0.5 inches of rain expected to hit San Antonio before noon
A fast-moving cold front brings light showers to Bexar County on Election Day, with dry conditions returning by midday.
By Samir Patterson ·
Voters in Bexar County should expect wet conditions at the start of Tuesday's polls. The National Weather Service forecasts that more than half of the San Antonio area will experience showers on Monday night and into early Tuesday morning. Precipitation is projected to total about half an inch, with some areas receiving slightly more.
The weather system is a fast-moving cold front. It triggers precipitation both ahead of and behind its path. The NWS stated that by Tuesday morning, most shower and thunderstorm activity will be located over the I-35 corridor. The agency predicts the activity will push into the Coastal Plains by late morning and leave the area entirely by noon or possibly sooner.
The timeline for this weather event began with the front's approach on Monday. The system is designed to move quickly through the region. This speed limits the total rainfall volume. The front also brings a shift in atmospheric conditions that will affect the rest of the week.
Tuesday is the day for general elections. Polls in Bexar County will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Early voters will face the worst of the weather. The rain should begin to taper off by midmorning and disappear by midday. Humidity levels are expected to drop from nearly 90 percent at 8 a.m. to around 50 percent by 11 a.m. and remain there through the afternoon. Cloud cover will also diminish by mid-morning.
Temperatures on Tuesday will remain mild, staying in the 70s. This follows a period of cloudy skies. The front ushers in a mild work week for the remainder of the week. Afternoon highs will be in the mid-70s from Wednesday through Friday. Sunrise temperatures will be in the upper 50s.
A second cold front is expected to lower weekend highs closer to 70 degrees and drop early morning lows into the lower 50s. The exact timing of this second front remains difficult to predict with current data. For the month of November, the NWS reports that typical highs range from the lower 70s to the upper 60s, while lows dip into the 50s. A few days with highs in the 80s are still possible. The first freezing temperatures of the season often arrive in late November, particularly in rural areas near San Antonio.
