West Texas Under Flood Watches as Tropical Downpours Move In
After weakening slightly on Wednesday, Vance strengthened back into tropical storm status on Thursday. The moisture associated with this long-lasting storm is now flowing to the north and into Texas, threatening flash flooding for a large swath of the state. Here is the latest on this developing situation.
Texas Put on Alert for More Flash Flooding Concerns
A Level 2 out of 4 flash flood threat has been issued in a zone from Del Rio to Lubbock, Texas, on Thursday. Several flood watches have also been issued for portions of West Texas.
The surge of tropical moisture associated with Vance will track from the southwestern corner of the state on Thursday to the north as the day progresses. The persistent waves of rain showers and thunderstorms will be responsible for widespread rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches. The hardest-hit areas could see rain of up to 3 inches.
Places such as San Angelo will be ground zero for this soggy weather pattern. The community will see the rain intensify throughout the day Thursday, pairing with winds out of the southeast at 10 to 15 mph. The forecast is calling for rainfall near an inch overnight on Thursday and into Friday. This pattern will persist through the day Friday, adding to the already impressive rain totals. The cloud cover will keep highs in the low 60s on Friday in San Angelo. Winds will also pick up to speeds of 10 to 20 mph, adding to the misery.
The Lone Star State has been the frequent target of heavy rain as of late. The hyperactive Eastern Pacific hurricane season has largely been to blame for the repeated rounds of rain that continue to surge inland into the Southwest and beyond.
Looking Ahead to Friday
The line of tropical moisture will creep farther north on Friday, encompassing much of West and Central Texas before reaching Oklahoma. Forecasters with the National Weather Service (NWS) have issued a Level 1 out of 4 flash flood threat for portions of the Lone Star State and up into Oklahoma. Several large urban areas are included in this threat zone, including Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City.
Get out on Thursday for outdoor activities in Oklahoma City. The rain will move in by Friday, translating to a messy end to the work week. You can expect about a half of an inch of rain on Friday. Temperatures will also fall noticeably in the capital city, dropping from highs in the low 80s on Thursday to readings that top out in the upper 60s by Friday.
There is good news on the horizon for trick-or-treaters in Texas. The moisture machine is forecast to turn off late Friday and into Saturday as the rain lifts farther north. For instance, while Fort Worth will wake up to more rain on Friday, conditions are expected to clear by the afternoon. One last wave of rain could impact the city in the evening hours before drier conditions settle in for the weekend.
Most of the moisture will have been wrung out of this system by the time that its remnants reach the Midwest, resulting in spotty rain showers for this part of the U.S. on Halloween.
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