FOX 26 Houston Weather Forecast
This morning, we woke up to the coolest air since March 19th, with temperatures dropping to 43° for Houston at Bush airport. It won't be windy tonight but still clear and cool with temperatures once again dropping to the 40s in Houston and 30s for some north and west of Houston. Temperatures will start to heat up big time by this weekend, with middle 80s expected by Monday afternoon. We will have plenty of sunshine to enjoy through Saturday, with a few more clouds Sunday and Monday. Low rain chances return Tuesday and the day before Thanksgiving with a 30% chance for showers on Thanksgiving Day. Models are indicating the possibility for a cold front, either late Wednesday or early Thursday that will likely drop our temperatures closer to 72 Thanksgiving afternoon. Keep track of weather where you live and get a detailed tropical update daily by downloading Fox Local on your smart TV or phone!
2024 vs. previous hurricane seasons
With only nine days left in the 2024 hurricane season, the tropics are finally calming down. National Hurricane Center does not anticipate any tropical cyclone activity over the next few days. Water temperatures are finally starting to get cooler in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic. That lessens the chance for more tropical development. Hurricane season ends on November 30th.
Tropics calm down, 10 days left in hurricane season
With just ten days left in the 2024 Atlantic basin hurricane season, we are finally seeing conditions calm down. No tropical cyclone activity is expected over the next few days in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea or Gulf of Mexico. Moisture left over from what used to be Tropical Storm Sara combined with a cold front continues to bring some rain to parts of Florida. But that unsettled weather should start winding down by tonight. It's been an above normal hurricane season with 18 named storms, 11 hurricanes and 5 major hurricanes. Let's hope this last 10 days remains super quiet!
Tropical weather update: Sara dissipates, Atlantic remains calm
The tropical disturbance Sara has dissipated in the Gulf of Mexico, while the Atlantic basin stays quiet with no new tropical system formations anticipated in the coming days.
Sara downgrades to Tropical Depression
Sara is now a Tropical Depression and still dropping heavy rainfall over portions of the Yucatan Peninsula and Central America. Additional rainfall of 1 to 3 inches are expected over norther Honduras with storm total amounts there as high as 40 inches.
Tropical weather update: Sara soaking Central America
Sara is in the Gulf of Honduras soaking parts of Central America with catastrophic flooding and mudslides. Current forecasts have Sara falling apart before reaching the Gulf of Mexico.
Continuing to monitor Tropical Storm Sara | FOX 26 Tropical Weather Update
FOX 26 Meteorologist Remeisha Shade has the latest on Tropical Storm Sara after the storm made landfall on Thursday.
Potential Tropical Cyclone 19 forms in Caribbean | FOX 26 Tropical Weather Update
Invest 99L is now Potential Tropical Cyclone Nineteen. This system will become Sara later in the week and bring flooding over portions of Central America in the next few days. Sara is eventually expected to travel into the Gulf of Mexico.
Invest 99L in Caribbean Sea could track North
The tropical wave in the Caribbean Sea has now been labeled as Invest 99L by the National Hurricane Center. This will likely become a named storm by the end of the week. It will bring heavy rain to parts of Central America but could also make a track back to the North.
Another storm coming in the Caribbean? | FOX 26 Tropical Weather Update
Remnants of Rafael are still hanging around in the Gulf of Mexico but no longer a named system. All eyes now turn towards the western Caribbean where models indicate an area of low pressure should form. This has a chance of becoming another named storm.
Tropical Storm Rafael impacts along Gulf Coast
Tropical Storm Rafael is showing less organization but still having impacts along the US Gulf Coast. A landfall is not expected but beach hazards will persist though the weekend.
Hurricane Rafael: Track, timing and more
FOX 26 meteorologist Remeisha Shade looks and the path of Hurricane Rafael. Hurricane Rafael remains a powerful Category 2 Hurricane now in the central Gulf of Mexico. It will continue to drift west then turn more to the south early next week. Drier air wrapping into the system and vertical wind shear will force Rafael to get weaker through the weekend. Rafael should weaken to a tropical storm by Saturday evening and a mere remnant low by Monday and Tuesday. Rafael will stay south of Houston. However, minor impacts will be felt this weekend along the coast in the form of a rip currents risk and some wave action. Another disturbance near Hispaniola has a very low 10% chance for tropical development as it drifts west towards the Bahamas. The next name would be Sara and hurricane season runs through November 30th.
