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San Antonians will have to endure three hot and muggy days to start this work week, but the tropical remnants of Hurricane Polo and a Pacific cold front are on the way to the Alamo City.
The National Weather Service on Monday said in excess of two inches of rain could fall on the area, but it had low confidence on exactly where the rain would fall. Local residents are encouraged to stay weather-aware this week since sudden flash flooding cannot be ruled out. Occasional wind gusts of 20 to 25 miles per hour start on Monday night and continue through Thursday.
Highs will persist in the mid 90s until Wednesday. But rain arrives around midday on Wednesday to begin to cool temperatures down. At least half the area should see rain on Wednesday. Virtually all of the area should see showers on Thursday and Friday.
Highs on Thursday and Friday will drop to near 80 due to the cold front and related rain showers and cloud cover. Wakeup temperatures on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday could drop into the upper 60s to create the mildest weekend, probably since late winter. There is much uncertainty about shower activity this weekend.
Motorists will need to plan for longer, rainy commutes by mid-week. With flash flooding a possibility, low water crossings can be quickly submerged in water. Even just a foot of fast-moving water can sweep a vehicle away. The weather service has said most flood deaths involve motorists attempting to cross a flooded lower water crossing.
The area from San Antonio to Austin has been dubbed "flash flood alley" by the weather service since it can change from abnormally dry to flooded in a short amount of time.
The storm system will continue to weaken on its approach to San Antonio, but will still have some punch out west, where more significant flash flooding was expected.
Forecasters said the heaviest rainfall there would be from Tuesday night through Thursday, mainly east of a Sweetwater to Ozona line, with widespread rainfall up to three inches.
Isolated totals of around 10 inches are not out of the question by Thursday night, mainly east of a Coleman to Sonora line. Travelers on I-10 through far West Texas are especially advised to keep an eye on weather forecasts.
A wind gust of up to 60 miles per hour was reported around 6 p.m. on Sunday in Sonora, about 170 miles northwest of San Antonio via I-10.
