NORTH TEXAS –A weather alert has been issued for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday for widespread showers and the possibility of severe storms in Dallas-Fort Worth.
This October had the hottest average temperature (75.7 degrees) and was the ninth driest on record in Dallas-Fort Worth. Though a chilly rain isn’t ideal for the weekend, the pattern change is certainly welcome.
Saturday morning began foggy because there was enough rain, resulting in considerably limited visibility throughout the area. The moist airmass remains in North Texas, so with midday warmth, a few showers and isolated severe storms are expected to develop.
A rinse-and-repeat cycle is likely through Sunday, with a few heavier thunderstorms projected for the late afternoon and evening.
The northwestern counties have high confidence in scattered severe storms, while the rest of the area will face an isolated danger of damaging winds and huge hail. The primary concerns for the afternoon and evening are hail, destructive winds, and potentially a tornado.
On Monday, a front will travel from west to east throughout the afternoon and evening. The frontal passage will tap into a favorable setting for severe weather, increasing the dispersed potential across North Texas once more. The timing and power of the storms will be heavily influenced by the instability and timing of the front. Regardless, now is the time to prepare.
In addition to the severe storm risk, heavy rain will fall on severely dry terrain. The drought-stricken earth will struggle to absorb all of the precipitation during the following 72 hours.
The forecast calls for 2 to 3.5 inches of rain to the north of the I-20 corridor, and 1 to 2 inches to the south, until Tuesday morning. This will heighten flooding concerns.
The good news is that circumstances in North Texas will improve just in time for voting on Tuesday afternoon. Mid-week will be comfortable, but the following front is predicted to increase activity once more on Wednesday evening and Thursday.
Reference: Widespread showers, risk of severe storms ahead for North Texas this weekend