It's official.  It WILL rain in east Texas tonight and over the weekend.  Plan on it. People who're planning to go to a football game today and tomorrow would be wise to take their rain gear.

 

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The 7-Day Forecast in the Lufkin News says a weak cool front, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, and daytime heat, will all combine to fire up thunderstorms as the frontal line moves across east Texas.

Rain chances will be up to 50 percent by this afternoon, and the 50 percent chance will continue through Sunday.

This means tonight's high school football games could be wet and soggy affairs, so it's a good idea to take an umbrella and a rain jacket to the game, just in case.

Games are played in the rain, but if there is thunder and lightning, the game could be delayed or postponed.  Here's what the University Interscholastic League's Policy Manual says about lightning and outdoor sports.

"Lightning may be the most frequently encountered severe storm hazard endangering physically active people each year. Millions of lightning flashes strike the ground annually in the United States, causing nearly 100 deaths and 400 injuries.

Three quarters of all lightning casualties occur between May and September, and nearly four fifths occur between 10:00 am and 7:00 pm, which coincides with the hours for most athletic events."

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