Houston’s weather will feature heat, scattered downpours, and rising flood risks as a slow-moving cold front heads south into Texas ahead of the Labor Day weekend.
Thursday is likely to be another day of scattered storms in Houston, though high air pressure may make it so that more neighborhoods see sunshine instead of rain. The trend will change over the Labor Day weekend, when a slow-moving cold front brings cooler temperatures and a higher risk of flooding to most of Texas.
North Texas will get close to 100 degrees on Thursday, but by Friday, as the front moves south, the temperature will drop to around 90 degrees. But the front's slow movement could make it more likely that some areas will flood across the state during the holiday.
Meteorologists say that the storm coverage in Houston on Thursday will be even less than the broad rainfall on Wednesday. A ridge of high pressure in the middle atmosphere is briefly passing over a frontal boundary that is mostly still in East Texas.
This change makes it less likely that it will rain across a large area, especially west of Interstate 45, where the chances of a random shower are 20% to 30%. Storms are more likely to happen east and north of Houston.
Forecasters said, "If you do get hit by a stray storm, you might get a few tenths of an inch of rain and a few degrees of cooler air for a short time." If not, high temperatures could go above 95 degrees, and in full sunlight, they could reach 105 degrees or higher.
The front is moving toward Southeast Texas, which makes people more worried about floods over the weekend. The Weather Prediction Center says that areas north and close to Houston have a level 1 out of 4 chance of flooding on Friday. This means that some areas may experience flooding. In low-lying places, that level usually means short-term street flooding. In rural areas, however, small creeks or rivers could rise more significantly.
Travelers heading west toward Austin or San Angelo should monitor the weather, as storm groups from Oklahoma may enter Texas on Thursday night, potentially bringing heavy rain and flash flooding in certain areas.
On Saturday, the risk of flooding is still low in most of Texas. The Panhandle is the only place with a higher risk (Level 2 out of 4). If the storms last too long, they could cause flash floods and render low-water bridges unusable.There, flash floods and low-water bridges that cannot be used are possible if the storms last too long.
Texans with long weekend outdoor plans should also have indoor plans, forecasters say. It will be a scattered stormy holiday, but there is still a chance of sudden rain and floods.
