Severe Thunderstorm Warning 103, NWS Fort Worth, TX

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
105 PM CST THU APR 3 1986

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN A POSSIBILTY ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL
THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

IN FACT...THE NATIONAL SEVERE STORMS FORECAST CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS UNTIL 400 PM THIS
AFTERNOON. IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS THE WATCH AREA IS INCLUDES COOKE..
GRAYSON..WISE..DENTON..AND COLLIN COUNTIES AS WELL AS SOME ADDITIONAL
COUNTIES IN THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS AND IN OKLAHOMA.
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING THUNDERSTORMS WINDS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE
WATCH AREA.

A STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER WESTERN KANSAS IS THE UNDERLYING
CAUSE FOR THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. THE CIRCULATION AROUND THE STORM
IS PUSHING VERY DRY AIR FROM NEW MEXICO AND WEST TEXAS EAST INTO
A MOIST AND UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT OVER NORTH TEXAS AND CENTRAL
OKLAHOMA. THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED ALONG THIS BOUNDARY AT MIDDAY
WITH NUMEROUS REPORTS OF HAIL. COLD AIR ALOFT IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE
INSTABILITY OF THE AIR MASS...AND IS CONDUCIVE TO PRODUCING LARGE
HAIL AND STRONG THUNDERSTORM WINDS.

A LIMITING FACTOR TO THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER SO FAR HAS BEEN
SURFACE HEATING. LOW CLOUDS HAVE KEPT SURFACE TEMPERATURES FROM
WARMING VERY MUCH TODAY...SO THAT THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED TODAY
ONLY IN THE AREA WHERE OTHER FACTORS HAVE COMPENSATED FOR THE
LACK OF HEATING. SHOULD THE LOW CLOUDS BREAK OVER NORTH TEXAS THIS
AFTERNOON...THEN THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL INCREASE.

THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN THE DRY AND MOIST AIR IS MOVING VERY SLOWLY..SO
THAT THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED OVER THE METROPLEX AND EASTERN
PORTIONS OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA UNTIL LATE THIS
AFTERNOON OR EVENING. ONE ASPECT OF THIS SLOW MOVEMENT IS THAT
HEAVY RAINS COULD CAUSE FLASH FLOODING IN URBAN AND LOW LYING AREAS..
EVEN THOUGH CONDITIONS OVER NORTH TEXAS HAVE BEEN VERY DRY.

RESIDENTS OVER NORTH TEXAS ARE ADVISED TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH LATEST
WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS AND MONITOR RADIO...TV...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO
FOR UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.