Slim hope for rain Wednesday as heat continues

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The heat is going nowhere, but there is an opportunity for rain. You’ll just have to wait until the afternoon to see that chance. We sure do need it as more burn bans pop up across Southeast Texas amidst a worsening drought.

We’re starting off warm today with temps in the upper 70s. A weak disturbance pushing in from the east will bring up moisture levels just enough to trigger some scattered showers and thunderstorms in the heat of the afternoon. The highest rain chances will be east of I-45. It’s only a 20% chance you’ll get measurable rain, but a quick inch of rain is possible under the heavier downpours. Whether or not you get the rain, temperatures will likely top out in the mid-to-upper 90s.

Is my county under a burn ban?
More than likely, yes. Just about every county in Southeast Texas is now under a burn ban, and statewide we have more burn bans in effect than at any time since November, 2011. Recent local additions are Montgomery County (in effect now) and Washington County (in effect Wednesday).

How bad is the drought?
Drought levels vary across Southeast Texas. It’s generally worse south of I-10 and slightly better north of I-10. These are some of the worst drought conditions we’ve observed statewide since the summer of 2011. We’ll get our next update on drought conditions Thursday morning. This will include the impact of rains that fell toward the end of last week.

What can we expect for the weekend?

The weekend starts dry with highs near 100. On Sunday a weak front will approach from the north to bring a 20% hope of a cooling downpour, but it will still get hotter than normal with highs close to 100.

Is there anything worth watching in the tropics?
Bonnie has crossed over Central America and is now moving west through the Pacific as a category 2 hurricane. At this time, no tropical development is expected in the Atlantic for the next 5 days. You can stay informed on everything happening in the tropics all season long with our daily tropical update.