Blog Article

Texas Flood Threat Looms Over Austin Country Festival

Heading to the iHeartCountry Festival in Austin? A stalled front is bringing severe storms, giant hail, and a significant flash flood threat to Central Texas.

Packing for the iHeartCountry Festival? Bring the Rain Boots.

Y'all know Austin is the place to be this weekend. The iHeartCountry Festival is taking over the city on Saturday. Folks are pulling out their favorite boots, booking their hotels, and planning their tailgates.

But if you are heading to Central Texas, you might want to pack a sturdy poncho alongside that cowboy hat. A stalled weather front is setting up right over the state, and it is bringing a whole lot of water and some serious storm energy before the music even starts.

Hail First, Rain Second

Before we get to the weekend, we have to get through today. The Storm Prediction Center has an Enhanced Risk for severe thunderstorms across the Edwards Plateau and into south-central Texas.

If you are out near Del Rio, Kerrville, or Fredericksburg, you need to be paying attention this evening. We are looking at a serious threat for very large hail. Austin and San Antonio are currently sitting in a Slight Risk. Normal highs around Central Texas this time of year sit right at 81 degrees, but the atmosphere is holding plenty of energy to turn that spring warmth into volatile storms.

The Flash Flood Threat

The bigger issue for festival prep and travel is the rain. The Weather Prediction Center has outlined a Slight Risk for excessive rainfall over Central Texas for Thursday and Friday.

We have a slow-moving front draped across the state. At the same time, rich Gulf moisture is streaming inland right over that boundary. That means storms are going to train. That is a meteorological term for storms moving over the exact same areas back-to-back, just like train cars moving down a track.

We are expecting 1 to 3 inches of widespread rain across the region. However, the local National Weather Service office in Austin/San Antonio is warning that isolated spots could see up to 6 inches by Friday night. Flash flooding is a very real concern, especially in the Hill Country where water runs off quickly into low-water crossings.

Meanwhile in Colorado

Just to show you how wild April weather gets, let us look northwest. While Texas deals with severe storms and flooding, the Rockies are getting a potent late-season winter storm.

A Winter Storm Watch is up for the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Colorado and northern New Mexico. We are talking 5 to 15 inches of heavy, wet snow above 9,000 feet. If your travel plans take you along I-70 or I-25 through the mountains over the next 48 hours, expect slick roads and messy conditions.

By the time the festival gates open in Austin on Saturday, the worst of the rain should be shifting east toward the Gulf Coast. But the ground is going to be saturated. Keep an eye on local road closures if you are driving in, and maybe leave the nice suede boots at home.

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