


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
Issued by NWS Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
Versions:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
890 FXUS64 KFWD 162338 AFDFWD Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 638 PM CDT Fri May 16 2025 ...New Aviation, Short Term... .KEY MESSAGES... - Thunderstorms are expected to continue through the rest of the evening roughly along and east of I-35. Some thunderstorms could become severe with primarily a large hail threat. - Scattered storms will be possible each afternoon and evening Saturday through Monday. A few storms may be severe (5-15% chance). - A cold front on Tuesday will knock temperatures back down to near or slightly below normal for the middle of next work week, with afternoon highs dropping into the upper 70s/low 80s. && .SHORT TERM... /NEW/ Update: Thunderstorms that have developed across portions of North and Central Texas late this afternoon and into the early evening will continue to push south and east, the exception being any left splits that continue to persist. The main threat continues to be large hail with isolated damaging wind gusts as well. Our special 19z sounding reveals substantial instability and steep lapse rates, with straight hodographs supportive of splitting supercells. These storms will have an increased risk for large hail, with right movers having a low but non-zero threat for tornadoes given a weakened cap and the availability of surface- based parcels. This threat is low due to poor low-level shear, but is worth watching either way. Activity will gradually wind down with a weakening trend starting around 10-11 PM before dissipating. Another, slightly more widespread round of severe weather can be expected tomorrow across all of North and Central Texas. The main threats once again will be large to very large hail and damaging winds, depending on storm mode evolution. There is once again a low but non-zero threat for tornadoes. The best timing for the activity tomorrow will be anywhere between 1 PM to 8 PM. For more details, please see the previous discussion down below this one. Reeves Previous Discussion: /Through Saturday Night/ Storm chances will gradually wane after sunset as storms continue moving to the east/southeast this evening. With the parent system responsible for the stalled boundary well north of our region, little to no shift is expected to the positioning of this front. Tonight, expect conditions to remain humid with temperatures struggling to dip below 70 degrees for a large part of the region. The aforementioned stalled boundary will once again become the focus of attention tomorrow. The main difference will be the added source of lift as a short-wave moves overhead late in the morning to early afternoon hours. Similar to today, forecast thermodynamic profiles once again drive instability above 4500 J/kg within a strongly sheared effective inflow layer. The stalled boundary will continue to be the surface feature for thunderstorms to initiate. With the added forcing for ascent due to the shortwave, storm mode will initially be supercellular in nature. With upscale growth, supercells will become clusters of storms with a migration from large hail to damaging winds as the main threats. There will be slightly more low-level shear tomorrow, however, the overall tornado potential will continue to remain low. Afternoon thunderstorms will diminish closer to midnight as daytime heating gradually wanes. Unfortunately, the boundary will move very little and remain draped from northeast to southwest across North Texas. This will set the stage for additional thunderstorm development this weekend...additional details listed below. Hernandez && .LONG TERM... /Issued 207 PM CDT Fri May 16 2025/ Update: The active weather will continue as we move into a new week. Additional rounds of thunderstorms can be expected through Tuesday before dry weather settles across the region. For details regarding next week`s forecast, see the discussion below. Hernandez Previous Discussion: /Sunday through Thursday/ ...Sunday through Monday Night... On Sunday, the dryline will retreat further west, extending from the Texas Hill Country through western Oklahoma. Aloft, a strong upper-level disturbance will pivot from the Great Basin into the Rockies. The primary disturbance, however, won`t eject east of the Rockies until Monday. As such, forcing for ascent will be weak Sunday evening, resulting in very isolated storm coverage along the dryline. Storms should mostly remain west of the I-35/35W corridor and near the Red River should they develop. Any storm Sunday evening will have the potential to be severe, with deep layer shear supportive of organized updrafts and 3000-4000 J/kg of SBCAPE. This will bring the potential for large hail and damaging winds with any mature thunderstorm. Though non-zero, the tornado threat will be low owing to weak low-level shear. Storms should quickly dissipate after sunset due to continued weak forcing and the redevelopment of a strong capping inversion. On Monday, the primary upper-level vort max is expected to eject out into the central Great Plains. This will induce surface cyclogenesis somewhere in eastern Colorado or western Kansas. As the low develops and tracks east, a cold front will approach the area from the north, with a dryline draped from central Oklahoma down the I-35 corridor into central Texas. East of the dryline, a very warm and moist airmass will still be in place, with SBCAPE on the order of 2500-3500 J/kg. PVA with the approach of the main disturbance aloft will bring sufficient forcing for ascent to develop scattered thunderstorms along the dryline by the late afternoon/early evening hours. Exact storm coverage remains uncertain at this time, but should be more widespread than any convection on Sunday. As storms mature and move off the dryline, abundant SBCAPE, strong deep layer shear, and 0-1km SRH in excess of 200 m2/s2 will be favorable for all modes of severe weather, particularly for any discrete storms that can persist into the early overnight hours with the development of the low-level jet. Exact timing and coverage remain uncertain at this point, as this will be determined by the progression of the upper-level disturbance and the strength of the capping inversion during the daytime hours. ...Tuesday through Thursday... By Tuesday, a cold front will move through the region. Isolated thunderstorms along the front during the morning hours will become more widespread as the day progresses. At this time, it looks like the front should push east of our area before peak heating and the greatest potential for storms gets underway. Regardless, there will be enough deep layer shear and instability in place to support organized convection, so will have to continue monitoring for the potential of additional strong to severe thunderstorms during the early afternoon hours. Behind the front and through the middle of next week, temperatures will return to near or slightly below normal. Highs should be in the upper 70s and low 80s, with nighttime lows dropping into the upper 50s/low 60s. High pressure will dominate behind the front, supportive of dry weather Tuesday evening through Thursday. Darrah && .AVIATION... /NEW/ Concerns...High potential for VCTS/TSRA, MVFR/IFR ceilings. Any storms that continue to develop this evening will gradually move to the south and east through sunset tonight with impacts continuing for much of the airspace through midnight tonight. Large hail and gusty winds will be possible, with a low chance for brief north flow depending on how far south and east the boundary manages to move. Southerly flow will resume overnight through tomorrow morning. Up next will be lowering ceilings through the morning, with low end MVFR favored. There is a low chance for IFR ceilings as well, scattering out into the mid to late morning. There is a bit of uncertainty in exact timing and placement for convection tomorrow afternoon, and this can be further refined in subsequent TAF issuances overnight. Reeves && .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be requested along and east of I-35 this evening. Even if activation is not locally requested, any reports of hazardous weather to the National Weather Service are appreciated. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Dallas-Ft. Worth 72 90 72 88 72 / 30 50 20 20 20 Waco 74 92 71 92 72 / 50 40 20 10 10 Paris 66 87 69 85 69 / 30 50 40 20 20 Denton 67 91 69 87 69 / 10 40 20 30 20 McKinney 68 90 70 85 71 / 20 50 30 20 20 Dallas 71 92 72 88 72 / 40 50 20 20 20 Terrell 70 88 71 87 72 / 70 50 30 20 10 Corsicana 73 91 73 91 74 / 70 40 20 10 5 Temple 74 94 71 93 74 / 30 30 20 10 5 Mineral Wells 68 93 69 91 70 / 5 40 20 30 20 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Severe Thunderstorm Watch until midnight CDT tonight for TXZ094- 095-103>107-117>123-130>135-141>148-156>162-174-175. && $$