Tornadoes, destructive winds, hail are possible on Thursday

NORTH TEXAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) We have been threatened by severe weather several times this year. Thursday is the highest tornado threat so far:

Of even greater concern is the fact that for the first time this year, Metroplex is under the “shaded area”. These black lines mean that there is a threat to spinning supercells that can create tornadoes with winds of 118 mph or higher (EF2 or higher).

Keep an eye on the weather Thursday afternoon and evening. Do you know the safest place in your house? If you are in a car during a thunderstorm, stop and take shelter in a building. Absolutely DO NOT park under the overpass, these places actually direct destructive winds.

Here are the approximate times for the storms to pass. The low pressure system that caused our severe weather outbreak is moving directly over North Texas. This makes predicting the timing of a storm very difficult. Instead, you need to pay attention to time windows. There is a chance that a major storm could develop quickly west of Metroplex, if not directly overhead:

Large hail and damaging winds are also a major concern. The higher risk of Thursday’s severe weather is on the east side of the I-35 corridor. Once the storm subsides, be aware that VERY strong winds will move BEHIND the front. These are not STORM WINDS, but steady winds from the west, changing direction to the northwest. Friday night wind gusts can reach 50 mph.

If your garbage collection day falls on a Friday, it’s best to wait until late in the morning to put out the trash cans.

As the low pressure system moves east towards us, it’s going to pull some West Texas dust into North Texas.

Thursday can be a dangerous day in North Texas. The First Alert Weather team will provide hourly updates until severe weather hits, then live and CBS News Texas day and night to keep you safe.