A report from the National Weather Service Fort Worth office warns of severe thunderstorms moving into Central and North Texas mere hours after the peak of the solar eclipse on Monday. The storms are expected to bring the threat of large hail and possible tornadoes, particularly along the I-20 corridor. The western edge of the storm activity is uncertain, but the highest confidence is near and east of I-35 through the evening. Severe thunderstorm chances are expected to return after the eclipse, with only a short window of 1-2 hours between the eclipse and the arrival of strong to severe storms in some areas.
The turn in weather is expected to interfere with post-eclipse clean up and travel plans, as millions of people are expected to travel south to Texas to experience the celestial event. Towns in the path of totality are preparing to host visitors and are anticipating the arrival of severe weather shortly after the eclipse, with the potential for large hail and tornadoes. The coming storms are expected to develop in the mid to late afternoon on Monday, with a brief window of time to wrap up eclipse activities before the storms intensify.
The storms are expected to increase in coverage across the region through the evening hours on Monday, with all hazards possible. The weather service report highlights the messy coverage of storms on Tuesday and Wednesday, with scattered to numerous thunderstorms expected to develop. A threat for severe weather, including flooding, exists for all of North and Central Texas during this time. The majority of the rain is expected to exit the region by Thursday, bringing relief from the stormy weather pattern that has been impacting the area.
