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Wild weather in East Texas possible; chance for wind gusts up to 40 mph this afternoon

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By Grant Dade - email
EAST TEXAS (KLTV) -

A blizzard is moving across the Texas Panhandle today and will move northeast into Oklahoma. The low pressure causing this blizzard will pull a cold front through East Texas bringing with it a chance of thunderstorms followed by very gusty winds. Most of the storms should be out of East Texas by the afternoon hour but it is at that time when the surface winds should really begin to increase.

Our extreme eastern counties along the Louisiana border are under a slight risk of severe thunderstorms today. Right now it appears that most of the severe weather should remain off to our east in Louisiana. A few of the storms as they cross the state line may produce some small hail and gusty winds but it will be what happened behind the storms that becomes today's big weather story. Wind!

Very strong gusty winds are being produced by the strong low pressure across the Panhandle. Winds at times have been gusting over 60 mph. The strongest winds will move across Oklahoma but areas of East Texas, especially along and north of I-20 will see winds gust at times as high or over 40 mph. This will cause small tree limbs to be knocked down, possibly hitting power lines and causing sporadic power outages.

Late this afternoon, the core of upper-level cold air will begin to move into our northern counties. The difference in temperature from the surface to 15,000 feet in the atmosphere will probably cause a few isolated showers, maybe even a thundershower to form. These will weaken as we lose the sunlight but isolated showers will remain possible throughout the overnight hours, mainly along and north of I-20. The the core of upper level cold air moves across the I-30 corridor, wet snow may mix in at times with the rain, especially under heavier precipitation. Surface temperatures will remain well above freezing so no travel problems are anticipated.

This storm system will move out of the area tomorrow but we will still feel its effect. Winds will remain quite strong averaging 20 mph tomorrow, but gusting at times as high as 30 mph. Another reinforcing shot of cold air will move into the area on Wednesday keeping temperatures below normal into the weekend. It looks as though we will be ushering in March with a freeze across most of East Texas.

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