Rain chances increase next week, but first it gets even hotterRain chances increase next week, but first it gets even hotter

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Intense downpours Thursday dropped over 2″ of rain in some downtown Houston neighborhoods, but the rain chance is going down and the heat is going up for Friday and the weekend. Next week a pattern change brings back a chance for daily downpours, and we’ll have more on that in a moment.

Temperatures overnight will again dip into the upper 70s under a mostly clear sky. A hot southwesterly wind will quickly boost temperatures into the 90s before noon and eventually eclipse the century mark across most of Southeast Texas. A Heat Advisory is in effect from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for counties north and west of Harris County. Houston is not included at this time. The heat index could reach up to 108 making our bodies more prone to heat exhaustion and heat stroke if we’re not careful while outside. While we can’t rule out a stray shower or thunderstorm in the afternoon, most will stay dry under a mostly sunny sky.

What can we expect for the weekend?
The weekend starts dry with near record hit in the low 100s. On Sunday a weak front will approach from the north to bring a 20% hope of a cooling downpour late in the day, but it will still get hotter than normal with highs close to 100.
Will we get any rain next week?
While we aren’t in the business of making rain guarantees during a drought, there is a 20%-30% chance for rain most days next week! The heat ridge will slide west over the Rocky Mountains, and that will allow an upper-air disturbance and some tropical moisture to collide near Southeast Texas. At this time we have a our highest rain chances at 30% on Wednesday and Thursday, but whether those rain chances go up or down depends on the exact track of the disturbance. The best-case scenario is that the disturbance tracks more westward soaking all of Southeast Texas with a few inches of rain. The worst-case scenario is that the disturbance ends up missing us just to the east and sends nearly all of the rain into Louisiana.

Is there anything worth watching in the tropics?

We are watching a Saharan dust cloud over the Atlantic Ocean, and 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.