If you have outdoor plans in San Antonio on Thursday, May 21, you may want to rethink them. The National Weather Service (NWS) is warning that grey clouds are about to roll in.
Parts of South Central Texas, including Bexar County, are under a Flood Watch until 7 p.m., according to the agency. Many cities, including San Antonio, Boerne, and Uvalde, are at a level one or “marginal” out of five risk that storms in the areas will turn severe. These places could be hit by large hail of up to one inch, gusty to damaging winds, frequent lightning, and locally heavy rain, per the NWS.
Forecasters say these threats are most likely during the afternoon and nighttime hours. Still, there’s a 30% chance of rain before 1 p.m., so have an umbrella handy on your lunch run. The agency is urging residents to enable several ways to receive weather alerts, just in case.
“Activity will likely be isolated in nature so many will still see dry conditions,” forecasters said. “For storms that do form, continued high moisture in place will allow for a heavy rainfall potential, which could lead to localized flooding.”
Further Northeast, Austin, New Braunfels, and La Grange should expect thunderstorms, but are not currently expected to get too hazardous conditions. When it comes to which places could see excessive rainfall, meaning an amount that leads to isolated sections of flash flooding, San Antonio, Austin, and Pleasanton are among those named by the NWS. Forecasters say the Rio Grande Plains and areas east of the U.S. Highway 281 corridor will be most affected.
Despite the moisture, it will still be relatively warm, according to the seven-day forecast. Locals can expect a high of around 84 degrees during the day and a low of about 70 degrees after sunset.
Looking ahead, the NWS says Saturday, May 23, holds the highest (90%) chance for rain in San Antonio and most of its surrounding towns. Showers will return next week, but there will be a few more dry pockets allowing you to get out and enjoy the sun.