Heavy rain was forecast for late Wednesday and early today with isolated downpours reaching 4 inches, said Jessica Schultz, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.
A flash flood watch is over the area until 6 a.m. with clear skies likely by noon, she said.
After a day of mostly gray and overcast skies, Temple Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport reported 0.84 of an inch of rain at 9 p.m. Wednesday.
A cold front was poised to move into the area after midnight, running into a wealth of Pacific moisture from Hurricane Rick coming up from Mexico, Schultz said. Tropical air from the gulf also added moisture to the mix.
"That's resulting in several waves of rain that may lead to flooding issues (early today)," Schultz said. "The cold front is going to play a large role. The Pacific moisture is a secondary benefit, but not the cause of this rainfall. It's making sure the atmosphere is really well-saturated for rain."
Emergency officials said they were on alert, but had not encountered flooded streets or other problems.
"We've been real careful to make sure all jurisdictions in Bell County are aware of the way the weather is developing," said Dennis Baker, Bell County emergency management coordinator. "But it's not as heavy as initially was expected."
In Salado, city staff were monitoring creeks that ran over their banks last month.
"We're keeping an eye on creeks, watching to see if they start flooding," said Charles Young, Salado Fire Chief. "But they are flowing normally right now."
While an Interstate 35 wreck between exits 299 and 300 snarled traffic before noon, the accident was due to a vehicle mechanical failure rather than slick roads, said Thomas Pechal, spokesman for Temple Fire & Rescue. Temple Fire & Rescue reported no weather-related calls as of Wednesday afternoon.
"It's business as usual," Pechal said. "We're keeping an eye on the sky and the radar."
Temple Police Sgt. Brad Hunt said there were a couple of accidents in Temple due to slick roads, but did not provide additional information.
Later Wednesday, Temple and Belton police dispatchers reported no other weather-related problems.