Continuing to monitor Hurricane Rafael in the Gulf of Mexico | FOX 26 Tropical Weather Update
Hurricane Rafael has pushed into the SE Gulf of Mexico and is expected to drift WNW. As it encounters more hostile winds and drier air, it will gradually weaken back to a tropical storm by Saturday night. It should stay south of Houston over water and meander in the south-central gulf as it weakens through early next week. Models now have Rafael dropping SW into the Bay of Campeche as it falls apart Monday and Tuesday. An increased rip currents risk and elevated tide levels are possible along the coast this weekend. But no major impacts are anticipated. Trough of low pressure around the N. Leeward Islands is producing disorganized showers and storms. It is being given a LOW 20% chance for tropical development over the next 7 days as it moves towards the Bahamas. If this develops it would be named Sara.
Watching Rafael approaching Gulf of Mexico | FOX 26 Houston Tropical Weather Forecast
The last month of hurricane season is turning out to be an active one. Today, Rafael has strengtened to a Major and powerful Category 3 hurricane as it starts to push over western Cuba. Winds over 100 mph, life-threatening storm surge and flooding are likely. Florida Keys remain under a Tropical storm warning. Rafael will track into the eastern Gulf of Mexico Thursday and Friday. It will likely get weaker, slow down and encounter hostile winds and drier air as it pushes into the North Central Gulf of Mexico. Also, a cold front will roll across the Houston area late Friday into Saturday, helping to keep Rafael to our east. Some models have it staying offshore, south of Louisiana and other models have it making landfall as a weaker system. However, impacts to Houston should be minimal from Rafael. Another disturbance in the Southwest Atlantic has a low shot for tropical development as it moves towards the Bahamas over the next week. Next name on the list is Sara.
Tropical Storm Rafael expected to strengthen on way to Gulf
We are closely monitoring a late season tropical storm, Rafael, in the Caribbean. Rafael is expected to become a hurricane tonight or Wednesday as it moves over Cuba. Rafael is then expected to track into the eastern Gulf of Mexico Thursday and Friday. Rafael will most likely weaken, slow down and stay east of the Houston area. In fact, latest National Hurricane Center track has Rafael making landfall by lunchtime Sunday as a tropical storm around the eastern Louisiana Gulf coast. Another disturbance in the SW Atlantic has a LOW 30% chance for tropical development as it moves towards the N. Leeward Islands. Hurricane season runs all the way through November 30.
Watching several areas in the tropics | FOX 26 Tropical Weather Forecast
Tropics remain busy in this final month of hurricane season with three areas being monitored. The first, Tropical Depression 18, has formed into Tropical Storm Rafael in the west-central Caribbean. It should strengthen to a hurricane by Wednesday. Jamaica is under a tropical storm warning and a hurricane warning has been issued for the Cayman Islands. Models show this system tracking into the eastern Gulf of Mexico by Wednesday and Thursday. Models are uncertain as to where "Rafael" will head as it nears the northern Gulf coast late this week. But it does appear that it will weaken some as it encounters more shear & will most likely stay just east of the Houston area. Another disturbance near the Leeward Islands in the SW Atlantic has a low chance to become a tropical system over the next week. Finally, Patty has weakened and become post-tropical in the north Atlantic. The remnants of Patty could still bring some heavy rain to Portugal & Western Spain. Keep checking back for additional updates.
Potential Tropical Cyclone 18 forms in Caribbean, headed toward Gulf
Potential Tropical Cyclone Eighteen has formed in the Caribbean Sea and is headed towards the Gulf of Mexico. This system will soon been named Raphael and could reach hurricane strength before making landfall in Cuba.
Subtropical Storm Patty in the Atlantic
Patty has formed in the Atlantic but it's not what you were expecting. The Southwestern Caribbean is still brewing with a broad area of low pressure. The National Hurricane Center has labeled it as Invest 97L but no name yet.
Watching Atlantic for three possible developments
Three areas are currently being monitored in the Atlantic basin for possible tropical cyclone development. The first in the North Atlantic, Invest 96-L, is a low that has a MEDIUM 40% chance for tropical or subtropical development over the next few days as it nears the Azores. Two other disturbances are being monitored, one in the SW Caribbean and one in the NE Caribbean. SW Caribbean system now has a HIGH 70% chance to become a tropical depression or storm in the next week. The next few names on the list would be Patty and Rafael. It's forecast to track into the central Caribbean and could even make it to the southern Gulf next week. In the NE Caribbean, a trough of low pressure near Puerto Rico has a LOW 10% chance for tropical development as it drifts WNW. Neither of these systems is expected to make it to Texas.
Watching the Caribbean, Atlantic for possible development | FOX 26 Tropical Weather Update
FOX 26 Meteorologist Remeisha Shade has the latest on what's happening in the tropics.