The weekend will feature waves of rainy weather, further saturating grounds in some areas and triggering flooding concerns.
A slow-moving upper-level disturbance is located over the lower Mississippi River Valley, churning up deep and bountiful moisture from the southern reaches of the Gulf of Mexico. This moisture corridor is flowing right into the eastern Gulf coast regions, including the Big Bend, Panhandle, the Suwannee River Valley, and the Nature Coast of Florida.
The pattern is resulting in widespread cloudiness, times of steady light to moderate rain, and rounds of downpours that can dump considerable amounts of rain over the next couple of days.
While it's not expected to rain non-stop, the most widespread rain coverage is anticipated around and south of the Florida/Georgia line, shifting east into the Suwannee River region later Sunday. Sunshine is expected to be quite limited.
Forecast rainfall amounts range from a broad 1-3" around the inland Florida/Georgia state line area, to coastal counties potentially accumulating over five inches through Sunday night.
Flooding will become a higher concern for areas of poor drainage, already saturated land, and near local rivers, creeks, and tributaries. A flood watch is in effect Friday morning for all Big Bend counties.
The onshore wind, though not particularly strong or gusty, will support high-tide water levels to be up to 2 1/2 feet higher than usual, prompting a coastal flood advisory along the entire Big Bend coastal stretch through early Saturday evening.
A few thunderstorms will be mixed in, and though the severe thunderstorm risk will be generally low, a couple of stronger storms that can cause wind gusts and waterspouts can't be ruled out.
First to Know Weather will keep you in the know throughout the duration of the rainy setup this weekend.
