Houston is kicking off the Friday of Memorial Day weekend under a partly sunny sky with a high near 86°F and a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms — check the radar before you head out and keep an umbrella within arm’s reach all day.
Today’s Setup
The National Weather Service says storm chances will build from the coast northward through the late morning and afternoon as daytime heating peaks and atmospheric instability ramps up. Activity could reach from the Galleria district all the way out toward the Piney Woods. Heat indices are expected to climb into the lower to mid 90s, so it will feel noticeably hotter than that 86°F reading. Winds are light at 0 to 5 mph out of the southwest, which means slow-moving storms — not a quick washout. Buffalo Bayou and Brays Bayou can rise fast; stay off low-water crossings even when rain looks light.
Best Window To Be Outside
Get your outdoor time in before 10 AM CT. A morning run through Memorial Park or a ride along the Buffalo Bayou Greenway should be doable before the storm trains fire. Rain activity should taper after sunset, with partly cloudy skies settling in and a mild low around 74°F tonight.
Rain & Flood Risk
A Flood Watch is in effect for coastal counties through Monday morning. The National Weather Service is calling for multiple rounds of thunderstorms through the entire holiday weekend — this is not a one-and-done situation. Saturday is the most active stretch: an 80% storm chance, with the heaviest rounds likely between 9 AM and 1 PM CT, followed by another overnight surge at 88% chance. Rainfall Saturday alone could total between a quarter and half an inch on ground that is already saturated. This is Harvey country. Never drive through standing water. If your street is prone to flooding, it is worth having sandbags for flooding staged and keeping your critical documents in a waterproof document bag.
Concert Alert: Pitbull Tonight & MGK Saturday
Tonight, Pitbull performs his “I’m Back” show with special guest Lil Jon at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands. The early evening storm risk eases after 7 PM CT, but bring a rain jacket for good measure. Rep the night out with a Pitbull t-shirt before you go.
Saturday, the MGK: Lost Americana Tour rolls into the same venue — right in the middle of the stormiest stretch of the weekend. Grab tickets on StubHub and plan for covered seating. A mgk t-shirt keeps the energy going rain or shine.
Rainy Day Dinner Idea
A humid, stormy Houston Friday is made for comfort food that cooks itself. Load up a programmable slow cooker with chili or beef stew before you leave in the morning and come home to dinner already done. For something heartier, braise a thick stew low and slow in an enameled cast iron Dutch oven — a bowl of that with cornbread is Houston weather-day perfection. Need ingredients? You can order groceries on Amazon and have everything for tonight’s dinner delivered to your door.
Next Few Days
Saturday’s 80% storm chance makes it the roughest day of the weekend — have an indoor backup plan ready, especially with kids. Sunday and Monday bring additional storm rounds, with the Flood Watch running through Monday morning. Keep an eye on the Houston weather forecast as the pattern evolves. Later in the week, the The Kid LAROI - A Perfect World Tour lands at Bayou Music Center on May 28 — grab tickets on SeatGeek now. Stay safe out there, Houston, and watch those bayous.
