Some showers will dampen the southern portions of New Mexico and Texas as a developing storm system enters the area today. Tonight, heavy rain will douse the Lone Star State.

The rain will come as a welcome reprieve from unusually the dry weather across the area of late. Severe to extreme drought conditions currently grip a vast portion of the Gulf Coast states and lower Mississippi Valley.

Through tonight, rain, accompanied by a few rumbles of thunder, will overspread southern and eastern Texas. The heaviest rain will soak cities and towns including Laredo, San Antonio, College Station and Houston, where rainfall totals will reach an inch or two, with locally higher amounts.

The torrential rain will shift eastward along the Gulf Coast on Sunday, inundating a zone from eastern Texas to southern Alabama. With cold air diving into the South, a wintry mix of snow, sleet and rain will create a mess from Dallas to Montgomery, Ala.

While the wet weather will help to ease the drought, this weekend’s rain could be too much, too fast.

With inches of rain pouring down in a matter of hours, flash flooding problems could arise in spots. Motorists should never attempt to drive through flooded streets, as it only takes a few inches of flowing water to sweep a car off a roadway.

Travelers along portions of Interstates 10, 45, 37 and 35 could also face reduced visibility in downpours and spray from other vehicles, as well as an increased risk for hydroplaning.