Cold front treats city to record low

In addition to cooling evenings, weather system helped push Gulf storms away

A cool front brought record cold weather to Houston early Saturday, putting joggers and walkers on the Memorial Park loop in particularly good spirits.

"I wish it was like this every day," Ransey Bowen said.

Temperatures dipped to 65 degrees at Bush Intercontinental Airport just after 6:30 a.m. Saturday, breaking a 73-year-old record low for the day.

Cool nights are expected to continue through Monday, according to Kent Prochazka, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Daytime highs will still reach the mid-80s.

"We've had a real arctic cold front come through," Prochazka said.

"That's why we're breaking these rather long-standing records."

It's also why the severe tropical weather of recent days has pounded Florida instead of coming to Texas.

The flow of air from the north has pushed the weather systems away.

"It's like it put up a shield," Prochazka said.

Normally, the prevailing flows in Houston during the summer come off the Gulf of Mexico, where the 80-degree waters keep the air warm and humid, even at night. Newcomers often complain that the worst thing about Houston in August is that it doesn't cool down at night.

Normal overnight lows for this time of the year are in the mid-70s.

Temperatures are coolest in the morning, which is also when there is the least wind and the most humidity, Prochazka said.

This explains why it was such a novelty to wake up this weekend and feel a cool breeze.

This has been absolutely unbelievable and wonderful for the past 4 days. I don't remember mid-August ever being like this. Unfortunately didn't get to take advantage though. Allergies kicked my butt on Saturday, we did buy a new mattress for Ryan, did some work outside on Sunday, and did watch a bunch of the Olympics. - Marc
HoustonChronicle.com - Cold front treats city to record low temps