Second half of this week will be more fall-like before a warmer weekend

In brief: Today’s update discusses a decent front in the cards for Wednesday which will bring a nice cooldown, and then looks at a warmer setup for this weekend. Overall, things look pretty calm. We also talk about Matt’s new job.

A few words on Matt’s new job

In addition to working on Space City Weather, both Matt and I have day jobs. I write about space for Ars Technica, and for the last decade Matt has been a meteorologist for Cheniere Energy. On Monday, Matt announced that he was changing jobs, and we wanted to explain what the change means for Space City Weather. The short version is, nothing.

The longer version is that Matt is starting a new position as Manager of Meteorology at CenterPoint Energy. We see this is as a win-win for readers. Why? Because Matt is still going to be free to do all of this regular forecasting for Space City Weather and The Eyewall. CenterPoint recognizes that these sites are an important part of Matt’s life, and this was a condition of his taking the job. Moreover CenterPoint (and by extension, the greater Houston area) will benefit from his expertise. Basically, better forecasting should mean that CenterPoint is better prepared for inclement weather events.

Nothing changes here. Space City Weather has been sponsored exclusively by Reliant for more than seven years now, and that partnership will continue. As always, Reliant has a completely hands-off policy when it comes to editorial content here. (They’ve been tremendous about that). And Matt’s position at CenterPoint will not influence the site’s coverage during severe weather and power outages. Anyway, we just wanted to be transparent with our readers. I have only one real editor on this site, and I’m married to her.

Finally, we both want to thank Cheniere for their support of Matt’s work with the sites during his time there.

Tuesday

It’s a cooler morning, with most of the area in the upper 50s to lower 60s thanks to a northerly flow. Today will be sunny and pleasant, with high temperatures of about 80 degrees, and lower humidity. Winds will generally be light, from the northeast. Low temperatures will be a few degrees warmer tonight, with most of the area dropping into the lower 60s.

Wednesday

As the onshore flow picks up, we’ll see a slightly warmer day with a tinge more humidity. Expect highs in the low- to mid-80s, with mostly sunny skies. A front will arrive on Wednesday afternoon, but I don’t think there will be enough moisture in the atmosphere to support more than very isolated showers. Lows drop to around 60 degrees overnight as the front pushes in.

Thursday and Friday

The end of the work will feel fine and fall-like, with sunny skies and high temperatures generally in the mid-70s. Drier air will knock humidity away. Both nights should get into the 50s in Houston, with some inland areas falling into the upper 40s on Friday morning. Skies will be clear day and night.

Saturday and Sunday

The onshore flow will be back for the weekend, which means the return of some humidity, and probably at least some partly cloudy skies. Highs both days will reach about 80 degrees, or perhaps a tick higher, with mild nights in the 60s. Rain chances are virtually zero on Saturday, and perhaps 10 to 20 percent on Sunday when there is more moisture in the atmosphere to work with.

Next week

The early part of next week will see continued warmer weather, with highs generally in the low-80s, along with a 20 or 30 percent chance of daily showers. A significant pattern change looks to be in the cards by mid-week, however, when a stronger fall front arrives with possibly some sticking power. We’ll discuss this more tomorrow, when we should have more confidence in the forecast. But I’m hopeful.