HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A real fall front is on the way to Houston, but before it arrives we've got several opportunities for showers and thunderstorms in the days ahead.
A Flood Watch is now in effect until 10 p.m. for Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Southeast Harris, Matagorda, and Wharton Counties.
Tropical moisture is flowing in from the Gulf of Mexico today, and the weak steering currents are creating slow-moving thunderstorms that are training over the same locations. Some communities have already picked up 6" of rain south of Houston, and an additional 2-6" of rain are possible today alone. Your chance of rain is 60% for Houston with a 70% chance for our coastal counties. Highs will easily climb into the 90s north of I-10, but south of I-10 several communities may not climb out of the 80s due to the early onset of rain.
Rain chances stay elevated Wednesday and Thursday as the front moves through. A reinforcing front moves in Saturday bringing in cooler and drier air for a real fall-feel this weekend.
When will the front arrive this week?
The front is expected to move in Thursday. Ahead of the front there's the chance for showers and storms Wednesday and then we'll continue to see rain heading into Thursday as the front moves south. Scattered rain showers will be possible again Friday behind the front until a reinforcing front brings in drier and cooler air in for the weekend.
And this is a cold front, right? So how cool will it get behind the front?
The cooler air moves in during the weekend which should result in lows in the upper 50s/low 60s and highs in the upper 70s/low 80s.
What are we expecting for the weekend?
It should be delightful! There will still be plenty of high clouds around on Saturday, which when combined with a cool north wind at 20 mph should keep highs in the 70s. With the sky mostly clearing out Saturday night, temperatures will dip into the upper 50s and low 60s across Southeast Texas Sunday morning. Then even with an abundance of sunshine, highs will only warm into the upper 70s Sunday afternoon.
Is Texas done with the hurricane season?
At this time, no tropical development is expected in the Gulf in the next 7 days, and we're nearing the latest date on record a hurricane has made landfall in Texas, which is October 15th. Based on the projected steering currents over the Gulf and the resulting high wind shear, we are likely in the clear from any direct hits. That said, we're entering the time of year where we have to pay closer attention to what's happening in the Pacific since those storms can recurve into Mexico and send heavy rains to Texas. For the latest on Atlantic Tropical Storm Philippe, head to our Tropical Update page.
RADAR MAPS:
Montgomery/Walker/San Jacinto/Polk/Grimes Counties
Fort Bend/Wharton/Colorado Counties
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