Dallas area in early severe weather threat warning for Monday's solar eclipse

Severe weather threat remains for dallas area on Monday amid solar eclipse

NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has maintained a severe weather risk on Monday in parts of northeastern Texas, including Dallas, where millions hope to see the total solar eclipse that afternoon. 

DALLAS – An untimely severe weather event may threaten the skies over North Texas just as millions hope to take in the spectacle of the last total solar eclipse in the U.S. for more than a decade.

NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued an early severe weather risk Monday for North Texas, southern Oklahoma and portions of southwestern Arkansas and northern Louisiana - a slight shift to the east with Thursday's updated forecast compared to Wednesday's initial forecast.

FOX WEATHER'S TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE 2024 COVERAGE

The risk zone encompasses the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and several other towns right in the heart of the eclipse's path of totality.

Forecast models give early indications that an upper-level low-pressure system will move into the Desert Southwest on Monday, interacting with a moist air mass in place across the southern Plains, the SPC noted.

That atmospheric setup would be conducive to developing a large cluster of thunderstorms – some potentially severe – on Monday in parts of the Red River Valley.

BUZZ WORDS YOU COULD HEAR DURING SEVERE WEATHER

"It's good that the Storm Prediction Center is watching this already and giving this heads up," said FOX Weather Meteorologist Stephen Morgan. "This is something that people from all over the world travel to see. And if you go based on climatological norms - 20-30 year averages, Texas is the hot spot to be because that is where normally cloud cover is the least (along the path)."

WHERE IN TEXAS TO SEE THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE ON APRIL 8TH 

The saving grace is that the severe weather threat may hold off until the late afternoon or evening and, thus, after the eclipse has passed through the region. The eclipse begins in Dallas at 12:23 p.m. CT with just under 4 minutes of totality occurring between 1:40 and 1:44 p.m. CT. 

The total eclipse times in Dallas, Texas, on April 8, 2024.  (FOX Weather)

But the budding storm clouds could provide unwanted cloud cover.

"This is quite a window for folks living in Dallas (and) for folks traveling to Dallas – and all you need is that four-minute window when you don’t have the clouds in front," Morgan said. "And how many days have you seen where clouds develop and you still have the sun – a mix of sun and clouds? So I’m going for that perfect forecast."

And even if storms hold off until after the eclipse, it could catch travelers off guard in what is expected to be heavy traffic through the rest of the day as eclipse gazers head home. 

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE FORECAST SHOWS WHO HAS THE BEST CHANCE FOR CLEAR SKIES ON APRIL 8th

The SPC will issue more detailed severe weather threat forecasts once the event is within three days. Meanwhile, FOX Weather is keeping you updated on the forecast along the entire path of totality as Monday's big event approaches. 

Credits