Houston is in for a wet, stormy Friday with showers and thunderstorms expected through this evening, heavy rainfall at times, and a significant flash flood risk across the region.
The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch through tonight for the Houston area. An upper-level low system has finally arrived, bringing widespread showers and thunderstorms fueled by deep tropical moisture overrunning cooler surface air. Rainfall rates in the heaviest storms are expected to reach 2 to 3 inches per hour—enough to cause localized flooding. Widespread rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches are likely, with some areas potentially seeing 5 to 6 inches. These amounts could trigger rises in area rivers and bayous, with minor-stage flooding the most likely outcome.
Today’s high will reach near 68°F, with temperatures falling to around 64°F this afternoon. Northeast winds of 10 to 15 mph will gust as high as 25 mph. The chance of precipitation is 90%. Tonight, showers and thunderstorms will continue before 1 AM CT, with a low around 55°F and gusts up to 30 mph possible. A Gale Warning is also in effect for the Bays and Gulf through midday Saturday, so mariners should stay ashore.
The environment will be favorable for some stronger thunderstorms capable of hail, and coastal counties have a potential risk of damaging winds or even a tornado. If you’re planning to catch the West Conf Qtrs: Lakers at Rockets Rd 1 Hm Gm 3 on May 1st at Toyota Center downtown, you’re in luck—it’s indoors. Still, getting to the arena will be wet. Grab a packable rain jacket before heading out, and if you’re a Rockets fan, show your support with a Houston Rockets jersey or Houston Rockets hoodie.
Since you’ll be stuck inside today, this is the perfect weather for comfort food. A programmable slow cooker loaded with beef stew or chili is ideal for rainy days like this. An enameled cast iron Dutch oven works beautifully too if you prefer stovetop cooking. You can order groceries on Amazon Fresh and have everything delivered to your door, so you don’t have to brave the downpour.
Weekend Outlook: Saturday will be much nicer. Expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 73°F and north winds 10 to 15 mph gusting to 25 mph. This is a great day to head outdoors—the Houston Dynamo FC vs. Colorado Rapids on May 3rd at Shell Energy Stadium will have beautiful weather for soccer. Saturday night will be mostly clear with a low around 56°F, perfect for any outdoor plans.
After this weekend’s cool-down, expect a gradual warm-up during the first half of the week. For the latest Houston weather forecast, keep checking back as conditions evolve.
