Dallas starts Wednesday under cloudy skies near 81 degrees, but the brief heat surge comes with a serious tradeoff: storms, heavy rain and a growing flood threat. The temperature is expected to climb to about 95 degrees, with the heat index reaching 100 before wetter weather takes over tonight.
The change is arriving quickly after the recent stretch of hot, mostly dry weather. A Flood Watch will cover Dallas and much of North Texas from 4 p.m. Wednesday through 1 p.m. Thursday.
Flood Watch Begins Wednesday Afternoon
According to the National Weather Service, slow-moving showers and thunderstorms could produce widespread rainfall totals of 2 to 5 inches across the watch area, with locally higher amounts possible, up to 8 inches. Low-water crossings, creeks, streams and other flood-prone locations could become dangerous.
Wednesday afternoon brings a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms, with storms becoming more likely Wednesday night as coverage increases to about 70%. A few stronger storms are possible, especially west of U.S. 281, with damaging wind gusts, some hail and a low chance of a brief tornado among the hazards forecasters are monitoring.
Thursday Turns Cooler And Much Wetter
Thursday is expected to be the wettest and most disruptive day in Dallas, with showers and thunderstorms likely throughout the day and a 100% chance of precipitation in the forecast. Rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches are possible, while regional highs during the cooler pattern are expected to be largely in the upper 70s to lower 80s; Dallas is forecast to reach 85 degrees.
South winds will run around 10 mph Thursday, with gusts up to 25 mph. Additional storms remain likely Thursday night, and flooding could continue where fresh rain falls on areas that have already received heavy downpours.
Cooler Weekend Still Brings Showers
Friday brings periodic rain chances, with highs in the broad mid-70s to mid-80s range during the cooler pattern. Scattered storms remain possible Friday night and Saturday, while Sunday brings a lingering chance of rain showers and temperatures in the upper 70s to lower 80s.
The latest flood outlook marks a substantial escalation from the forecast covered in an earlier Hoodline report, with the new watch adding clearer timing and higher rainfall concerns.
