Rain, rain, go away

Published 10:10 am Wednesday, August 30, 2017

The Oxford forecast as it relates to the historic storm Harvey is both good and not so good, depending on perspective.

First, the not so good: Harvey is finally moving north after drenching Port Arthur, Texas and much of southern Louisiana Monday and overnight. What’s left of the storm as a tropical depression will track directly toward Oxford, with its path expected to make almost a direct cross over the town.

That means we are likely to get heavy rain on Thursday, with the forecast calling for a total of 2 to 4 inches. That’s nothing compared to what Texas got but its more than we would typically get in a 48-hour period by far so it could cause localized flooding that will require vigilance.

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Now, the good news: Harvey is anticipated to move faster through the Mid-South than once thought so it won’t cause the problems from lingering like it did further south. We’ll know it’s here once it arrives but it will soon be gone, expected to reach Tennessee by early Friday a.m.

That means tailgating for Ole Miss’ first home football game will be on and the weather is actually expected to be delightful by kickoff Saturday evening. You can thank Harvey for ushering in winds from the north, northwest after it passes by, sending lows Saturday night to a football feeling 59 degrees.

So it’s likely many will think Thursday’s rain was worth the weekend’s cool reward.