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San Antonio could face damaging winds and hail ahead of Halloween weekend
The National Weather Service issued an updated forecast for the Bexar County and Texas Hill Country Regions Thursday afternoon, October 27. The slight risk of strong to severe storms, roughly 40%, has been expanded throughout most of the Hill Country.
The biggest potential for severe weather will begin in the early morning hours of Friday, after 4 a.m. and lasting through 4 p.m., according to NWS. The I-35 corridor is expected to be hit with storms during morning commute times, “mainly after 7 a.m.” Less substantial precipitation is possible in that area in the predawn hours.
The Hill Country is expected to see any hazardous weather between 5 a.m. and noon, while the Rio Grande Plains and Southern Edwards Plateau could see it as early as 4 a.m., but with a shorter window closing at 8 a.m.
While most of the rain is expected to be beneficial, damaging winds, up to 60-mph, and large hail, 1-inch diameter, are considered by NWS to be the biggest threat. However, there is also low potential for tornadoes, mostly during the day and along the coastal plains. The threat of flooding is thought to be low, but there is a possibility of brief, heavy downpours
Original Story:
The National Weather Service said that San Antonians can expect some possible isolated thunderstorms as a cold front moves into the area ahead of Halloween weekend.
The showers and storms will most likely occur overnight Thursday, October 27, through the next morning as the cold front approaches South-Central Texas, the NWS said noting that flooding risk is marginal because of the ongoing drought conditions and the “Overall threat for flooding is marginal given the progressive nature of the storms.” Brief downpours will be possible, the alert said.
The cold front blowing in Thursday will bring with it a chance for strong to severe thunderstorms, the NWS said in a weather alert. The storms will also have the chance to bring strong damaging winds and “an isolated tornado or two,” the alert said. Large hail is a possibility but the NWS said it’s not likely.
All of South-Central Texas, including the I-35 corridor, is in the range of impact for the expected storms. Forecast models show areas west of San Antonio as the most-likely to have severe impact including Frederickburg, Kerrville, Uvalde, and Eagle Pass.
Precipitation is expected in the form of showers between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., which may give way to thunderstorms. The forecast indicates the precipitation may drop in severity until 8 a.m. on Friday, October 28, after which chances for thunderstorms will pick back up until 2 p.m. Chances for storm and showers will drop after 2 p.m. which should give way to sunshine until rain chances drop off around 8 p.m.
Current forecast models show mostly sunny and clear weather through the holiday weekend and into next week. The cold front is expected to drop daytime highs in the mid-to-high 70s through the weekend and nighttime temps in the low-to-mid 50s.