HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A Saharan dust cloud is expected to start blowing into southeast Texas on Friday, dropping rain chances for the weekend and turning the sky hazy and gray. The hazy sky and dry weather will be short-lived as a stormy weather pattern returns next week.
Friday is the summer solstice, which brings us the most daylight of the year. The sun will rise around 6:21 a.m. and set around 8:24 p.m., resulting in a total of 14 hours, 3 minutes, and 31 seconds of daylight.
Temperatures on Friday morning will start off in the upper 70s. By noon, it will be around 90, and the afternoon high will peak in the mid-90s between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. There’s only a 20% chance of rain under a partly cloudy sky with southeast winds blowing at 10 to 15 mph.
What should we expect for the weekend?
It will feel like a typical summer weekend with highs in the mid-90s and lows in the upper 70s. The sky will also be hazy gray from Saharan dust, especially on Saturday. Rain chances both days are 20% or less.
How high will the rain chances go next week?
For now, we have a chance of rain at 40% Wednesday through Saturday, but there is room for those rain chances to climb. Tropical moisture will flow in around a major heat ridge over the northeastern part of the country. This type of pattern often produces funnel clouds and waterspouts in the morning near the coast. The showers and storms should also bring rain-cooled highs in the upper 80s for at least a couple of days.
What’s happening in the tropics?
At this time, the Atlantic basin is filled with a Saharan dust cloud, limiting tropical development and bringing a slightly hazy sky to Southeast Texas. Meanwhile, Hurricane Erick made landfall in Mexico as a major hurricane. For a thorough update and in-depth video on what’s happening in the tropics, head to our tropical update page.
This story comes from our news partner ABC13 Houston.
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