Houston woke up to a thick, soupy start this morning, with cloudy skies, muggy air and temperatures already hovering near 79°F. The humidity made the early commute feel more like a slow walk through a steam room than a quick drive to work. Clouds should thin at times, letting in some sun and pushing highs to around 88°F this afternoon, while a south wind cranks up enough to be noticeably gusty inland.
Afternoon Winds Pick Up
Southerly winds will strengthen this afternoon to about 5–15 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph. That is enough to shuffle unsecured patio furniture and kick up dust in the drier spots. Out on the water, boaters and anglers should be ready for elevated water levels near 2.5–3.0 feet above MLLW at high tide early this week, according to the National Weather Service Houston/Galveston.
Midweek Storm Chances Climb
Heat and humidity will peak through Wednesday, with afternoon highs in the upper 80s to near 91°F, before rain chances start to ramp up as a weak front stalls over the region. The best shot at more widespread showers and scattered thunderstorms arrives late Friday into Saturday, when a stronger front moves through. That system should finally knock temperatures down a notch and bring cooler, breezy conditions in its wake.
Isolated Severe Risk
Forecasters still peg the overall severe threat as low, but it is not zero. An isolated storm later this week could muscle up enough to drop strong wind gusts or hail, mainly during the afternoon and evening. Low clouds and reduced ceilings may slow some flights this morning and again Tuesday near the coast. On the roads, drivers should plan for slick conditions if storms fire up Friday night into Saturday.
How To Plan
For now, treat loose outdoor items like they are on borrowed time and secure them before the gusts test your setup. Keep rain gear handy if you will be out late, and build in a little extra commute time on mornings with fog or low clouds. For more on how we got locked into this foggy, muggy pattern, check out our steam-bath wakeup. Boaters should keep monitoring updates as seas turn choppier by midweek.
Expect sticky days through Wednesday, then a cooler, breezy change once that stronger front rolls through late Friday into the weekend. We will post updates if watches or warnings are issued. Until then, keep an eye on the latest forecast before heading out and watch the radar if you have evening plans that cannot afford a rainout.
