Bob Peters Forecast

A cluster of showers and thunderstorms affected much of the northern half of the region Saturday, with a couple of warm and dry days until the chance for thunderstorms returns Tuesday. Tyler City picked up 0.03 inch of rain between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., with the airport measuring 0.02 inch.

Along Red River, amounts of nearly two inches were reported. The thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front, which became stationary over Southeast Oklahoma. They moved rapidly southward and continued intense as far south as a Jefferson-Mount Pleasant line, before weakening rapidly and slowing.

The Texarkana airport clocked a peak wind gust of 61 mph at 5:52 a.m. as the thunderstorm line was approaching. Severe thunderstorm warnings were required early Saturday for all or parts of Red River, Bowie, Cass, and Marion Counties.

Urban flood advisories were required for Hunt, Delta, and Hopkins Counties at late- morning, as well as a flash flood warning for Fannin and Lamar Counties.

The following area stations reported one-half inch of rain or greater Saturday morning: DeKalb 0.76, Pat Mays Lake 1.45, Toledo Bend 0.62, Monkstown 0.50, Wright Patman Dam 0.82, Arthur City 1.59, and Clarksville Forest Service 0.57. Areal coverage of the showers and thunderstorms was near 100 percent north of IH30, about 50 percent between IH-20 and IH-30, and under 10 percent south of IH-20. The shower activity largely dissipated after crossing the IH-20 Corridor early in the afternoon.

Saturday’s temperatures ran about 5 degrees lower than those of Friday, and were a couple of degrees below normal. Temperatures on both Sunday and Monday should run several degrees warmer. Low temperatures were from the middle 60s in the north where the stronger thunderstorms occurred to the middle 70s in the south. These were up to 8 degrees cooler than those of Friday morning.

Low temperatures between Sunday and Tuesday should run in the 70s. Afternoon temperatures were from the middle 80s in the north to the middle 90s in the south. These were up to 5 degrees cooler than on Friday. High readings between Sunday and Tuesday should run in the 90s at all stations.

Skies were partly cloudy Friday evening, cloudy until mid-afternoon Saturday, and partly cloudy for the remainder of the day. Winds were light and southerly across the north and central counties, but became northerly to northeasterly with the thunderstorms over the north, before shifting back into the south Saturday afternoon.

Tyler’s highest sustaining wind Saturday was northeasterly at 22 mph with a peak gust of 26 mph and an average velocity of 8.9 mph. Friday’s average wind velocity was 10.2 mph. Southerly winds at 5-10 mph are likely Sunday and Monday, with winds going into the east on Tuesday. Saturday’s average relative humidity was 68 percent, with slightly lower average values likely Sunday and Monday. Friday’s average was 67 percent.