Here's how Francine could impact Dallas-Fort Worth
NORTH TEXAS – Francine is brewing in the Gulf and could bring some rain chances to parts of Dallas-Fort Worth this week.
Francine, which developed in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, strengthened into a hurricane Tuesday night and is expected to make landfall Wednesday over Louisiana, the National Hurricane Center says. Ocean temperatures could make Francine a Category 2 or Category 3 hurricane, according to forecasters.
Watches and warnings have been issued for much of coastal Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, as well as parts of coastal Texas.
Francine has begun to move a little faster to the northeast, the NHC said. A mid-to-upper-level trough over Texas is approaching the hurricane, which should cause it to accelerate northeastward toward the Louisiana coast. After moving inland, the NHC has predicted Francine will turn to the north-northeast and move across eastern Louisiana and Mississippi.
Tuesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott urged Texans to take precautions and said the Texas Division of Emergency Management is deploying resources from Brownsville to Beaumont, adding that 24 state agencies are actively responding to the storm.
Large amounts of rain and storm surges are more likely on the Louisiana coast.
While Francine makes its projected path north, rain chances in Dallas-Fort Worth are at 30% for Wednesday. However, a majority of North Texas won't see any rain at all. Tropical moisture and humidity will increase Tuesday and Wednesday.
North Texans could see spotty showers Wednesday afternoon, but CBS News Texas First Alert meteorologists say the showers will be quick-moving and tropical in nature. Some clouds will linger into Thursday morning but will move out as Francine continues its path north and sunshine returns to the forecast.
The New Orleans Saints said they are keeping an eye on Francine as they prepare to face the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington on Sunday.
"Like everybody else in the city, we're monitoring it," Saints head coach Dennis Allen said. "We'll make plans accordingly. We're going to meet (Monday) afternoon and see what kind of plans we need to make, and then we'll go from there. I think we probably do this better than anybody else in the National Football League, so we'll figure it out."