Slim rain chance enters long-term Houston forecast

Sorry to post local weather conditions, but as I feared, the Houston summer has put a dead stop to any geocaching for us. - Marc

A slim chance of rain may be possible next week as a high pressure area that has blocked thunderstorms from hitting Houston moves away.

But the rain chances remain very slight, according to the National Weather Service.

Today and the next 10 days are expected to be dry with high temperatures near triple digits and the lows in the mid to upper 70s under sunny skies.

But the weather pattern that has allowed the mercury to rise for nearly two weeks and brought near drought conditions to the Houston area could change in the middle of next week, said Scott Overpeck, a weather service meteorologist.

Overpeck said a dome of high pressure over much of Texas has kept rain storms away from Houston, but there’s a slight chance it may move toward the west.

“That would be a window to allow some rain to come in,” Overpeck said. “I wouldn’t put too much stock in that.”

Houston’s weather is in contrast to much of the rest of the country. The east and west U.S. coasts have been cooler than normal, spring storms have continued to rake the nation’s midsection, Chicago is having a record cool June so far and some Midwestern crops are struggling to grow in too-low temperatures.

Overpeck said the drought that has parched southwestern Texas may soon find a foothold in the Houston area if no rain arrives.

So far in June, the area has recorded a trace of rainfall, which is about 2.5 inches below normal for the period. For the year, the area is about four inches below normal.

Overpeck said Houston is experiencing a typical July weather pattern that arrived a month early, but it’s not uncommon for Houston to have a scorching June.

“It’s summertime,” he said.