National Weather Service
Wednesday forecast for Austin: Central Texas, build your arks now.
A flash flood watch has been extended until Friday morning for the Austin metro area, the National Weather Service says.
Heavy rainfall is expected in Central Texas beginning Wednesday through Thursday night, with anticipated widespread rainfall totals between 3 and 5 inches over the next two days, according to forecasters. Some locations could see as much as 10 inches in that same period, the weather service says.
With many parts of Central Texas saturated from previous rains this week and most of the region’s streams and rivers at elevated levels, any heavy rainfall will likely result in rapid flash flooding.
A flash flood watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding, the weather service says. Residents in the affected areas should monitor media reports and weather forecasts and be prepared to take action if flash flood warnings are issued.
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Meanwhile, Wednesday morning commuters need to watch out for patchy dense fog until 8 a.m. Areas from the eastern edge of the Hill Country to east of the Interstate 35 corridor face limited visibility of a quarter-mile or less, the weather service says.
Once the fog subsides, the chances for showers and thunderstorms producing heavy rainfall will ramp up. For Wednesday, rainfall amounts between ¾ inch and 1 inch are possible during the day and into the evening, forecasters say.
According to the weather service, it’s more heavy rain in the forecast for the rest of the work week and the weekend:
- A cold front on Thursday is expected to arrive in the Austin metro area, dropping daily temperatures and generating strong storms that could produce heavy rainfall throughout the day and night.
- Friday’s outlook anticipates another day with a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms with temperatures ranging from around 67 to 81 degrees.
- On Saturday, the chance for storms persists at 60 percent as north-northeast winds keep daily temperatures cooler below 80 degrees under mostly cloudy skies.
- By Sunday, the forecast includes a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms but sunshine could return as temperatures peak near 84.
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