HEAVY RAINS RETURN TO DFW

A very wet week is in store for our forecast area. A powerful upper-level storm system is currently setting up shop out in the desert southwest and will become a cut-off low taking its sweet time to move eastward this week. As a result, several rounds of showers and thunderstorms will be possible across the area beginning early tomorrow morning and lasting through much of next week into next weekend. Very heavy rainfall can be expected, especially tomorrow into Tuesday, as precipitable water values (PWATs) climb to 1.45 inches around the 75th percentile for April. There is an attended severe weather risk tomorrow into tomorrow night, but most of the severe weather should stay south of I-20 into Central Texas. The main threats will be large hail and damaging winds in addition to flooding. The tornado risk will be highest the further south you go, but not zero in our neck of the woods. The big story will certainly be the amount of rainfall. A Flash Flood Watch has already been issued by the National Weather Service office in Fort Worth for the entire forecast area for widespread 4 to 6 inches of rainfall with sporadic amounts to 8 inches plus by Tuesday morning. Residents of North Texas should begin making preparations for flooding conditions. Remember not to drive across water covered roadways.