Pattern change brings more rain chances to the forecast

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — We’re growing more optimistic that a pattern change will bring rain chances starting this weekend, but we have a few more hot, hazy days to get through first.

Temperatures Wednesday morning will start off in the low 70s, and patchy fog will be possible in rural regions away from Houston. Temperatures will then soar back into the mid 90s under a mostly sunny sky.

You’ll probably notice the sky looking hazy gray again from New Mexico wildfire smoke. Most of the smoke particles are suspended about 10,000 feet above the ground, so it shouldn’t make much of an impact on our local air quality.

When is our next chance for rain?
Most of us will have to wait until the weekend, but our confidence is growing that a front will deliver us needed rainfall. A late day thunderstorm is possible as early as Friday, but most of us will have to until a front arrives Saturday evening. This front could produce widely scattered showers and thunderstorms, some of which could be strong. While we only have a 30% chance of rain in the forecast at this time, we will likely increase rain chances once our confidence grows in the timing of the front. This frontal boundary will linger nearby well into next week, keeping a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms around.

What else can we expect for the weekend?
Ahead of the front it will remain hot and sticky on Saturday. You can expect a near record-warm morning with lows just below 80-degrees. Temperatures will climb into the low 90 before the front blows in during the evening. On Sunday we should feel the impact of rain-cooled air with a low close to 70 and a high in the mid-to-upper 80s. Showers and thunderstorms are possible on Sunday, especially in the morning. Plentiful clouds are expected both days. We will also be monitoring a Saharan dust cloud that could reach us as early as Sunday. You can find more information on the dust cloud and get a full tropical update at abc13.com/tropicalupdate.