Rainfall Up to One Foot Expected For Parts of Texas This Weekend

Posted: May 12, 2023 11:25 am

Over a foot of rain could fall in some locations across Texas this weekend, creating a potentially life-threatening flooding situation. In addition to the torrential rain, the weather maker could bring strong winds, large hail, and tornadic activity.

What parts of the state will see the most severe impacts? Here are the details.

Stalled Front Responsible for Dreary and Dangerous Weekend for Texas

The Lone Star State is going to be in for a wet weekend thanks to a stalled front over the region. The repeated rounds of rain and severe weather could spell trouble for the next few days.

The storms will be a continuation of the multiple tornadoes that were reported over the Plains states on Thursday evening.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS) Storm Prediction Center (SPC), over one dozen preliminary tornadoes were reported in Oklahoma and Kansas. There were no fatalities or injuries associated with this outbreak.

The threat of severe weather will move to the south on Friday, putting much of Texas in the bullseye. This line of storms is predicted to move at a snail’s pace throughout the weekend as it brings up an immense amount of moisture-rich air from the Gulf of Mexico. Over a foot of rain could fall in the hardest hit areas.

Rainfall Forecasts

Forecasters are calling for widespread amounts of rain of 1 – 2 inches in an area stretching from the northeastern corner of Mexico up into southern Oklahoma. The area in Texas from Brownsville to Wichita Falls could see widespread rainfall amounts of 2 – 4 inches over the course of the weekend.

This is a part of Texas that has been under extreme or exceptional drought conditions, according to the latest data report from the U.S. Drought Monitor. While this amount of rain could help to ease these dry conditions, the continual bouts of heavy rain could also trigger flash flooding events.

The populated metro areas of San Antonio and Austin are likely to see some of the heaviest amounts of rain out of this stalled front with up to 6 inches of rain possible in just two days. The areas located west of San Antonio may see up to a foot of new rainfall by the time Mother’s Day comes to a close.

Temperatures will also fall thanks to the cloud cover and rain. For example, San Antonio will drop from highs in the upper 80s on Friday to highs that hover in the mid 70s on Saturday and Sunday.

Hazards Associated with Weather Maker

Local officials are warning travelers taking to the roads on the holiday weekend to exercise caution. Flooded roadways may be a common occurrence. Air travelers may also experience significant delays heading into early next week.

Severe thunderstorms may also be a possibility this weekend. These storms are forecast to deliver strong winds, large hail, and more. The storms will likely first fire up in Texas by Friday afternoon, lingering through the evening hours.

The worst of the severe impacts could fall along the border of Texas and Mexico just as government officials are bracing for a wave of migrants as Title 42 expires. This inclement weather could create a humanitarian crisis along the border for this vulnerable population.

A second round of storms is in the forecast for Saturday, primarily impacting the Gulf Coast and up through the border towns of Laredo and McAllen. Areas surrounding the Rio Grande River separating Mexico from the U.S. are forecast to see over 6 inches by the time the system wraps up.

The unsettled conditions will also bring along the risk of damaging winds and hail to this part of Texas off and on throughout the weekend.

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