Last week, I and millions of #Houston residents experienced a violent up-close demonstration of the damaging winds of a #derecho (pronounced “deh-REY-cho.”)
Luckily, my condominium unit did not sustain any direct damage. However, my wife and I along with our immediate neighbors were trapped until the next morning due to fallen tree limbs blocking our immediate entrance. (See attached photos.) We were also without electrical power until yesterday.
Houston’s frightening storm from last week has been officially declared a derecho, and as @mattlanza writes, it’s not the first time the area has experienced this kind of weather event.
Thursday was “National Love a Tree Day.” But instead of loving trees, Mother Nature pushed a line of ferocious storms through the heart of Houston, tearing many thousands of them down, killing a handful of people, damaging homes and vehicles, and downing power lines. We provide meteorological data about what happened Thursday, and a forecast looking ahead to calmer weather.
If you have clear skies and minimal light pollution, look to the north for a chance that you may see the aurora borealis (or northern lights) here in Southeast Texas. Pink in The Woodlands!
It now appears as though the city of Houston will see intense showers and thunderstorms during the next several hours, through Thursday afternoon. We are issuing a Stage 2 flood alert for the entire area due to the high rainfall rates and timing of street flooding.
NWS Houston: ‼️ Life-threatening flash flooding is occuring in between the towns of Trinity and Groveton. Water rescues have occurred and rain gauges are reporting up to 10" of rain. Do not go out onto the roads if you don't have to be and move to higher ground if needed. #HOUwx#TXwx
Eclipse day is here, but in Houston, good luck getting a glimpse. We’ll see mostly cloudy skies today with a chance of storms. The risk is higher north of Houston, so please take that into account if you’re chasing the total solar eclipse. Tuesday should be stormy in Houston ahead of a front on Wednesday morning. After that we’re sunny and cooler for a few days.
A mostly gentle rain is expected for most of the Houston area today, with the steadiest falling near the coast or down toward Matagorda Bay. A cold front will usher in a blustery overnight and Saturday with temperatures dropping into the 40s, before a spectacular Sunday and Monday.
We don’t know about you, but after this week our pendulum has swung back toward not wanting to see it rain for awhile. We could do with some sunshine, right?
Hang in there, Houston: The rain's almost done.
We’ve got a Stage 1 SCW Flood Alert for the Houston area this morning as heavy rains are settling in for the next few days. We could see 1-4 inches of rain today, and more on the way. Stay dry, stay safe!
We missed the temperature forecast today by a couple of degrees, but those degrees mattered and led to freezing conditions for most of Houston. With just a couple of hours of daylight left, temperatures are not going up today. Also: The Texas grid operator is calling for more energy conservation on Tuesday morning.
Don't be fooled by the warmer-than-expected afternoon we've enjoyed today: @mattlanza says it's still going to get very cold in the Houston area overnight, and there may be some icing conditions. Read on for the details.
For this post we’re going to summarize the forecast and impacts, and attempt to answer some questions readers have. Be forewarned: We don’t have absolute answers.
The Arctic front is approaching Texas this morning, and will sweep through the state today and tonight. It will arrive in Houston on Sunday morning. We’re monitoring a couple of threats from this outbreak of much colder air, including the potential for freezing rain on Sunday night and Monday, and very cold temperatures on Monday and Tuesday nights.
Today cools down, tomorrow warms up and then, starting Sunday in the Houston area: A big chill, as temps slide into a hard freeze. @mattlanza has the details, along with a concise timeline of what happens when.
We've got an update on today's weather situation, with the National Weather Service in Houston issuing a tornado watch for the area this afternoon.. But the storms should move through quickly, so there's a short time-frame for the worst of it.