Austin has rain chances to look forward to this afternoon for the first time in over a month, but the first storms have already started east of I-35 as a weak front sags into the area during the hottest part of the day.
Meteorologist Zack Shields said the change is brief, with more storms expected to bubble up later today between 2 and 6 p.m. and rain that should be hit and miss rather than widespread. Shields said, “For the first time in over a month we have rain chances to look forward to this afternoon.”
That is why people in Austin are watching the forecast now. The air is still expected to run hot for several hours before any cooling showers arrive, with heat indices of 105 to 108 and a heat advisory still in effect for the I-35 corridor and areas east of Austin until 7 p.m.
The rain should help, but only a little. Totals are expected to stay under a quarter of an inch, and there is only a marginal risk of downburst winds from some of the storms. Even so, the extra moisture should be enough to downgrade wildfire risk to moderate for much of the area.
What matters next is not whether Austin gets rain at all, but how much of the city sees it in that 2 to 6 p.m. window. The setup points to scattered showers and storms rather than a steady soaking, which means some neighborhoods may get relief while others stay dry and hot.
FOX 7 Austin said the free FOX 7 WAPP provides radar, hourly, and 7-day weather information, and its weather alerts warn users early and help them stay safe during storms.
