In brief: Houston is quite chilly this morning, and we’re dropping down another notch tonight. But following this we’ll be solidly on a warming trend heading into the new year. This weekend looks quite pleasant. Also, we take a peek at what weather might be like for the Houston Marathon.
Freeze line
Temperatures are comfortably above freezing this morning across the Houston metro area, but what about tonight? We are going to see ideal conditions for heat to radiate back into space this evening, including clear skies and light winds. This will bring a light freeze into the Houston region. My sense is that urbanized parts of Houston and coastal areas will remain just above 32 degrees, but that inland areas and outlying suburbs, such as Katy, probably will briefly freeze tonight. Essentially, if you experienced freezing conditions back on Dec. 15, there is a decent chance you will again tonight. These temperatures are not cold enough to affect pipes or anything like that, but do take care of sensitive plants and pets.
Tuesday
We are going to see solid sunshine today (and most of the week). This will allow highs to warm into the 50s today, with light northerly winds, before our chilly night tonight.
New Year’s Eve
After a cold start, expect highs in the mid-60s on Wednesday with sunny skies. Light winds will turn west, and then southwest over the course of the day and evening. We have no weather concerns for the New Year’s Eve holiday aside from chilly temperatures during the evening, likely dropping into the 40s by the time we ring in the new year.
New Year’s Day
With a southerly flow in place we’ll see a warmer day to start 2026, with highs in the lower 70s. As moisture levels creep up, we may see a few more clouds in the sky, although I expect plenty of sunshine. Lows on Thursday night will be warmer, perhaps dropping only into the lower 60s.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Friday looks downright warm with highs in the lower 80s and sunshine. The weekend should be a bit cooler (although there is still some uncertainty here) as a modest front pushes down from the northwest. For now let’s go with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s, with mostly sunny skies. Really, it looks to be like ideal weather for most outdoor activities.
Next week and the Houston Marathon
The first half of next week looks to be rather warm for January, with highs likely in the vicinity of the upper 70s and nights perhaps in the upper 50s. If you’ve been wondering about rain chances, those start to pick up around Wednesday or Thursday. That’s not to say rain is likely, but it does appear to be possible.
If you’re planning to run the Houston Half or Full Marathon, then you’re keenly interested in conditions for Sunday, January 11. I just completed my final long run early on Monday, so my body is (mostly) ready. What about the weather? I’m afraid the forecast is still pretty uncertain at this point. It’s possible that a weak-ish front arrives by Wednesday or Thursday of next week (bringing some rain), but depending on the timing of this front I think we might see a warming trend by Friday or Saturday. In that case we need another front to bring temperatures down for Sunday. This appears to be possible, although not certain.
My best guess is for low temperatures in the 50s on Sunday morning, with highs rising to the 60s. In terms of wind and rain, that is going to be depend heavily on whether we get that second front to drop temperatures for the marathon. In summary: there’s just not much clarity yet on running conditions. When there is, I will definitely let you know.
