While it did rain on this Friday, the amounts were far from the high totals forecast Thursday and the Flash Flood Watch expired earlier this evening. Here's what ended up in the rain gages on our exclusive Weather Bug network of sensors:
So how is it that we dodged the deluge? Yesterday, I was tracking a developing area of low pressure in South Texas. That low was forecast to move up the coast, which would have placed high rain totals directly onto Southeast Texas and the Houston area. As the low developed, it moved more over the Gulf of Mexico and that's where heavy rain did fall. Take a look at this estimate of rainfall from the HD Doppler radar:
The 8"-10" bulls-eye occurred, but well to our south over the Gulf of Mexico. The low is now tracking south of us tonight and is forecast to head for Louisiana over the weekend. In the wake of the rain, high pressure will build in and dry us out for the weekend.
A note about the Flash Flood Watch. Whenever a severe weather watch is issued, be it flash flood, tornado or severe thunderstorm, it is NOT a guarantee that a specific kind of severe weather WILL happen. It means that certain conditions exist or will exist that could lead to those severe weather threats. Sometimes, not all of the ingredients come together in the right way to produce the severe weather. However, we know the kinds of things that are usually present that lead to a certain kind of severe weather. So when we see those elements coming together, a watch is issued. Also, the National Weather Service issues the watch, not the meteorologists here at 11 News. A watch is a kinds of "heads-up" and while severe weather usually does result, it isn't always a sure thing. Thankfully, we missed it - this time.
