Bob Peters Forecast

Showers and thunderstorms were moving southward through East Texas Monday, promising widespread rainfall to the area before they end early Tuesday.

A severe thunderstorm watch was in force for much of the region Monday afternoon and evening.

In addition, a flash flood watch was issued through Monday midnight for the area counties of Bowie, Franklin, Titus, Camp, Morris, and Cass.

Only one county, Bowie, had been placed under severe thunderstorm warning through 7 p.m.

Paris picked up 1.21 inches of rainfall between 3 and 5 p.m.

The activity was caused by a strong late-season cold front, which had reached the Interstate 30 corridor by 5 p.m.

There was a strong temperature contrast across the front. Paris reported 68 and Lufkin 95 at late-afternoon.

There were widely scattered showers ahead of the front in the warm and moist air mass.

Monday’s temperatures ran near those of Sunday, and were about 7 degrees above normal. Temperatures Tuesday should run close to normal, with slightly above readings for Wednesday and Thursday ahead of the next storm system due later this week.

Low temperatures Monday morning were from the middle to high 70s.

Afternoon highs were from the high 80s to middle 90s, with the sharp fall in temperatures behind the front coming after high readings were reached.

Skies were cloudy around daybreak, were partly cloudy in the warm air mass, and became cloudy behind the front.

Winds were southerly at 10-20 mph ahead of the front, and were northerly at 10-20 mph behind it.