Houston woke up Wednesday to light rain, muggy air and the kind of sky that says the atmosphere is not done with us yet. Temperatures hovered around 68°F with dew points in the mid-60s, and overnight storms left behind pockets of heavy downpours and gusts reported as high as 30–50 mph in some neighborhoods. The first wave has eased for now, but forecasters say more storms are lined up through the rest of the week.
What To Expect Today
Showers and a chance of thunderstorms will hang around through Wednesday, with afternoon highs in the low to mid 80s. East winds will generally run 5–10 mph, but gusts up to 25 mph are possible in stronger storms.
Most spots can expect about a quarter to a half inch of new rain this afternoon, although localized heavy bursts could quickly push those amounts higher in a few neighborhoods.
Along the coast and offshore, hazards are stacking up. Small Craft Advisories and a high rip-current risk are in effect through Wednesday evening, and anyone on the water should be ready for chaotic wind gusts near storms. According to NWS Houston/Galveston, additional rounds of storms are expected as the week goes on.
Beaches, Boats And The Commute
If you are headed to the Gulf, do not be surprised to see red flags flying from the lifeguard stands. Beachgoers should avoid getting into strong surf, and boaters should think twice about any nonessential trips until conditions settle down.
On the roads, brief heavy downpours will cut visibility and can cause quick ponding on low-lying streets, so slow down and leave extra room for braking. If you see standing water, turn around. Never try to drive through a flooded roadway, no matter how harmless it looks from behind the windshield.
Flood Threat Into The Holiday Weekend
The bigger concern is what happens when all of this rain starts to stack up. Repeated rounds of moderate to heavy rain later this week and into the Memorial Day weekend could leave some areas with several inches of rainfall between Saturday and Monday.
That pattern raises the risk of localized street and creek flooding, especially where storms keep training over the same parts of town. For more on the setup that is steering storms over Houston, check out our story from sticky week of training storms.
What To Do Now
For now, keep the umbrella within arm’s reach and move outdoor plans inside if you can. Secure loose items in the yard before the next batch of gusty showers rolls through.
Keep an eye on alerts that hit your phone and check the latest forecast before heading to the beach or out on the water. If you run into rapidly rising water, get to higher ground and follow instructions from local officials. Houston knows how quickly a soggy day can turn serious, and this week is shaping up to be one to take seriously.
