Strong Thunderstorms Could Be Rolling Through East Texas Thursday
It is the season for the potential of strong to severe thunderstorms to develop in East Texas after all.
East Texas could experience another round of severe weather as another cold front will be making its way across East Texas Thursday morning through the afternoon. KLTV 7 Chief Meteorologist Mark Scirto has declared Thursday as a First Alert Weather Day due to the potential for a line of strong to severe thunderstorms that could develop along the cold front as it moves through.
The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center rates the chance of a significant severe weather event on a scale of one to five. Currently, all of East Texas is under a slight risk (a 15% chance of severe weather - 2 on the scale), while the northeastern sections of East Texas have an enhanced risk (a 30% chance of severe weather - 3 on the scale). Those areas include a line from Sulphur Springs to Tyler to Center and northeast.
What should we expect as the potential storms roll in?
Mark Scirto says we should be prepared for the potential of strong, gusty winds of up to 60-70 miles per hour as the thunderstorms move through. Some storms could produce locally heavy rainfall, so flash flooding could become an issue, especially for low-lying areas that receive a lot of rainfall. You'll want to take extra precautions to protect your vehicle because some storms could produce hail in excess of 1". The possibility of a tornado or two cannot be ruled out with these storms too.
What happens after the storms and the cold front move through?
It will leave behind some nice sunny conditions for the weekend, but temperatures will quickly warm into the upper 80s to low 90s for Saturday and Sunday.