Bob Peters Forecast

Showers and thunderstorms should be widespread in the area Monday evening with the slight risk for severe weather and a few occurrences of heavy rainfall.

If this materializes, it will be the first significant rain in the region since mid-May.

Sunday was again warm, breezy, and humid in the region.

Temperatures ran near Saturday’s, and were about 6 degrees above normal.

Slightly lower readings are expected between Monday and Wednesday.

Low temperatures Sunday morning were a degree or so below Saturday’s, and were from the lower 70s in the east to the high 70s in the west.

Low readings Monday morning should be in the middle 70s, with near to lower 70-degree readings likely for Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

Afternoon high temperatures Sunday were from the lower 90s to middle 90s, and were near Saturday’s. High readings Monday and Tuesday should be a few degrees lower, with temperatures returning to the 90s on Wednesday.

Skies were again cloudy around dawn, and partly cloudy during the afternoon.

A cold front extended Sunday from Southeast Nebraska into Northwest Texas. This front is being pulled eastward by one in a series of upper air low pressure areas, which come ashore over the Pacific Northwest, and move eastward rapidly across the Plains.

Another of these systems is forecast to come ashore Tuesday night, and could affect the region later in the week.

With a strong contrast in air masses across the front, and good daytime heating Monday, there is the slight risk that some of these thunderstorms north of a Shreveport, La.-Huntsville line could become severe.

Along and north of IH-30, the activity should be most numerous Monday afternoon with large hail the primary threat.

By Monday evening, the thunderstorms should develop into a squall line, with the greatest threat coming from damaging winds and heavy rainfall.

Rainfall amounts of one-half to one inch are likely, with some heavier amounts.

With three weeks since the last significant rainfall in the area, flooding should not be a problem.

The time when thunderstorms are most likely in Tyler is between 7 p.m. Monday and 1 a.m. Tuesday.

A few showers could linger into Tuesday as the front becomes stationary, and then lifts back northward.

The upper air high pressure ridge, which again controls the area’s weather, should sink southward Monday and Tuesday.

With its brief return at mid-week, temperatures will warm, but should be closer to normal values than has been the case since mid-May.

Sunday’s highest sustaining wind in Tyler was southerly at 22 mph with a peak gust of 29 mph, and an average velocity of 13.4 mph. Saturday’s average velocity was identical.

Winds should continue southerly through mid-week, except for a brief shift into the west possible early Tuesday. Velocities will diminish to 5-10 mph through Tuesday night, but increase to 10-15 mph with higher gusts Wednesday.

Sunday’s average relative humidity was also identical with Saturday’s at 63 percent.

Higher values are likely Monday, with slightly lower values for Tuesday.

Tyler’s high temperature of 94 came at 3:58 p.m., following the day’s low of 76 at 5:48 a.m.

Measurable rain fell nowhere in the area Sunday, though there were a few light sprinkles near Centerville around 6 a.m.