Austin-Area Heavy Rain Ushers In Strong Winds, Hazardous Weather

AUSTIN, TX — Heavy overnight rain that yielded flooding conditions throughout the region has ushered in a "hazardous weather outlook" for much of Central Texas, according to weather officials.

The most noticeable aspect of the outlook from the National Weather Service are strong winds on Friday morning following a storm the previous night that dumped from one to three inches — up to seven in some spots — across the area.

As a result, a wind advisory is in effect for the Austin area until 4 p.m. Winds from the northwest are expected to blow between 20 miles per hour to 30 miles per hour, with gusts of up to 40 miles per hour expected.

Related story: Austin Flooding: Multiple Rescued From High Waters

The hazardous weather outlook covers a wide swath of South/Central Texas, according to meteorologists with the National Weather Service. In the immediate area, both Travis and Williamson counties are included in the outlook. Other area counties impacted are: Llano; Burnet; Val Verde; Edwards; Real; Kerr; Bandera; Gillespie; Kendall; Blanco; Hays; Bastrop; Lee; Kinney; Uvalde; Medina; Bexar; Comal; Guadalupe; Caldwell; Fayette; Maverick; Zavala; Frio; Atascosa; Wilson; Karnes; Gonzales; De Witt; Lavaca; and Dimmit.

In times of heavy wind gusts, residents are urged to secure loose items on their properties that may fly about and cause potential damage. This goes for patio parasols, children's toys and other items typically found in yards. Drivers also should take precautions when driving amid strong wind gusts:

• Use extra precaution when driving in strong wind. This means your senses should be extra sharp to anticipate difficulty staying in lanes when driving.
• It may go without saying, but worth repeating: Keep a firm grip on the steering wheel when driving in the midst of strong winds. Conditions can shift rather suddenly — especially if winds reach that top 40 miles per hour being predicted — and can make for challenging driving. If you feel your vehicle moving, keep both hands on the wheel in anticipation of defensive action. This is particularly important when driving a large vehicle or towing a trailer.
• Keep an eye on larger vehicles sharing the road with you. Tractor trailers and recreational vehicles such as Winnebagos are especially vulnerable to high winds, and drivers may experience difficulty staying in their lanes amid strong gusts.

In some spots covered by the advisory, elevated to near-critical fire weather conditions are possible after protracted periods of low precipitation. This is the case in Val Verde County where Del Rio, Texas, is located. "Elevated to near critical fire weather conditions are possible across Val Verde County this afternoon due to minimum humidities of 15 to 25 percent and northwesterly winds of 15 to 25 mph with higher gusts in an area that has had little or no rain recently," weather officials wrote.

This being Texas, however, residents in the Austin area can expect a significant shift by Sunday when temperatures will reach near 80 degrees. Clear skies are expected this weekend, but the chances of more rain increase into mid-week after that. Here's the outlook for the coming days as predicted by the National Weather Service meteorologists:

• Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers before 10am. Partly sunny, with a high near 59. North northwest wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Friday night will be partly cloudy, with a low around 46. North northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
• Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 71. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Saturday night is expected to be clear, with a low around 47. West southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
• Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 78. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Sunday night to be clear, with a low around 52. South southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
• Monday: Sunny, with a high near 78. North northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south southeast in the afternoon. By Monday night, a 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms will develop. Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
• Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 71. Northeast wind around 5 mph. The chance of showers and thunderstorms increases to 40 percent by Tuesday night, with a low around 52.
• Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 60. Wednesday night will bring a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.