Excessive Rainfall Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
734 PM EST Sat Nov 29 2025
Day 1
Valid 01Z Sun Nov 30 2025 - 12Z Sun Nov 30 2025
...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL FOR PORTIONS OF
SOUTHEAST TEXAS...
Inflow at 850 hPa is confluent in the vicinity of I-10 across
Southeast TX. MU CAPE in and near the Middle TX Coast is 1000+
J/kg, and has been declining. Effective bulk shear of 30-45 kts has
led to occasional cell organization, with organized activity
moving east while less organized convection moves northeast (an
environment favorable for cell mergers). Mesocyclone formation is
possible in this environment. The combination of convection along
a warm front in and near Houston at the present time and incoming
convection associated with a cold front moving in from the
northwest could also lead to cell mergers at 04z or so across
Southeast TX. MU CAPE is forecast to retreat southwest and weaken
further, which could lead to backbuilding and short periods of
cell training. The atmosphere is saturated with precipitable water
values around 1.5".
The mesoscale guidance shows a bit of dispersion, with some
indicating a maximum west of Houston, the HRRR insisting on the
Houston Metro area itself, while other pieces of guidance are near
or a bit north of Beaumont. This allowed the Marginal Risk to be
maintained and expanded. Widely scattered instances of flash
flooding are possible as hourly rain amounts maximize near 2.5" and
local totals reach 5". Should this occur over an urban area,
Slight Risk impacts would be possible.
Day 2
Valid 12Z Sun Nov 30 2025 - 12Z Mon Dec 01 2025
The probability of rainfall exceeding flash flood guidance is less
than 5 percent.
Orrison
Day 3
Valid 12Z Mon Dec 01 2025 - 12Z Tue Dec 02 2025
...THERE IS A MARGINAL RISK OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL FOR MUCH OF THE
NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL GULF COAST INTO THE SOUTHEAST...
2030Z Update...
The 12Z suite of guidance is generally a bit faster with the
ejection of shortwave energy and surface wave activity across the
Gulf Coast states and into the Southeast for this period. However,
there will still be an expansion area of convection focusing across
areas of southeast TX/LA and east-northeastward across the Deep
South and interior parts of the Southeast. There remains
uncertainty with just how much instability can pool northward away
from the Gulf Coast as most of the guidance focuses the stronger
instability along and offshore of the Gulf Coast, but there will be
plenty of warm air advection, moisture transport and at least some
elevated instability to focus an elongated corridor of heavy
showers and thunderstorms. Some localized swaths of cell-training
will be possible which may result in some 2 to 4 inch rainfall
totals. However, given the dry antecedent conditions, this is
expected to generally be an isolated flash flood threat and mainly
around the more urbanized locations. Therefore, aside from some
modest tweaks to account for the latest guidance, the Marginal Risk
area is maintained.
Orrison
Previous discussion...
A fast-moving progressive shortwave trough that extends from an
expansive upper level low over Canada will provide the upper level
forcing for cyclogenesis along a potent cold front that will
roughly parallel the Gulf Coast and Eastern Seaboard. The low will
begin to form along the Texas Gulf coast during the day Monday,
then track ENE across the Deep South, ending the period near the
South Carolina/Georgia border. As the low tracks along the Gulf
Coast, it will continually add Gulf moisture to its circulation,
while also thriving on the baroclinicity brought on by a
reinforcing cold air mass moving southeast from the Midwest. PWATs
in the warm, moist Gulf air mass will exceed 1.75 inches in some
areas. However, any instability will likely remain along the
immediate coast, with very little instability inland. This supports
an overrunning rainfall scenario, rather than an overly convective
one. A prolonged period of light to moderate rain is expected
across much of the South as a result. The heaviest rain is forecast
from near New Orleans northeast to the southern Appalachians. It's
in this corridor that the highest probability of flash flooding
exists. The qualifier to this statement however is that FFGs across
the Deep South are quite high as a result of recent dry weather
and therefore very dry soils. This will favor most of the rainfall
associated with this low being beneficial to affected areas.
Isolated flash flooding is most likely in urban or flood-prone
areas, as well as in the flashier streams that drain the Southern
Appalachians.
Wegman
Day 1 threat area: www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/94epoints.txt
Day 2 threat area: www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/98epoints.txt
Day 3 threat area: www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/99epoints.txt