Wet weather this week won't be near Sally totals, but could still bring minor flooding

Rain caused by Tropical Storm Beta in the western Gulf of Mexico could produce locally heavy rainfall by mid-week, but weather-weary Floridians don't need to prepare for flash flooding anything like what Hurricane Sally brought last week. 

It's forecast to drizzle light to moderate rain intermittently Monday and Tuesday, and is expected to get heavier Wednesday and Thursday. Thunderstorms are possible into next weekend, said Cody Lindsey, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mobile, Alabama. 

“It’s looking like an unsettled pattern continuing later this week and into the weekend,” Lindsey said. “There will be plenty of moisture and chances for showers and storms off and on.”

Sally: Hurricane Sally shocks Pensacola area with surprising strength, heavy wind and floods

For people who are still raw from the shock of Hurricane Sally and the large amounts of rain dumped on the area, Lindsey said the rain this week shouldn't even near Sally levels. The storm dropped more than 20 inches of rain on the Pensacola area, with reports of up to 30 inches in some spots.

Local rivers, for the most part, have receded quite a bit already, meaning they'll be able to absorb the coming rain and shouldn't flood nearly as badly as last week. But minor flooding is still possible. 

“According to the latest forecast and rainfall amounts through midweek, it looks like minor river flooding will continue through the middle of the week, if not to the end of the week,” he said.

Rainfall totals in Pensacola have only reached between a quarter of an inch to half an inch as of Sunday afternoon.

Escambia and Santa Rosa counties can expect to see between 2 to 3 inches of rain by the end of the week, with localized heavier rain possible in some areas of up to 5 inches. Escambia County can expect slightly more wet weather than Santa Rosa since the moisture is moving west to east, Lindsey said. 

Much of the rain later in the week will come from Tropical Storm Beta, which is brewing in the western Gulf of Mexico and expected to mostly impact Texas. Weather patterns will bring some of Beta's rain eastward, including to the western Florida Panhandle.

Annie Blanks can be reached at ablanks@pnj.com or 850-435-8632.