Austin, TX

Austin can’t shake rain chances. Here’s where flood risk persists in parts of Texas

Published

8 months ago

July 11, 2025

Austin can’t shake rain chances. Here’s where flood risk persists in parts of Texas

Roberto Villalpando, Texas weather science editor
| Hearst – Austin Transition

Austin can’t shake off its rain chances just yet. Although we’ve been able to enjoy at least a couple of rain-free days this week, the National Weather Service forecast calls for a 40% chance of afternoon rain on both Saturday and Sunday, thanks to surge in atmospheric moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.

Daytime temperatures in Austin will steadily increase over the coming days, including afternoon highs of 93 on Saturday and 95 on Sunday. Southerly winds of 5 to 10 mph that have been delivering moisture-rich air from the Gulf means humidity will make those 90-degree temps feel closer to 100. Recent rains, though, have helped keep daily maximum temps to near or below normal levels for mid-July, but that will change soon.

Central Texas on Saturday will find itself dealing with an upper-atmosphere wave of low pressure that could trigger storms and an increasingly deep flow of Gulf moisture.

This has led the weather service’s Weather Prediction Center, which specializes in flood forecasts, to place the northern half of Texas under a level 2 of 4 risk, or at least a 15% chance, of excessive rainfall. A portion of Texas that includes flood-ravaged Kerr County and Interstate 35 corridor counties like Travis, Williamson and Hays, faces a level 1 of 4 risk, or at least a 5% chance of excessive rainfall.

Precipitable water values, or the amounts of liquid that could be condensed from water vapor in a given column of air, also are rising along and east of the I-35 corridor, the weather service said.

“This will promote the return for isolated to scattered rain/storm activity, with the greatest coverage likely in the Coastal Plains,” the weather service said in a forecast bulletin Friday.

Saturday night into Sunday, forecasters said, a shortwave trough of low atmospheric pressure out of Colorado will help drive a cold front southward into the Texas Panhandle.

“This boundary… results in increased rain and thunderstorm chances from West Texas to the Red River and northeastward through Oklahoma,” the weather service said. “Our local region looks to be more on the southern end of this weather system with primarily isolated to scattered rain/storm activity across our region through Sunday afternoon.”

Forecast modeling “continues to show the greatest footprint for rainfall and potential for any flooding instances centering from the Midland/San Angelo area northeastward to the Red River and into Oklahoma,” the weather service said, adding that “details, however, will continue to be fine-tuned.”

Rain chances diminish quickly as we enter the work week. Sunshine takes over the weather starting on Monday, as high temperatures in the mid-90s through midweek increase to 97 degrees Wednesday and Thursday.

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Austin, TX

Will the rest of Austin allergies seasons be as bad as cedar this year?

Published

6 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Will the rest of Austin allergies seasons be as bad as cedar this year?

Austin had a particularly itchy and drippy cedar fever season to start the year. Many winter days, from late December into February, had high or very high ashe juniper (aka cedar) pollen counts.

Central Texas has a year-round allergy season with mold popping up at any time. For the more traditional spring and fall allergy seasons, forecasters at AccuWeather are predicting some of the allergens across the country will be worse this year than average.

Texas, though, is a different story.

For grass allergies, which happen now through September, AccuWeather estimates Austin will have an average season. However, just west of the Interstate 35 corridor in the Hill Country to almost El Paso, that season is expected to be worse than normal.

“Texas may experience above-average grass pollen for a few weeks,” AccuWeather’s allergy report said, “though the season could be shorter-lived compared to northern areas.”

It all depends on the weather

How much rain we get in the next six months and the perennial Texas heat will all affect the growing season for grasses and weeds, as well as the amount of pollen trees produce. The Farmers’ Almanac and the Old Farmers Almanac are both predicting a wetter and warmer spring.

Rain helps plants grow, which can increase pollen production over time. However, rainfall during allergy season can also bring temporary relief by washing pollen out of the air. That’s what we’re expecting this weekend, with our first meaningful rain chance in nearly three weeks. Tree and weed pollen levels might briefly drop, but mold could spike because it thrives in damp, humid weather.

If spring continues with excessive heat like we saw in February, it could limit the growth of some plants and trees. Extreme heat can reduce how much they grow, and how much pollen they produce. On the other hand, if we get a healthy balance of rain and only slightly above-normal temperatures — not extreme heat — pollen counts could climb. That’s especially true as we head into April, typically our windiest month of the year, which helps spread pollen more easily.

How can you treat allergies in Austin?

If you are feeling the effects of allergies, here are some things you can do to lessen them:

Start taking allergy medication at least two weeks before your allergen’s season is supposed to start. Keep taking your allergy medication throughout your allergen’s season, even on low-pollen days.
Vary your allergy medication. You can take a nasal spray, an eye drop and an oral antihistamine at the same time to treat the different symptoms. If one kind of allergy medication isn’t working, consult your doctor about whether you should add a second one or switch out the medication.
Take a shower before going to bed.
Take off outside clothes or shoes when you get into the house.
Do a daily nasal wash such as a neti pot or saline spray.
Consider seeing an allergist to get drops or shots to lessen your reaction to the allergen.

Consider these household tips to improve your chances of keeping allergens away:

Change the filters in your house regularly during cedar fever season.
Vacuum and sweep regularly.
Change your sheets, especially your pillow regularly.
Keep doors and windows closed.
Clean out the vents in your home.
Have your home tested for indoor allergens such as mold.
Wash and brush the animals in your house to lessen the amount of allergens in the air.
Wear a mask outside or inside while you are trying to lessen the pollen or mold indoors.

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Austin, TX

Texas Primary: Breakdown of Texas races

Published

18 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Democrats tried to stop a mid-decade redistricting effort, but were unsuccessful. Now, we are starting to see some of the candidates emerging in those newly drawn districts. FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski gives a full breakdown.

Posted March 3, 2026 10:32pm CST

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Austin, TX

Remembering Jorge Pederson: Minnesota MMA fighter killed in Austin, Texas, shooting

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Remembering Jorge Pederson: Minnesota MMA fighter killed in Austin, Texas, shooting

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – A shooting on West Sixth Street in Austin, Texas, early Sunday morning, killed three people and injured more than a dozen others, according to the Austin Police Department. APD confirmed one of the victims was 30-year-old Jorge Pederson, a Minnesota man who worked as an MMA fighter for the Med City Fighting Championships.

“You meet tons of fighters and there are people that stand above the rest that you find you enjoy or find the most amusing,” MCFC Co-Owner Matthew Vogt said. “He was definitely one of them.”

According to Vogt, Pederson was also the owner of a Minnesota business called Metro Movers. Vogt said the MMA competitor touched everyone’s hearts since his first day of fighting professionally in Rochester.

“As soon as we met him when it was the weighing time, we just loved the guy already because he had a great mission or spirit about him,” Vogt said. “He was a funny guy and great fighter.”

Vogt told KTTC when he first saw the news that Pederson was killed, he could not believe what he saw.

“I was looking, like, ‘Wait a minute. Is this one of his shenanigans or did something actually happen there?’” Vogt said, recalling the moment he saw a social media post regarding the shooting in Austin. “I confirmed with a few people and I’m just like, sometimes, some things happen that you don’t even like, you don’t even know how to respond to it because it’s just so out of left field that you don’t immediately have a response to it.”

MCFC confirmed there is an online fundraiser dedicated to supporting Pederson’s family. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than $10,000 has been raised.

“He was someone that always could make anybody laugh,” Vogt said. “Support his family through the fundraiser and take a look at his Instagram especially to see how funny he was.”

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