Big Texas storms - Threats include hail, wind, flooding

Although all eyes –hopefully safely shaded – will be on the eclipse visible across most of the central and eastern U.S. this afternoon, severe storms are also on menu across Texas and the southern Plains later today.

A strong spring storm moving out of the Southwest and Rockies will streak across central and northern Texas and into the ArkLaTex today and tonight. Bountiful moisture from the Gulf of Mexico along with afternoon temperatures in the 70 and 80s will destabilize the atmosphere.

Severe storms will develop throughout northwestern and north-central Texas this afternoon, with large hail and damaging winds possible. Tornadoes can’t be ruled out either.

The severe storm threat shifts eastward, bringing the risk of damaging winds and hail to Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth and Lufkin, Texas, and Shreveport later this evening into the overnight hours.

These storms will also produce copious downpours and so flash flooding will be possible across eastern Texas, northwestern Louisiana and southern Arkansas tonight. Since the downpours will occur at night, drivers should avoid roads that tend to flood because of minimum nighttime visibility.

Track all of the major storms and the changing weather using our WeatherRadar.