Houston residents, take note: A blend of thunderstorms and potential severe weather is on the horizon for today, with the KHOU 11 Weather Team having issued a Weather Impact Alert that spans through this evening, particularly targeting areas north of the city where storms could turn stronger. According to the forecast provided by the National Weather Service, Houston can expect a chance of showers and thunderstorms with the high temperature edging close to 79 degrees, while there's a 70% chance of precipitation bringing new rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, though thunderstorms might drive those numbers higher.
For those in and around Houston today, the conditions are predicted to swiftly escalate from patchy morning fog to a cocktail of weather disturbances encompassing potential hail, windy gusts, and even the possibility of a brief tornado, albeit isolated, and while the rain totals shouldn't trigger floods the wind remains a primary concern, especially in the later hours stretching from 4 p.m. into the night as the severe weather threat has increased overnight, prompting the alert, says meteorologist Chita Craft in a statement shared by KHOU 11. The Weather Impact Alert is circulating, with particular scrutiny on Montgomery, Walker, Northern Waller Counties, along with parts of northwest Harris County, which includes Cypress, Jersey Village, The Woodlands, and Conroe, though coastal areas like Houston and Galveston remain at a lessened risk; it's still not completely free of the danger of encountering an anomalous strong storm.
Patchy fog reduced visibility to a mile or less in parts of Pearland, Wharton, and Columbus early, prompting commuters to allow extra travel time due to low visibility and slick roads. Forecasters said a cold front is expected to move through later in the day, briefly increasing storm chances before conditions clear. Residents were advised to secure loose outdoor items because of gusty winds and to monitor weather updates. Despite the unsettled conditions, marathon weekend is expected to bring favorable weather, with temperatures forecast to start in the 40s at race time and rise into the 50s by the finish.
So for those living in the Houston area, it is prudent to maintain a weather vigilant stance this evening, from procuring continual alerts to earmarking alternative routes to dodge the worst of any storm-inspired transport gridlocks, and for marathon participants, the post-frontal highs promise a respite from both heat and humidity, paving the way for what forecasters describe as optimal running weather.
