SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Welcome to Wednesday! Temperatures will be slightly cooler today at the expense of widespread thunderstorms that could bring heavy rain to most of our neighborhoods. A Flood Watch is now in effect through tomorrow afternoon. The Flood Watch covers most of northwest Louisiana, southern Arkansas, and east Texas. Flooding of creeks, roads, and poor drainage areas will be possible over the next 24-36 hours. Areas in the Watch could receive 2 to 4 inches of rain thorugh Thursday afternoon, with isolated amounts up to 5 inches.
Flash Flood Watch through 1 p.m. Thursday
Potential rainfall accumulations thorugh Thursday night
Storms to increase by the late morning and afternoon: An area of low pressure is moving up the Texas coastline and will push widespread thunderstorms and heavy rain into the ArkLaTex today. Multiple rounds of storms will be possible from the late morning through the evening, and possibly into tonight.
The severe weather threat remains low, but a storm or two today could bring damaging downburst winds, with a slightly lower risk for hail or a brief tornado or two. This area of low pressure could bring the shear and spin for a weak tornado to develop during the afternoon and evening. A ‘marginal risk’ of severe weather is forecast for areas along and south of I-20.
Severe weather risk Wednesday
Rain to drop temperatures a few degrees: Since the rain is expected to begin early in the day it will hold our temperatures in the 70s for much of the day, with a lot of locales briefly reaching 80 degrees before the steadier bands or rain and thunderstorms arrive. It will also be breezy with a southeast wind of 10 to 15 miles per hour gusting to 20 to 25 miles per hour.
Expected high temperatures Wednesday
Scattered storms to continue Thursday, Friday, and into the weekend: The final round of heavy rain may move through early tomorrow morning, with the chance of rain becoming more isolated by Thursday afternoon.
The warm and humid pattern will keep the chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms in the forecast thorugh the weekend. We will likely wind up with much of the ArkLaTex receiving 3 to 6 inches of rain by the weekend.
The wet weather pattern shows some signs of easing up early next week as a cold front will push some drier air into the region by next Tuesday and Wednesday.
