San Antonio area under flash flood watch until Saturday morning

Traffic moves through collecting rainwater at Biz-Engleman and IH35 on September 20, 2013. Traffic moves through collecting rainwater at Biz-Engleman and IH35 on September 20, 2013. Photo: TOM REEL Photo: TOM REEL Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close San Antonio area under flash flood watch until Saturday morning 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO — The flash flood watch in the San Antonio area, all of South Central Texas, along the Rio Grande River and western Hill Country could be canceled late Friday night, according to an update from the National Weather Service.

As of 6: 30 p.m. it was still in effect until 7 a.m. Saturday, however.

Heavy rain is still expected in areas east of Interstate 35 for the next 6 to 12 hours, the update said.

The warning area is for people living in Bandera, Bexar, Blanco, Burnet, Comal, Gillespie, Hays, Kendall, Kerr, Llano, Medina, Real, Travis, Uvalde and Williamson counties.

Widespread rainfall from two to four inches is expected, and some areas could get as much as six inches.

Intense tropical downpours that have the potential to dump two inches of rain in an hour are expected to remain in the area throughout Friday night.

The area heaviest hit should be along Interstate 35 and the Hill Country with the most intense rains hitting between 3 p.m. Friday and 3 a.m. Saturday. The volume of rain has caused a flash flood watch for Bexar County as well as to the north and west, according to the weather service.

The chance for rain remains about 90 percent Friday morning and is expected to continue throughout the day and into the night.

Steve Smart, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service cautioned that Friday night football games, as well as any outdoor activity, could be affected by the rains.

Because of the moisture rich nature of the storm, lightning is expected but not nearly on the level of the typical spring time storms that mix warm and cool air, Smart said.

If flash floods hit, it likely would be to small streams and low lying areas according to the weather service

Any possible flooding wouldn't be nearly on the scale of what San Antonio experienced in late spring. The rains that caused that flooding were “more stable and had features to keep it stationary” as opposed to the fast-moving rains that are expected for the next couple of days, the weather service said.

Temperatures should dip down to the high 80s for Friday, but have the potential to bounce back to the mid 90s once the wet weather clears out after the weekend.

dpalacio@express-news.ne

Satff writer Michelle Mondo contributed to this report.