Flood Potential SoCen TX
From
Mike Powell@618:250/10 to
All on Sun Mar 8 08:48:38 2026
AWUS01 KWNH 081237
FFGMPD
TXZ000-081700-
Mesoscale Precipitation Discussion 0050
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
736 AM EST Sun Mar 08 2026
Areas affected...South-central Texas...
Concerning...Heavy rainfall...Flash flooding possible
Valid 081235Z - 081700Z
SUMMARY...Slow moving cells capable of 1.75"/hr rates near the
Southern Balcones Escarpment/San Antonio Metro may pose localized
flash flooding concerns through mid-morning.
DISCUSSION...EWX RADAR and GOES-E 10.3um EIR continue to show
increasing coverage and cooling top/intensifying thunderstorms
across south-central Texas. Return weak southerly moisture flux
over the shallow cold front across Deep South Texas combined with
favorable divergence in the exit/diffluence of upper-level jet max
has enhanced scattered early morning shower activity into
deeper/broader updrafts capable of intense rainfall. VWP at EWX
combined with RAP analysis suggests a recent uptick in 850-700mb
flow to 15kts, but generally into the northern limit to the weak
isentropic ascent providing this additional convergence to
generate/expand convective activity. CIRA LPW shows sfc-850 and
850-700mb tight moisture gradient indicative of the shallow front
with values near .8-.9 and .5" respectively. The loading of this
1.5 to 1.75" total PWat into the cells has increased rainfall
efficiency to support 1.5-1.75"/hr rates, especially the broader
cell in Bexar county, which also shows solid suggestion of upwind redevelopment.
Deep layer steering driven mainly below 700mb has more of a slow
northward shift within broadly westerly flow, which is also nearly
parallel to the moisture/flux gradient. This may allow for short
periods of repeating to allow for hour plus duration or random training/repeating from upstream cells too. Spots of 2-3" are
possible in 1-2 hours though the mid-morning (through 15-17z)
until favorable jet divergence slides further eastward/weakens as
well.
Proximity to San Antonio Metro/broad urban center and Balcones
Escarpment will likely be the greatest driver of flash flooding
potential. Naturally low FFG along/north of the city with hourly
values between 1.5-2" are well within the potential of low-end
exceedance and suggestive of localized possible incident or two of
flash flooding, especially if combined with hydrophobic urban
setting, further compounding run-off potential. Though south of
the escarpment across the sandier Coastal Plain, FFG values
increase rapidly and therefore flooding risk would be considerably
lower, but still non-zero.
Gallina
ATTN...WFO...CRP...EWX...HGX...
ATTN...RFC...FWR...NWC...
LAT...LON 29999741 29759663 29389614 28909595 28569640
28349786 28389910 28619953 28919971 29259965
29649922 29919843
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* Origin: Capitol City Online (618:250/10)