12:10 p.m. update: A flash flood watch has been issued for the Austin metro area, starting Friday morning and ending Sunday morning, the National Weather Service said.
A flash flood watch means flash flooding is possible in or near the watch area, the weather service said.
The area affected by the flash flood watch includes Travis, Hays, Williamson, Bastrop and Caldwell counties.
According to the weather service, heavy rain will lead to flash flooding of roads, low-lying areas, creeks and streams. A threat exists for some minor to moderate river flooding, the service said.
Earlier: Areas across Travis County on Thursday morning are reporting at least a tenth of an inch of rainfall since midnight, according to rain gauges monitored by the Lower Colorado River Authority.
So far on Thursday, rainfall between 0.13 and 0.16 inch has fallen around Lake Austin, at least 0.12 inch has fallen near Manor, and a tenth of an inch has fallen near Onion Creek and U.S. 183.
Don Holmberg walks to work armed with an umbrella on Thursday in downtown Austin. (Laura Skelding / American-Statesman)Although precipitation has been mostly been in the form of light rain and mist on Thursday, many drivers around the Austin metro area reported traffic problems. The National Weather Service warns motorists that any significant moisture will stir up oils and dirt in the roads and highways that have otherwise been dry for several weeks.
According to the weather service, rain chances will gradually increase in Central Texas Thursday and Friday, with peak rainfall on Friday night through Saturday night. Locally heavy rains could occur anytime, though, through Sunday morning, forecasters said.
Total rainfall amounts from Thursday through Sunday could reach 4 to 8 inches across Central Texas, forecasters say, with pockets of 10 to 12 inches occurring in isolated areas.
The areas most likely to receive heavy rainfall, forecasters say, are eastern parts of the Hill Country and areas along and east of the Interstate 35 corridor, which includes the Austin metro area and wildfire-scarred Bastrop County.
The weather service warns that, despite the recent dryness, flash flooding is possible in the Austin metro area because of the volume of rain expected and that burn areas in Bastrop County will be susceptible to excessive water runoff that can overwhelm or damage creeks and streams.
The heavy rain also brings the potential for lightning, which could disrupt outdoor activities planned this weekend, including festivities surrounding the F1 races at Circuit of the Americas and the University of Texas football game scheduled for Saturday morning.
Residents are being urged by the weather service to keep an eye on weather updates, as flash flood watches could be issued later Thursday or at night.
