak front won’t reach us until Sunday. This front could produce widely scattered showers and thunderstorms, some of which could be strong. For now you have a 60% chance of rain on Sunday, and we could increase rain chances more as our confidence grows in the timing of the front. This frontal boundary will linger nearby well into next week, keeping a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms around. Tuesday also stands out for potentially being wetter than the other days as an upper air storm slides over the top of the stalled front. Your chance for rain on Tuesday is now at 70%.
How much rain could we get?
At this time we expect 1-3″ to be fairly common all across Southeast Texas from Sunday through Wednesday of next week. Totals will be on the low end of that range in our coastal counties and could exceed that range north of Houston.
What else can we expect for the weekend?
Ahead of the front it will remain hot and sticky on Saturday. You can expect a near record-warm morning with lows just below 80-degrees. Temperatures will climb into the mid 90’s during the afternoon. Sunday will also start warm but finish with rain-cooled air keeping highs near average in the mid 80s.
Does this mean we might avoid the Saharan dust cloud?
The impacts of the dust will very likely be limited because of the front and rain. While some dust could reach us as early as Sunday, the rain would likely wash most of the dust away before it has any impact on our weather. Monday is the day we’d likely experience the most impacts from this surge of Saharan dust. You can find more information on the dust cloud and get a full tropical update at abc13.com/tropicalupdate.
