More showers and storms possible through Halloween, stormy cold front blows in around Election Day

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- An active Pacific jet stream now tracking through Texas will keep plentiful clouds and some rain chances around Southeast Texas through Halloween. Next week, a more powerful system will approach on Election Day to bring a stormy cold front into Houston.

The moisture that brought us scattered showers on Wednesday will move into central Texas Thursday, dropping our rain chances down to just 10%. The sky will stay mostly cloudy as the remnants of Pacific storm Vance blow over Texas, but the bulk of the rains will avoid us and hit the western half of the state. Our temperatures will go form lows in the mid 60s to highs in the low 80s with limited sunshine.

Higher moisture levels return on Friday along with more jet stream disturbances, and that will push rain chances up to at least 30% Friday afternoon, climbing to 40% Friday evening and Friday night.

What's the weather outlook for Halloween?

We should prepare for a very warm, humid day with a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, especially in the afternoon. Lows will be around 70 with a high in the mid 80s. Temperatures will fall back toward 80 at the start of trick-or-treat time with high humidity. Some of that rain could linger past 5PM, but overall we expect the rain to diminish as the evening wears on. Just prepare for sticky air that could leave you sweating under that costume.

And what about for Election Day?

A big dip in the jet stream will likely send a strong storm system into the Plains on Election Day, which would force a stormy cold front into Texas as voters head to the polls. This is the kind of weather pattern that could bring strong storms in addition to gusty winds. It's a bit too early to nail down the exact timing, storm strength, and impacts here around Houston, so stay tuned! If you don't want to risk dealing with bad weather on Election Day, you might consider taking advantage of early voting, which runs through Friday.

What are you tracking in the tropics?

We are monitoring what's left of Pacific storm Vance just offshore from Mexico. For a more in-depth discussion on what's happening in the tropics, visit our Daily Tropical Update page.

13 ALERT RADAR MAPS:
Southeast Texas
Houston
Harris County
Galveston County
Montgomery/Walker/San Jacinto/Polk/Grimes Counties
Fort Bend/Wharton/Colorado Counties
Brazoria/Matagorda Counties

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