Gusty southerly winds likely the norm through the weekend for Houston

Springtime winds have returned to Houston. On Tuesday the region recorded gusts above 35 mph, and it was at times unpleasant outside. As a reminder, April is the windiest month of the year in Houston, with an average wind speed of 8.9 mph. However this month has been windier than most. So far, the monthly average this month is 10.0 mph, and we will probably end up a little higher than that with gusty conditions ahead this week.

Wednesday

Low temperatures this morning have only fallen to around 70 degrees. Highs this afternoon will reach the low-80s, moderated in part by mostly cloudy skies. Strong southerly winds will again be the story, with gusts up to 30 mph or even a bit higher. The winds are being driven by a surface low pressure system over Kansas, the rotation of which is drawing winds northward. Low temperatures tonight will, again, likely only drop to around 70 degrees.

Thursday and Friday

The overall pattern will remain much the same, with highs in the 80s, partly sunny skies, breezy southerly winds, and plenty of humidity.

Saturday

The first half of the weekend should bring more of the same, but conditions might even be slightly windier. So yeah, while it should be sunny on Saturday, there will be plenty of wind to go along with it, with gusts of 25 to 35 mph possible.

Sunday, Monday, and beyond

Sunday should be partly sunny and breezy as well, with highs likely in the upper 80s. But by Sunday night and into Monday we start to see some uncertainty creep into the forecast. Rain chances will increase on Sunday night and Monday, as a front nears. Right now chances appear to be better north of Houston. Then there is the question of how strong the front is, and how far it pushes through the region. For now I’m going with the front only having a fairly modest effect on temperatures and humidity, but we could see something stronger by Monday or Tuesday. Regardless, highs toward the end of next week probably will be near 90 degrees as we near the end of April.