Large hail, slight risk of tornado early Saturday as severe storm season gets started
It’s a good idea to have the cellphone or weather radio handy because severe storms packing large hail and a low risk of tornadoes may strike while most are sleeping early Saturday morning.
“Some of the strongest storms could get up to golf-ball sized hail,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Lance Bucklew. “At this stage, it does look like hail is the biggest thing to worry about but we can’t completely rule out tornadoes.”
The Storm Prediction Center has said there is a slight risk for severe storms across North Texas, which is considered a 2 on a scale of 5.
Some of the strongest storms could rumble across Fort Worth and Tarrant County while people are still sleeping sometime after 3 a.m.
“I think we’re looking at well after midnight,” Bucklew said.
With storms possibly striking in the dark of night, people need to check the forecast before they go to bed.
“It’s not the ideal time,” Bucklew said. “It can be a dangerous time. Make sure you have a weather radio or some other way to get information. Some of our deadliest tornadoes occur in the early morning hours because people are asleep.”
In Fort Worth, free text alerts are available from the Office of Emergency Management or by texting your zip code to 888777 or by registering online at nixle.com. Various weather apps that you can download on your phone are also available.
The storms should gone by mid-to-late Saturday morning with highs Saturday in the mid-70s.
Rain chances return Sunday and stick around through Tuesday. Strong thunderstorms could return to the area late Tuesday.
This story was originally published March 8, 2019 at 11:18 AM with the headline "Large hail, slight risk of tornado early Saturday as severe storm season gets started."
