Rain to provide drought relief to south-central US early this week

November 7,2016; 9:51PM,EDT

 

 

Drought-stricken areas of the south-central United States will receive some welcome rain early this week.
"The most recent high pressure system that has kept the South Central states dry will slowly shift east early this week," AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda said.
This will allow the stormy weather which affected Texas on Sunday to slowly slide east into the lower Mississippi Valley, he said.
The AAA Texas 500 NASCAR race at Texas Motor Speedway was delayed as the rain moved into the Dallas area on Sunday.

Areas of rain are expected to expand across central and eastern Texas and Oklahoma on Monday before continuing eastward and engulfing Louisiana by Tuesday.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, much of Louisiana and part of eastern Texas are currently under moderate-to-severe drought conditions.
Houston received only 0.19 of an inch of rain from Oct. 1 to Nov. 5, compared to the average expected rainfall of 6.46 inches between Oct. 1 and Nov. 5. Over 0.70 of an inch of rain fell in Houston on Nov. 6.
Rain will be more widespread across the Houston area through Tuesday, which will provide some much-needed drought relief.
The drought is more severe east of the Mississippi River. Jackson, Mississippi, is facing near-extreme conditions.
"If rain reaches Jackson, Mississippi, on Monday night or Tuesday, it will be the first rainfall since Oct. 20," AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff said.
Where the ground is particularly dry, increased runoff will heighten the threat of localized flooding in low-lying and poor-drainage areas.
Water ponding on area interstates and highways will heighten potential for vehicles to hydroplane.
The amount of moisture available in the atmosphere will determine how far east the rain extends on Tuesday night and Wednesday.
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Another shot of dry air will move south through the region, which would squash the showers and storms before they are able to make it into parts of northern Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, Sojda said.
This will limit any beneficial rain to the immediate Gulf Coast, he said.
The rain may fizzle before reaching Pensacola, Florida, where the last measurable rainfall was recorded on Sept. 27. From Sept. 27 to early November, the city usually receives over 6.50 inches.
By Thursday morning, mainly dry conditions will dominate the region's weather once again.
Story written by AccuWeather Meteorologist Faith Eherts