Tornado Watch in effect for North Texas; Texas State Fair closes early

Updated at 6:55 p.m.: revised to include a tornado watch for North Texas.

Thunderstorms expected to develop over Dallas-Fort Worth on Sunday night could bring hail and damaging winds, and a sign of their possible intensity was the announcement of the Texas State Fair being closed early in the morning. night.

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for the area that will be in effect until 2 a.m. Monday. The biggest threat will be tornadoes, the weather service said.

A severe thunderstorm warning is also in effect for Cooke, Erath, Hood, Jack, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker and Wise counties.

The fair has also moved its Sugar Ray concert to the Chevrolet main stage from 8:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to ensure fans can still enjoy the show, even if the worst conditions develop, they are not expected until later that night. .

The storms are expected to develop west of Mineral Wells with a cold front around 7 p.m. and will continue through Dallas-Fort Worth around 9 p.m., according to KXAS-TV (NBC5). They are expected to move east of Dallas-Fort Worth around midnight.

Normally the fair is open until 9 p.m. on Sunday, but the weather forecast put an end to things at 8:30 p.m. Coupon sales were to end at 8:00 p.m. All purchases and exhibits and indoor Tower Building concessions were also scheduled to end at 8:00 p.m.

The Kroger Starlight nighttime parade was scheduled to continue as scheduled at 7:15 p.m., but the Mattress Firm Illumination Sensation nighttime fireworks display that was scheduled for 8:00 p.m. has been canceled. The fair is scheduled to open on its regular schedule Monday morning at 10 a.m.

Destructive winds are the main concern, according to the National Weather Service, although large hail and a few spinning tornadoes are possible around midnight. However, any threat of tornadoes is greater for areas north of Highway 380, closer to Gainesville and northward into Oklahoma, KXAS-TV (NBC5) reported.

The weather service advised residents to take refuge in a sturdy building and stay away from windows if severe storms swept through the area.

Rain hazards will return to North Texas Tuesday through Friday, and severe storms and flooding could be possible during the work week.

NBC5’s latest predictions:

• THIS EVENING: Mainly cloudy, with an 80% chance of brief severe thunderstorms, around 10:00 pm in DFW. Low: 61. Wind: NW 10-20 mph.
• MONDAY: Sunny and warm, but less humid. High: 84. Wind: NW 10 mph.
• TUESDAY: Partly cloudy, hot and humid with 40% chance of scattered thunderstorms. Low: 64. High: 87. Wind: SE 10-20 mph.
• WEDNESDAY: Cloudy with 60% chance of a thunderstorm. Low: 72. High: 84. Wind: S 10-20 mph.
• THURSDAY: Cloudy with 60% chance of a thunderstorm. Low: 67. High: 81. Wind: SE 10 mph.
• FRIDAY: Partly cloudy and cool, with 30% chance of scattered showers. Low: 65. High: 78. Wind: SE 10-20 mph ..
• SATURDAY: Sunny and cool. Low: 54. High: 73. Wind: N 10-15 mph.
• SUNDAY: Sunny and cool. Minimum: 51. Maximum: 73. Wind: NE 5-10 mph.
• MONDAY: Generally sunny and pleasant. Low: 52. High: 75. Wind: SE 5-10 mph.
• TUESDAY: Partly cloudy and pleasant. Low: 54. High: 78. Wind: S 10 mph.