NWS: Record rainfall set for Dec. 16 in Brownsville

Rain drenched the Rio Grande Valley on Wednesday, setting a record amount of rainfall in Brownsville, but was expected to stop by tonight.

By 4:30 p.m., 2.10 inches of rain had fallen on Brownsville, according to an official rainfall account from the National Weather Service. It was the greatest amount of rain reported on a Dec. 16 date in Brownsville since 1937, when 1.37 inches fell, said Joseph Tomaselli, a NWS meteorologist in Brownsville.

Unofficial rainfall amounts of up to three inches were recorded in some parts of the area as residents dealt with chilly temperatures and much rain — thanks to El Niño.

What the Valley didn’t get during the hurricane season, it is getting now and that’s plenty of rain, said Tomaselli.

"Is this unusual for us? No because this is an El Niño year. That same weather pattern that effectively killed hurricane season is tending to provide a lot of rainfall for us this time of the year," Tomaselli said.

Rainfall patterns such as this are expected to continue through the winter months.

As of Wednesday afternoon, 2.01 inches had been recorded in Harlingen and 2.71 inches in McAllen.

Minor flooding was reported in some parts of the Valley Wednesday morning. Much of the heaviest rain occurred early in the day.

The heaviest rainfall amounts of more than three inches happened in the Edinburg, McAllen and Pharr areas, the National Weather Service reported.

There’s a 30 percent of showers today with a high near 58 degrees. Tonight’s low will be around 45.

Rainfall patterns such as this are expected to continue through the winter months.

Although the rain is expected to stop by tonight and clearer skies will make their way through the Valley over the next week, the temperatures could drop again just in time for Christmas, Tomaselli said.

Another cold front and some rain are expected to arrive sometime in the Valley early Christmas Eve. Low temperatures on Christmas Eve will be in the 40s while high temperatures on Christmas Day will be in the 60s.

"As Santa makes the sleigh ride across the Valley on Christmas Eve into Christmas Day, it looks like the precipitation will end and the clouds will break out and it will be a pleasant and cooler Christmas Day," Tomaselli said.