FEWER STORMS LIKELY WEDNESDAY...COLD FRONT DUE THURSDAY NIGHT / FRIDAY MORNING....RESULT = A BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND !

12:05 AM WEDNESDAY UPDATE:

Showers and storms were much more numerous on Tuesday with very heavy rainfall in some areas and some brief gusty winds. No major damage was reported but several areas had wind gusts of 25-35 mph which broke some small tree limbs. The major impact was the heavy rain which amounted to 1.5"-3.0" in a few bands...one extending from near Gilmer to Avinger and to near Atlanta, another one from just east of Sulphur Springs to just west of Mount Pleasant and a third one extending from Palestine to near Jacksonville. Otherwise, the heavy amounts were more scattered. A few pockets of close to 1 inch rain totals occurred near Hemphill, Lufkin, just east of Crockett, and near Lindale and Mineola. Longview saw some moderate showers with amounts ranging from just a few hundredths to about a half inch with heavier totals just to the northeast and southeast of Longview. Tyler somehow missed almost all of the rain, with heavy storms noted down toward the Troup - Arp area and also to the northwest around Lindale. All showers and storms have now dissipated and the rest of the late night and early morning will be quiet with partly cloudy skies, very humid conditions and even some patchy fog out in the country.

Wedmesday will be partly sunny, very warm and humid with a few more scattered showers and storms popping up during the midday and afternoon hours. However, they should be fewer in number than on Tuesday and concentrated mostly in eastern areas as the upper tropical wave starts to turn around and move slowly eastward.

Much of Thursday will probably be rainfree, but a fairly strong cold front will approach from the north during the afternoon and showers and storms will be very likely from Thursday evening into Friday more. During that time, a few storms can be heavy and even severe.

By Friday afternoon or evening, that front should push far enough off to the south to allow drier and slightly cooler air to move from the north. This means a sunny and very nice weekend with cooler early mornings and warm, but less humid afternoons. The more comfortable weather should last through the early part of next week, before it gets hotter and more humid again.

TROPICAL UPDATE:

***HURRICANE BILL HAS NOW REACHED CATEGORY 3 STATUS WITH TOP SUSTAINED WIND OF 125 MPH. IT CONTINUES TO MOVE WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AT ABOUT 15 MPH. IT WILL PASS TO THE NORTH OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS ON THURSDAY AND THEN HEAD TOWARDS BERMUDA, PROBABLY AS A CATEGORY 4 STORM WITH TOP WINDS OF 130-150 MPH. THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH THAT WILL BE MOVING INTO THE EASTERN U.S. SHOULD CONTINUE TO CURVE BILL MORE TOWARDS THE NORTH WITH TIME, MEAINING THAT IT AFTER IT PERHAPS DEALS A BIG BLOW TO BERMUDA IT WILL PROBABLY MISS THE EAST COAST OF THE U.S., CAUSING SOME HIGH SEAS, BUT NOT MUCH WIND. HOWEVER, PLACES LIKE NOVA SCOTIA AND NEWFOUNDLAND COULD BE IN FOR A HIT BY LATE IN THE WEEKEND OR EARLY NEXT WEEK.****

FORECAST DETAILS:

OVERNIGHT: Partly cloudy and humid with some patchy fog forming, especially out in the country. Lows: 71-76. Winds SE 5-10 mph.

DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny, very warm and humid with a few more scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms developing, especially in eastern areas...(overall rain chances: 40%). A few storms can be briefly heavy with gusty winds. High temperature near 93, but cooler in afternoon scattered storms. Winds SSE 10-20 mph.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Scattered storms dissipating during the evening, partly cloudy and humid. Lows: 72-75.

THURSDAY: Partly sunny, hot and humid. High near 95. Storms may move in from the north by late afternoon or evening. Winds: SSE 10-15 mph.

Tunderstorms likely Thursday night into Friday morning...a few can be heavy...Rain chances: 60%.
Clearing by late Friday afternoon. High just 88. Winds South, becoming N 10-20 mph.

SATURDAY and SUNDAY: Mostly sunny and mild, with lower humidity. Saturday's temperatures; Low: 68, High 90. Winds NE 10 mph. Sunday's temps: Low 67, High 91. Winds NE 10 mph.

MONDAY and TUESDAY: Mostly sunny...continued mild early morings: Lows: 66-70...Warm but dry afternoons... Highs: 92-94. Winds ESE 10 mph.

Scott Chesner