Good morning, DFW
If you stepped outside this morning, you already knew: it was a soggy, stormy mess across the Metroplex. Heavy rain and embedded thunderstorms made the Monday commute a slog, with numerous slowdowns and ponding on roads from Fort Worth to Dallas and everywhere in between.
Rainfall totals have been impressive. Official reporting sites (DFW Airport, Dallas Love Field, Fort Worth Meacham, etc.) picked up 1 to just over 2 inches since midnight. Radar estimates, which capture the heaviest cells, suggest isolated areas – especially along and north of I-20 and in parts of Denton and Collin counties – likely saw 3+ inches. A few spots may have even nudged 4 inches where training thunderstorms sat for a couple of hours.
The good news? The steady, widespread rain is tapering off as we speak. By early to mid-afternoon, we should see the rain exit the core Metroplex cities with even some breaks of sunshine possible later today. It’ll feel noticeably more humid and muggy once the rain ends, but at least the windshield wipers can take a break.
That said, don’t put the umbrella too far away just yet. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will linger this afternoon and early evening across our southeastern counties (think Anderson, Henderson, Freestone Counties, and areas toward Tyler and Lufkin). A few of those storms could intensify, and the Storm Prediction Center has placed that region under a risk for severe weather. Large hail and damaging wind gusts are the primary threats, but there’s a low-end chance of a brief spin-up tornado if any storm can get rotating. Nothing widespread expected, but we’ll keep an eye on radar.
Behind today’s activity, a reinforcing cold front slides through Tuesday night into early Wednesday. That’ll knock temperatures down just in time for Thanksgiving travel. Highs Wednesday and Thanksgiving Day will struggle through the 50s and 60s, with morning lows Thanksgiving morning dipping into the mid-to-upper 30s and low 40s across North Texas. Perfect football and leftovers weather!
The forecast stays dry and cool through Friday before our next rain chance arrives this coming weekend. Too early for specifics, but it looks like another round of showers and storms will be possible.