CENTER OF STORM SYSTEM MOVES SLOWLY THROUGH EXTREME EAST TX.& INTO EXTREME WESTERN LA., BUT BACKLASH MOISTURE MEANS MORE SHOWERS

12:25 AM TUESDAY UPDATE:

*** A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM TUESDAY FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN COUNITES OF EAST TEXAS (including Smith and Gregg***

*** MOST THE HEAVY RAIN IS OVER...BUT SOME ADDITIONAL SHOWERS CAN STILL BE OCCASIONALLY MODERATE TO HEAVY, ESPECIALLY IN NORTHEASTERN AREAS WHERE AN ADDITIONAL 1"-2" OF RAIN CAN FALL IN SOME AREAS DURING THE NEXT 12-24 HOURS***

DISCUSSION:

Rain intensified across East Texas again Monday afternoon with some areas receiving an additional 2 to 5 inches of rain, especially near and to the east of a line from Sulphur Springs to Quitman and to Lake Palestine. This brought rain totals since Friday to 3 to 6 inches across most of the Tyley, Longview, Jacksonville and Henderson areas. Northern areas had even more rain with incredible totals of 12 to 17 inches in northeastern Wood county to the east of Winnsboro. A high water rescue occurred on CR 4583 and there were reports that parts of Highway 11 and FM 852 were impassable due to high water. Some of the flood waters have receded, but drivers should be especially careful when driving in Wood, northern Smith, Gregg, Upshur, Camp, Franklin, Titus, Morris, Camp, Marion and Harrison counties where many areas have received 6 to 9 inches of rain during the past couple of days.

The upper level and surface low pressure areas responsible for all of the rain has now moved into extreme East Texas, near the Louisiana border, just to the southwest of Shreveport, and will continue to move slowly eastward during the next 24 - 48 hours. However, unlike many storm systems that have most or all of their precipitation on their east side, this storm system has some backlash bands of rain on it's west side. These areas of rain are generally not as heavy as the earlier ones that moved through, but there still can be some moderate to occasionally heavy rain on some narrow areas of East Texas that can result in an additional 1 to 2.5 inches of rain in some spots during the next 24 hours. Showers should become fewer and lighter on Wednesday as the storm moves farther off to the east and then by Thursday and especially Friday skies should beocme mostly sunny....leading to a very nice weekend with sunshine and comfortable temperatures and humidity levels.

FORECAST DETAILS:

OVERNIGHT: Cloudy and mild with more periods of rain...generally light in western areas, but moderate to heavy at times in some northteastern areas. Low temperatures near 72. Winds NNE 10 mph.

DURING THE DAY TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy and continued mild with a few more showers. Rain chances: 40% West and 80% East. High temperatures: 75-80. Winds N 10-15 mph.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy with showers diminishing. Low 68.

WEDNESDAY: Variable cloudiness, including some sunshine...Still the chance for a few scattered afternoon showers, mostly in eastern areas...Becoming a little warmer. Highs: 78-82. Winds NNW 10-15 mph.

THURSDAY and FRIDAY: Sunny to partly cloudy and with comfortably warm afternoons. Lows near 65 with highs near 85. Winds NNW 10-15 mph.

SATURDAY through MONDAY: Mostly sunny and very nice. Lows: 63-67, Highs: 84-88. Winds N 10 mph.

Scott Chesner