Dallas/Fort Worth residents woke up this morning to the soothing sound of rain falling on their roofs and the less pleasant thought of white-knuckle commutes as they faced clogged highways and moody Monday morning drivers.

Forecasts called for rain throughout much of the day as a system that began in the Gulf of Mexico as Tropical Storm Octave, along with a system from the Eastern Pacific, moved from South Texas in a northeasterly direction, leaving heavy rains and flooding in its wake. Some reports indicated as much as 12 inches of rain in some locations, and forecasters said areas across the Southern Plains could receive 4 inches or more before the storm heads into the Midwest.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radar maps indicated heavy rains into Central Texas from Sunday night through Monday morning with reports of flooding.

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Forecast also noted the chance for flooding in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex as the storm moves through the area today.

The Houston area was receiving mid-morning showers Monday, but radar shows the system missing much of South Texas, tracking to the north with significant rainfall in the Laredo area.

The Midland/Odessa and Permian Basin area was showing from a “trace” to two-tenths of an inch, and Eastern New Mexico, the Hobbs area, was showing just a trace of rainfall.

Logan Hawkes, Southwest Farm Press correspondent in South Texas, says rainfall in the Corpus  Christi area has been negligible, but other areas of South and Central Texas have received significant rainfall over the weekend with more likely to come.

Austin receives 10 inches

“Looks like Austin's 10 inches top the charts,” he says. “These numbers are now 24 hours old and will be updated. Valley rain was negligible through Saturday night, but they received a lot in the Upper Valley yesterday, mostly north of McAllen and stretching across to just north of Corpus. Some heavy rainfall amounts accumulated, but I do not know how long the rains lasted. Local news sources say we received ‘considerable rain’ in our watershed to the north, but no totals were offered.”

Hawkes says reports indicate the moisture-rich atmosphere was spawned by the Pacific tropical system that likely will provide a heavy influx today and tomorrow, with the brunt targeted for Central Texas.  North Texas also could get more in the day or two ahead. “Two tropical influences, Pacific and Gulf, make it look good for substantial rain, especially when they bump heads with the coming front.”

Steve Byrns, Texas AgriLife media specialist at the AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo, says the area has received rainfall amounts as high as 5 inches, according to some reports. “From Fairview toward Wall we had just over 2 inches,” Byrns says. “Here at the center, just under an inch. I think Veribest got big rains, and I’m waiting to hear on that. Eola received just over two inches. More is on the way…hopefully.”

Weather radar maps indicated the path of the system would carry it through Dallas, up through Wichita Falls, northeast toward Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma City and then eastward to Tulsa. Heavy rain also appeared to be headed to parts of Louisiana and Arkansas.

(See Current Texas drought on track to be second longest)

The remnants of Octave, along with rainfall coming in from the Eastern Pacific, was also tracking south and east of the Texas High Plains and southwest Oklahoma, areas where drought has been persistent throughout most of the summer and for the last 36 months.

Weather reports indicated chances of showers for the Lubbock and Amarillo areas later in the week.

Nikki-Dee Ray, chief meteorologist at KLBJ Television, Lubbock, reports on her Facebook page this morning that precipitation chances in the area are diminishing.  “Rain chances are nowhere near as good today as they were yesterday,” she said. “We'll have a few sprinkles and some drizzle from time to time this morning, but a dryline moving east across the South Plains could spark a few thunderstorms this afternoon and evening.”

Also of interest on Southwest Farm Press:

Despite recent rainfall, most of Texas remains in drought

Timely rainfall makes Texas grain

Drought relief for most of New Mexico