Tornado watch over for 57 counties including Tarrant, Dallas

Matt Leclercq, James Hartley
·2 min read
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The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a tornado watch for 57 North Texas counties, including Tarrant and Dallas Counties, until 11 p.m. Sunday.

Other counties include Denton, Johnson, Parker, Erath, Collin, Kaufman and Rockwall.

It’s likely to be a rough Palm Sunday across North Texas this afternoon with a threat of tornadoes, large hail and wind up to 65 mph. Hail reached downtown Fort Worth around 3:40 p.m. Sunday but was short-lived. Sirens sounded briefly around that time.

Hail was reported in downtown Fort Worth Sunday afternoon as storms rolled through.
Hail was reported in downtown Fort Worth Sunday afternoon as storms rolled through.

The National Weather Service in Fort Worth says thunderstorms developing across western areas of North Texas by midday will move east into the Metroplex. “Very large hail” will be the primary threat, but a few tornadoes and damaging wind are possible.

Areas along the Interstate 20 corridor and southern Tarrant County appear to be under the greater threat zone for isolated tornadoes. The severe weather should push east out of the Metroplex by 6 p.m.

National Weather Service forecast for Sunday, April 2.
National Weather Service forecast for Sunday, April 2.

This latest round of storms comes on the heels of violent tornadoes that killed at least 21 people since Friday in eight states across the South and Midwest.

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This is the most dangerous time of year in Texas for tornadoes. Weather data shows that April and May have seen the most twisters in North Texas, but several have battered the region in recent weeks.

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In 2022, Texas saw a total of 160 tornadoes, with 49 recorded in North Texas. But April and May hold the most tornadic activity for North Texas since 1880, with over 1,000 twisters confirmed between the two months.

March gave us a preview of the threat severe storms pose, from golf-ball sized hail to strong winds. Two EF-1 tornadoes were confirmed in Parker County, mere weeks ago.

Severe weather season for North Texas begins in mid-March and lasts until June, with May being a hot spot for tornadoes, said Harold Brooks, a senior research scientist with the National Severe Storms Laboratory at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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Brayden Garcia contributed to this story.