Hail, lightning expected over North Texas as unstable weather brings storms, more rain

Weather over Central and North Texas is unstable enough to produce more rain throughout the day Thursday with frequent lightning and even some hail, according to the National Weather Service Fort Worth office.

“Sufficient elevated instability is present for more robust cells to produce frequent lightning and perhaps some small hail through the morning, as well as brief heavy rainfall,” meteorologist Matt Stalley wrote on the NWS website.

Rain will continue through the morning and into the afternoon with accumulations around a quarter to a half inch possible.

The rain has been a pleasant transition for Fort Worth from a scorcher of a summer that recorded more than 25 days with temperatures at or above 105 degrees. The high for Thursday is a relatively cool 79 degrees.

Many wonder if this rain will finally reverse drought conditions in parched North Texas. But state officials do not see an end to dry conditions until December at the earliest.

More rain is expected Friday and Saturday with highs in the mid 80s. Thunderstorms are in the forecast for Friday night.

“There is a small chance for stronger storms across our southern Central Texas counties beginning late this morning due to the presence of greater instability, and some small hail and strong wind gusts could accompany thunderstorms there heading into the afternoon time frame,” Stalley wrote.

This story was originally published September 14, 2023 at 10:13 AM.