Don’t let the sunshine fool you. Quarter-size hail could be back in parts of the state by Saturday evening as another round of thunderstorms fires up across West Texas.
The National Weather Service in Lubbock says isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop across West Texas late Saturday afternoon and evening as temperatures climb into the upper 90s and low 100s.
While many communities could stay dry, storms that do develop may quickly become strong. Forecasters say hail up to the size of quarters and wind gusts reaching 70 mph are the biggest threats, while locally heavy downpours could also lead to brief flooding in some areas.
Storms are expected to weaken later Saturday evening, but the unsettled weather pattern isn’t going anywhere just yet, according to NWS forecast discussion.
Daily chances for afternoon and evening thunderstorms are expected to continue through at least Tuesday or Wednesday. Localized heavy rain and damaging downburst winds will remain possible with each round of storms.
High temperatures will stay above average through the weekend, reaching near 100 degrees around Lubbock and as high as 106 degrees farther east across the Rolling Plains. A slight cooldown is expected early next week, though rain chances are forecast to linger before hotter and drier weather gradually returns by the end of next week.