Flash flood watch in effect in Fort Worth area as 3-6 inches of rain expected
Several more storms are forecast to hit the Dallas-Fort Worth region between early Wednesday and early Thursday, bringing with them bouts of heavy rain.
Although strong gusts of wind and moderately sized hail are possible, rain is forecast to be the main threat.
By the time the storms have moved on, there could be 3 to 6 inches of accumulated rainfall, according to Steve Fano, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.
Rain began to fall Tuesday, and by early evening 2.38 inches had collected at Fort Worth Alliance Airport.
The weather service issued a flash flood watch through Thursday morning that noted that an extended period of rainfall could lead to a longer flooding risk.
An upper level disturbance will be “parked” over areas of North Texas on Wednesday and part of Thursday, Fano said. Coupled with moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, it will cause several rounds of thunderstorms and showers, he said.
On Wednesday morning, he said, periods of heavy rainfall are forecast. There will likely be rain off and on for much of Wednesday, he said, which could lead to prolonged flooding.
The showers are expected to wind down by Thursday morning, Fano said.
Storms moved southeast through Parker and Wise counties on Tuesday morning and arrived in DFW about noon, Fano said.
He encouraged residents of the region to be careful driving during stretches of rainfall and warned roads could become slick. He also said, given the probability of lightning, people who are outside should listen closely for the sound of thunder.
“If they hear thunder, they should go indoors and seek shelter,” Fano said. “That’s pretty much the best advice we can give anybody.”
The rain and the cloud cover from the storms are expected to lead to briefly cooler temperatures, with a high of about 85 degrees forecast on Wednesday and near 90 on Thursday.
A weak cold front is expected to move into the DFW area on Thursday, Fano said. The highs on Friday and Saturday are expected to be 88 and 89, respectively, according to the weather service forecast.
But Fano said “a much better cold front” should arrive at the middle of next week, leading to cooler temperatures.
This story was originally published September 1, 2020 at 12:00 PM.
