NWS: 2-inch hail, 'critical fire weather' possible in San Antonio area

Severe thunderstorms, large hail and critical fire weather will possibly visit the San Antonio area Friday night as a strong storm system, dry line and cold front move through the area, according to the National Weather Service. less Severe thunderstorms, large hail and critical fire weather will possibly visit the San Antonio area Friday night as a strong storm system, dry line and cold front move through the area, according to the ... more Photo: National Weather Service Photo: National Weather Service Image 1 of / 44 Caption Close NWS: 2-inch hail, 'critical fire weather' possible in San Antonio area 1 / 44 Back to Gallery

Severe thunderstorms, large hail and what the National Weather Service calls critical fire weather could visit the San Antonio area Friday night as a strong storm system, dry line and cold front move through the area, meteorologists said.

There's a marginal chance of severe thunderstorms Friday afternoon to Friday evening along and east of the Interstate 35 corridor, according to the National Weather Service, who gave the forecast a 'low confidence' rating.

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If the thunderstorms do form, they could produce hail as large as 2 inches in diameter. Damaging winds also pose a marginal threat, according to the National Weather Service.

The cause of this weather, the National Weather Service says, is a strong storm system moving into the Central Plains that will bring with it a dry-line, which is a "a boundary separating moist and dry air masses, and an important factor in severe weather frequency in the Great Plains."

A cold front is then forecast to rush through the South Central Texas area on Saturday, possibly bringing more storms with it early in the day.

"Behind each of these wind shifts, windy and dry conditions are expected to make for favorable conditions for the spread of fires," meteorologists with the National Weather Service said in a statement.

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Val Verde, Kinney and Edwards counties will be under a critical fire weather watch on Friday afternoon and Friday evening, though meteorologist are expecting to raise that to a fire weather warming by mid-Friday.

The National Weather Service describes a fire weather watch as weather conditions in which there is very low relative humidity and strong winds, promoting the spread of wildfires.

"There's a really dry air mass and also behind it we are expecting to have breezy to windy conditions," said Orlando Bermudez, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "The combinations of those two make critical fire weather."

Bexar County faces an elevated to critical risk for fire weather conditions.

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Caleb Downs is a crime reporter for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here.| cdowns@mysa.com | Twitter: @calebjdowns