It was a record-setting rain for one part of town, while other areas saw under an inch of rain.
HOUSTON — The Houston area is drying out after all-day rain on Friday.
So how much rain fell? There were varying totals all across the Houston area. While Hobby Airport saw record-breaking rainfall, other parts of the Houston area saw significantly less.
Hobby Airport recorded 2.61 inches of rain, setting a new daily record for May 1, according to the National Weather Service. Bush Airport saw the highest official total in the Houston area at 3.59 inches.
Rainfall totals varied across region
The heaviest rain fell north of downtown Houston, while areas south toward Galveston and the coast received much less accumulation. These are 24-36 hour totals as of Saturday morning..
Heaviest totals (north/northwest areas):
Moderate totals:
– Bunker Hill Village: 0.86″
Light totals (south of downtown):
Even though Pearland was under an inch, that’s one of the communities hammered with a hailstorm a little after midnight.
Some areas saw much higher amounts
While official rain gauges showed totals ranging from less than a quarter-inch to nearly 4 inches, radar estimates indicated some localized pockets received significantly more.
A large swath between The Woodlands, Cypress and Kingwood saw some of the heaviest rainfall. Localized areas between I-10 and Highway 290, extending east toward Spring and the northeast side of Houston, may have picked up 4 to 6 inches over the 24 to 36-hour period, according to radar estimates.
Heavy downpours moved in from the west and southwest, repeatedly hitting the same areas and causing some localized flooding and high water.
Drought conditions improving
The rainfall is helping move drought conditions in the right direction across southeast Texas. The next drought monitor update Thursday is expected to show further improvement, though areas outside downtown Houston, including Spring, Montgomery County, League City and Galveston, remain in more severe drought levels
The frontal boundary that brought the rain also ushered in much cooler air, with temperatures Saturday morning in the lower to mid-50s and a breezy north wind pushing out humidity.
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