DFW weather: First 90 degree day in Fort Worth, continued fire risk, possible rain
Fort Worth could see its first 90 degree day of the year Sunday as North Texans saw high fire risk in the region’s southwestern counties as dry and breezy conditions warranted a red flag warning from the National Weather Service in Fort Worth Saturday.
Several counties in North and Central Texas have seen increased fire risks in recent weeks, with the Eastland Complex wildfire destroying 86 homes and burning 54,000 acres in Eastland County the week prior.
While the red flag warning was not in Tarrant County on Saturday, Huckaby said that could change by Sunday.
Chances of severe thunderstorms are expected in the central and western parts of Tarrant County, going southwest as far as Cisco and north into Oklahoma. Strong storms are possible in Dallas County and others in North and East Texas, according to the service.
Daniel Huckaby, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth, said those rain chances could assuage some of the fire risk but won’t eliminate it entirely.
“We have a drought that’s several months in the making,” Huckaby told the Star-Telegram.
As more rain is expected in the region throughout the spring and warmer temperatures arrive, Huckaby said more green vegetation with more moisture that grows this season is what will reduce fire risks.
A front of cooler air is expected to push the weather out of North Texas and into counties to the east on Wednesday, with strong storms moving east of the Interstate 30 corridor and temperatures in Dallas-Fort Worth getting down into the mid 70s.
Many parts of North Texas are still reeling from tornadoes that struck the region over the past week. The National Weather Service in Fort Worth confirmed through preliminary storm surveys that 16 tornadoes touched down in parts of North and Central Texas.
One EF-3 tornado in Jacksboro, about 60 miles northwest from downtown Fort Worth, destroyed homes and schools and knocked out power and other utilities. Nine people were confirmed injured.
Huckaby said no forecaster feels comfortable completely counting out the possibility of tornadoes in Texas, but that the storms expected Tuesday into Wednesday don’t currently look like the type of weather systems to bring twisters to the area.
Most of the damaging conditions will come from straight line winds, according to the National Weather Service. While the risk of tornadoes is not expected to rise, Huckaby said any severe weather can be dangerous and it’s always best to keep a close eye on forecasts when storms are expected, just to be safe.
This story was originally published March 26, 2022 at 3:47 PM.