Tornado Watch issued for North Texas

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch Friday for much of North Texas, including Denton County.

The watch was issued at 1:20 p.m. and is in effect through 9 p.m., though that could change as time passes.

A few tornadoes are likely, according to the weather service. Widespread hail up to the size of limes and widespread wind gusts up to 70 mph are also likely.

The severe weather is coming ahead of a strong cold front. Rain is expected to continue through Friday night, and temperatures are expected to drop from near 70 degrees Friday afternoon to 32 degrees Friday night. Saturday’s forecast calls for dry weather after 6 a.m. and a high of 44 and low of 30 degrees.

The difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning is that a watch is issued when the weather conditions are favorable for a potential tornado, while a warning is issued when a tornado has been reported.

Because of the weather, Argyle High School is releasing students at 2 p.m., according to the school district’s police department. Lewisville ISD announced that all evening activities have been canceled, including the 6-6A basketball games scheduled for Friday night. Only the varsity games will be rescheduled for Saturday.

Check back for updates.