![\"houston](\"http:\/\/us.weatheramerica.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/houston-rain-2507.jpg\")
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HOUSTON<\/strong> \u2013 After a sweltering start to the week, hot weather<\/strong> is holding on across Southeast Texas<\/strong>, with temperatures pushing 100\u00b0F (38\u00b0C)<\/strong> again today. But changes are on the horizon as a tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico<\/strong> brings an uptick in rain chances<\/strong> Friday and Saturday\u2014offering a short-lived break from the heat.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This disturbance, now moving across the central Gulf<\/strong>, shows very low potential for development<\/strong>, with odds under 10%<\/strong> according to meteorologists. But even without cyclonic formation, it\u2019s expected to increase moisture across Greater Houston<\/strong>, delivering much-needed rainfall to parts of the region.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Friday\u2019s forecast<\/strong> hinges on how the system behaves as it nears the Texas Coast<\/strong>. Current models lean toward a coastal-heavy rain pattern<\/strong>, meaning places like Galveston<\/strong>, Brazoria<\/strong>, and Chambers Counties<\/strong> could wake up to steady showers<\/strong>, with scattered afternoon storms<\/strong> pushing slightly inland. Some isolated totals could reach 2 to 4 inches (50 to 100 mm)<\/strong>, especially near Galveston Bay<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Saturday<\/strong> may bring more widespread rain. While it\u2019s not expected to be a total washout, outdoor plans<\/strong> across Houston<\/strong> may be interrupted by numerous pop-up thunderstorms<\/strong>, particularly during the afternoon hours.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rainfall amounts will likely range from 1 to 2 inches (25 to 50 mm)<\/strong> along the coast, tapering to 0.5 to 1 inch (13 to 25 mm)<\/strong> closer to the Inner Loop<\/strong>. Some northern and western suburbs may only see a few scattered showers or stay dry altogether.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Once the system moves through, heat returns fast<\/strong>. After topping out at 99\u00b0F (37\u00b0C)<\/strong> yesterday, today\u2019s high<\/strong> could flirt again with the century mark<\/strong>, especially in inland neighborhoods<\/strong> where storms don\u2019t develop early. The brief cooldown from cloud cover and rain Friday and Saturday will quickly vanish as hot, dry air<\/strong> builds back in on Sunday<\/strong>. Expect highs near 100\u00b0F (38\u00b0C)<\/strong> again by Tuesday or Wednesday<\/strong> of next week.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And speaking of Tuesday\u2019s heat<\/strong>, it stirred up plenty of discussion around George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)<\/strong>\u2014officially recording 100\u00b0F (38\u00b0C)<\/strong> while other nearby sites reported lower numbers. The discrepancy was enough to prompt the National Weather Service<\/strong> to inspect the IAH sensor. The verdict? Everything checked out<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Despite claims that something was off, the IAH thermometer was reading accurately. So what happened?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Turns out, IAH sits in a naturally hot pocket<\/strong>, and Tuesday’s dry air<\/strong> played a big role. At 3 PM, relative humidity at IAH<\/strong> dropped to 42%<\/strong>, among the lowest in the metro. That dry air helped amplify heating, pushing temperatures slightly higher than nearby suburbs like Katy<\/strong>, Pearland<\/strong>, or The Woodlands<\/strong>, where values hovered between 96\u00b0F and 98\u00b0F (35\u00b0C\u201337\u00b0C)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Looking at dewpoint values<\/strong>, there was a noticeable bubble of lower humidity just south of the airport<\/strong>, a factor that likely tipped the scales. Drier air heats faster, and when combined with IAH\u2019s location\u2014which already tends to be warmer than other Houston sites\u2014it created a local surge in temperature.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Is IAH a perfect reflection of Houston\u2019s climate<\/strong>? Not exactly. But it remains the official point of record<\/strong>, and its consistency over time is what makes it valuable. Like many U.S. cities, Houston\u2019s historical weather<\/strong> has migrated from downtown locations to airports<\/strong>, where fewer people live, but where reliable instruments and uninterrupted data collection are possible.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In this way, IAH becomes the benchmark<\/strong> for comparing past and present records<\/strong>, not necessarily a stand-in for your backyard thermometer in Midtown<\/strong>, Sharpstown<\/strong>, or Sunnyside<\/strong>. Still, the temperature spike Tuesday shows how urban heat islands<\/strong>, Gulf humidity shifts<\/strong>, and climate change<\/strong> are shaping our daily weather in unexpected ways.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" HOUSTON \u2013 After a sweltering start to the week, hot weather is holding on across Southeast Texas, with temperatures pushing 100\u00b0F (38\u00b0C) again today. But changes are on the horizon as a tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico brings an uptick in rain chances Friday and Saturday\u2014offering a short-lived break from the heat. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6432,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n