BurtonFitzsimmons.com

Camp Mabry obvserved a new daily record of 1.73″ of rain in only about an hour’s time this morning during rush hour as storms, moving northward from the coast, swept into Central Texas. We may see a repeat performance of yesterday’s three to nearly five inch rain totals as more heavy rain invades Central Texas through at least early Saturday. Today’s forecast holds the highest rain chance of the week at 80%, with a Flash Flood Watch that now extends to midnight. We’ve got the latest…

Local 24 rain totals, as of 6am, have been the heaviest in the nation:

Giddings 4.83″
Cedar Creek 3.20″
Lockhart 2.94″
Bastrop 2.06″
Smithville 1.16″
Jollyville 1.15″
Driftwood 1.13″
Longhorn Dam .93″
Manor .88″
Elgin .87″

This weather continues to look extremely wet and, for some, flooded a times today. When flooding rains hit, avoid travelling if at all possible — getting in a car is likely the most dangerous thing many of us will do today. Very heavy tropical downpours not only limit visibility, they add to the threat for hydroplaning, poor braking, and the potential you could end up in flash flood runoff. Be ultra-cautious especially at night when it’s hardest to see flood waters that may be covering the roads. Remember: Turn Around, Don’t Drown!

Futurecast depicts our upper-air disturbance near Val Verde along the Rio Grande Valley this morning. Its counter-clockwise spin helps draw in more Gulf moisture, which is fuel for more heavy rains! Several pockets of heavy rain continue to move northward from the Gulf towards the coast as upper-level winds there have relaxed.

Another two to five inches of rain could accumulate in some areas between now and early Saturday. As the upper-air disturbance gradually eases southwestward Saturday and Sunday, the rain chances will lower and the threat for flooding will gradually diminish. Temperatures, meanwhile, will pop back up to near normal as we head into next week. See the 8-day forecast for the specifics.

Stay dry and safe, and check back often here and with ‘Weather on the Eights’ for the latest updates.

Meteorologist Burton Fitzsimmons

Breaks in the clouds offered a beautiful sunrise over Central Texas, but the weather’s gone downhill since. Heavy showers and storms returned from the south just before lunch, moving into San Marcos with more than an inch during the noon hour. An overall 40% chance increases to 70% for tomorrow, so make your plans accordingly and carry that umbrella! Storms could again be strong at times through Friday before we get another break. A Flash Flood Watch continues until 4pm for much of the area.

Storms continue to fire as the heat of the day destabilizes our very tropical atmosphere. Doppler radar shows the heaviest just south of I-10 through the afternoon.

Futurecast shows the upper-level disturbance swirling almost directly overhead tomorrow, bringing us the highest rain chance of the week at 70%. We may see some three to five inch rain totals in a few spots across South and Central Texas during the next 48 hours, so prepare for what could turn out to be more more flash flooding on roadways and swollen waterways.

Forecast models have come to more of a consensus that this disturbance will gradually move southwest into Mexico this weekend, lowering the rain chance through Sunday. As rain chances lower, temps will move up closer to average (near 96) next week.

Enjoy your Wednesday.

Meteorologist
Burton Fitzsimmons