While Austin will see rain into Saturday, forecasters say severe storms unlikely

While the Austin area will almost certainly experience rainy weather Friday into early Saturday, the city is expected to dodge the potentially severe rain and flooding that is forecast to hit Houston, according to meteorologists.

As of Friday afternoon, a storm system was dumping rain on Houston and was projected to continue moving east across the Gulf coast.

A less severe low pressure system was expected to reach Austin later Friday. A chance of rain exists in the Austin area all day Friday but jumps to 85% to 95% by 6 p.m. through 5 a.m. Saturday, according to Friday afternoon's predictions. The precipitation is expected to cease by Saturday afternoon.

"It would really take a lot, I would think, to see major flooding in the Austin area" on Friday or Saturday, said Emily Heller, National Weather Service meteorologist. Flooding would only happen "if we have some thunderstorms that just sit over the area, which doesn't look very likely."

Austinites should prepare for the possibility of localized and small stream flooding, but Heller said she does not expect "widespread, major flooding."