Houston city skies will maintain their cloudy cloak Wednesday, but the umbrellas can stay closed for a bit longer. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), today's weather will be "mostly cloudy, with a high near 63" and easterly winds nudging the mercury slightly. As night falls, expect similar conditions, with the low dropping to around 51 degrees, as reported by NWS.
But there's a change brewing as the week progresses. Thursday is set to be breezy, with east winds possibly peaking to gusts of 20 mph due to a tightening pressure gradient. This shift, a preliminary just before the storm, is to prepare the region for an expected wave of rain to hit by the week's end. The Houston Chronicle notes that the forecast is attributed to a low-pressure trough deepening in the Rockies, ushering in cooler temperatures.
The chance of showers will surge to 40 percent by Friday afternoon, with heavier downpours and possible thunderstorms by nightfall. An 80 percent chance of precipitation means Houston's evening commute is likely to face the splashes and spills of Friday's wet conditions. Yet there's some comfort in the lack of severity, as the Storm Prediction Center stressed in its Outlook, "...NO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AREAS FORECAST..." for the region, as per the Storm Prediction Center.
Saturday might continue to dampen plans with a 30 percent chance of a shower send-off before noon. But from here, it's a steady stride towards clearer skies with "mostly sunny" forecasts for Sunday and Monday, hinting at a revival of outdoor activities. The Houston Chronicle has pointed out this anticipated rainfall could be a welcome relief given the "deficit in cumulative annual rainfall this year" that Houston faces.
While the storms might not roar with severity, the city is poised to brace itself for the customary trials that rain can instill in urban landscapes. The Storm Prediction Center has already flagged a "risk of localized flooding" for the area, warning residents against minor flash floods. However, anticipation is tempered with the knowledge that by the weekend's close, Houstonians will likely be stepping out to a refreshed and sunnier cityscape.
