Severe storm threat begins Tuesday. Here is the time for DFW to pay attention

This will be one of those weeks to pay attention to the skies.

“Really just about any mode of severe weather is possible this week,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Jason Godwin.

The threat begins Tuesday afternoon when thunderstorms are expected to fire up north and west of Fort Worth.

Will any storms make it into Tarrant County?

“We are certainly going to have to keep an eye on it,” Godwin said.

But the cap, a warm layer of air aloft, makes it tricky to know exactly where storms will develop.

“We’re not totally sure when and where storms will fire up but if they go conditions will be favorable for them to go severe,” Godwin said.

If anything gets going west of Fort Worth on Tuesday, the greatest threat for storms to make it into Fort Worth will be late Tuesday afternoon or early evening.

On Wednesday, rain chances will increase as a complex of storms — some severe — are expected move across Central and North Texas. Right now, the heaviest rain is expected to occur just south and east of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The Storm Prediction Center has DFW under a slight risk (2 on a scale of 5) of severe storms on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

“It does look like the greater threat in terms of severe weather to DFW is Wednesday,” Godwin said. “There’s definitely some potential for locally, heavy rain. It remains to be seen where the heaviest thunderstorms and rain set up.”

Forecasters believe most of North Texas will pick up 2 to 2.5 inches by the end of the week. Some spots could see far higher totals.

Rain chances continue through the week but chances will lessen for the weekend.

“I think the weekend right now will be more isolated and scattered so maybe not a total washout,” Godwin said.

This story was originally published April 30, 2019 at 11:30 AM with the headline "Severe storm threat begins Tuesday. Here is the time for DFW to pay attention."