Flooding, hail possible as storms begin rolling in Saturday afternoon, evening
Austinites should prepare for a cold front bringing heavy rain and isolated severe storms beginning Saturday afternoon and continuing through the evening, with the possibility of flooding, large hail and gusty winds.
The National Weather Service says several storms could begin accumulating across Central Texas between 1 and 4 p.m. Each storm is expected to bring the threat of hail. The weather service expects the chance of showers and thunderstorms to continue to build before 1 a.m., with winds up to 15 mph and gusts as high as 25 mph.
Forecasters say that not all storms will be severe, but the number of them will be so numerous that they could produce locally heavy rainfall and isolated flooding. Most places will see between a quarter inch to a half-inch of rain, but 2 to 3 inches are possible in spots, weather service officials said.
The storms also are expected to bring in cooler temperatures, with temperatures to remain in the lower 70s and lows tonight in the mid 50s.
While numerous storms are expected across South-Central Texas later today into tonight, a couple of these could become severe with the threat of large hail and damaging winds. Additionally, locally heavy rainfall may occur with storms and could result in isolated flooding. #txwx pic.twitter.com/33VNaAJQ6U
— NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWSSanAntonio) April 20, 2024
Officials recommend that residents not drive around barricades as most deaths due to flooding occur in a vehicle.
Sunday is expected to be a cloudy with winds around 15 mph and gusts up to 25 mph. The high temperature is expected to be in the upper 60s and drop at night to the upper 40s.
By Monday, the sky will be clear and sunny. Winds will only go as high as 10 mph with a high of 72 degrees and a low of 53.
More: Concerned about your vehicle during a hail storm? Here's some tips to prevent damage.
With large hail a possibility on Saturday, here are some tips to protect your vehicle:
One simple and cheap option is to use any cardboard boxes you have. Flatten them, either double-folded or single to cover more area, and use heavy items to hold the cardboard slats down on your vehicle.
Potting soil bags can absorb the impact of the hail: an average bag costs about $14 and can be found in any store’s gardening section.
The moving blankets that your mom or grandmother gave you that are just sitting in your closet can be placed on top of your windshields and top of your car.
Staff writer Marley Malenfant contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Storms could bring heavy rain, hail beginning Saturday afternoon
