Rain & Fire in the Forecast Thursday Night & Friday

SAN ANGELO – A complex set of weather phenomena will converge on West Central Texas Thursday and Friday producing windy and cloudy conditions with a slight chance of thunderstorms and increased wildfire danger.  

There's abundant moisture from the Gulf of Mexico streaming into the upper atmosphere that will combine with instability coming down from the north and a Pacific Cold front blowing in from the west.  Those elements will combine to create a chance for thunderstorms Thursday night and early Friday morning, the clear the way for high winds, blowing dust and increased wildfire danger Friday afternoon.  

The best chance for thunderstorms will occur between midnight and 7 a.m. Friday when a broken line of thunderstorms should develop along a dry line west of the Concho Valley and move rapidly east.  The rain and thunderstorms will be short-lived and will move out of the area quickly.  The rain chance is 60% but the rain and thunderstorms will be broken and scattered.  

Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service office in San Angelo says there will be blowing dust as west winds will increase to 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph.  Expect a Wind Advisory to be issued if sustained wind speeds reach the criteria necessary.  The wind will be much drier and elevated wildfire conditions will occur; however, wind speeds will not reach Red Flag Warning levels Friday afternoon. 

By the weekend, look for drier conditions with low temperatures in the 40s and highs in the 70s.