HOUSTON – After swimming in the soup that is a typically humid Houston summer for the past few weeks, the region is getting some big-time relief this week.
A cold front slid through Southeast Texas on Tuesday. Behind it are north winds that will push in some drier and slightly cooler air. In fact, temperatures are expected to flirt with all-time record lows.
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Here’s a closer look at what’s expected and the history that could be made.
The forecast
The temperature Wednesday morning was 68 degrees at Bush Intercontinental Airport. High temperatures are expected to climb to 90 degrees by the afternoon.
Thursday morning is expected to be even cooler, with a low temperature of 66 degrees. However, the afternoon will be a bit warmer, with a high of 92 degrees.
Humidity levels begin to go back up by Friday, but the morning will still be cool, with a temperature of 68 degrees. A high of 92 degrees is forecast Friday.
The last time Houston saw temps in the 60s was June 24, when the morning low was 68 degrees.
A typical July
July is usually the hottest month of the year in Houston.
According to the National Weather Service, the average high temperature in Houston during the month ranges from 93 to 95 degrees. The average low temperature is 75 degrees.
The warmest it has ever gotten in Houston during the month is 105 degrees in 1954, while the coldest temperature ever recorded was 62 degrees in both 1972 and 1990.
Temperatures in the 60s don’t usually return to Houston until September.
Record-breaking?
Since the cooldown is only for the next few days, let’s take a look at the records for that period and how they correspond to the forecast.
Wednesday: The record low for July 24 is 68 degrees set in 1972. That temperature was tied at 6:25 a.m. at Bush Intercontinental Airport, which is where Houston's official temperature is recorded.
Thursday: The record low for July 25 is 65 degrees set in 1894. The temperature Thursday morning will be very close to that 125-year record, with a forecast of 66 degrees.
Friday: The record low for July 26 is 68 degrees set in 1972. That is also the forecast low for Friday morning.