As Houston braces for a warm, intermittently stormy week, residents can expect temperatures to soar with chances of thunderstorms peppered throughout, according to the latest forecast. Today, the city will see a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms primarily after 4 pm, under partly sunny skies with a high near 94 degrees. Heat index values could climb to as high as 101, making for a steamy day. Winds will remain calm, shifting to the west at around 5 mph in the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service's detailed forecast.
Tonight, Houstonians can expect to possibly avoid the need to dodge raindrops with a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms ending before 9 pm. The skies will clear somewhat to partly cloudy with a comfortable low around 76. The calmness of the wind, shifting to the east at around 5 mph, will contribute to a serene night. The rest of the week looks sunny with highs consistently in the low to mid-90s and nighttime lows in the mid-70s. The forecast anticipates to mostly hold this pattern, offering up more sun than rain, and presenting only a slight chance of showers come next Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Storm Prediction Center notes a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms today across parts of the central and northern High Plains. "Thunderstorms capable of isolated severe gusts and hail will be possible today across parts of the central and northern High Plains," the Center reports. This brewing instability is due to a longwave blocky pattern over the continental United States, with amplified troughing in the West and a Rex block in the East.
For coastal North Carolina and the extreme eastern part of South Carolina, meteorologists are keeping an eye on a low-level cyclone with potential to transition to subtropical or tropical character. Although the coastal tornado threat is presently deemed too low to merit a specific outlook, developments will be monitored closely for increased risk. "Many progs deepen the low-level cyclone and transition it to subtropical or tropical character through the end of day 2," states the Storm Prediction Center. Yet, with varying forecasts and model inconsistencies, the specific impacts remain uncertain.
