Houston could get severe weather Friday

Much of Houston and the surrounding area is under a marginal risk of severe weather Friday as gusty winds and heavy rain could pummel the area ahead of a cold front.

Rain could start as early as Thursday evening, and chances continue for Houston through Friday night, according to the National Weather Service. Parts of Houston can expect close to 2 inches of rain between Thursday and Friday evenings, NWS meteorologists predict.

Experts with the NWS Storm Prediction Center give much of the area a marginal risk of severe weather Friday, essentially ranking severe weather chances as a 1 on a 1 to 5 scale. That doesn’t mean that drivers and other Houstonians who might be out in the weather shouldn’t take heed.

By Friday evening, storms will be clearing out to make way for a pleasant weekend.

Friday night’s low will be in the lower 50s, according to NWS. Temperatures on Saturday are not predicted to break 70 degrees.

That temperature pattern will repeat itself until Monday, with predicted highs in the mid 70s. Rain chances and slightly warmer temperatures pick back up Monday evening.

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com