Election eve storms possible before a cold front clears the sky for voting day
Forecasters put parts of the region under a marginal to slight severe risk for Nov. 2, with the highest tornado odds northeast of Abilene.
Weather & TrafficThe Storm Prediction Center put parts of the Big Country under a marginal (1 of 5) to slight (2 of 5) risk of severe weather for Monday evening, Nov. 2.
Damaging wind and large hail were the main threats. A few tornadoes were possible, mostly in Knox, Haskell, Throckmorton, Shackelford and Stephens counties northeast of Abilene. The flood risk was marginal and limited to the southeast.
Forecasters expected storms to start forming around 5 p.m. over the central counties along a dryline and cold front, then grow and push east. Morning clouds were the wild card: without some clearing, storms might not get going at all.
Behind the front, Election Day was forecast to be seasonable, sunny and breezy.
Forecasters also explained the tiers of severe thunderstorm warnings. A base warning is the usual kind. A 'considerable' warning means winds of 70 mph or more or golf-ball-size hail. A 'destructive' warning sets off a Wireless Emergency Alert on phones.
