Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, April 3, 1996

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, April 3, 1996
Start: 1996-04-03T17:15
End: 1996-04-03T23:45
Location: Oklahoma

April 3, 1996 · NWS OUN · 34 events in 17 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 34 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 34

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS OUN wrote it up.

Severe thunderstorms moved across southwest, southern, and central Oklahoma during the evening of April 3rd. Up to 2-inch diameter hail was reported in Hastings and 2 miles east of Hastings in Jefferson County. Severe thunderstorm winds caused damage in Comanche in Stephens County, in Chickasha in Grady County, in Gene Autry in Carter County, in Tishomingo and Milburn in Johnston County, and near Lane in Atoka County. (See individual reports for details.)

The radar

The Altus AFB radar (KFDR), 103 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:12 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

17 hail, 17 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Washita

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Washita forecast zone
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 35.290, -98.992 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Caddo

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Caddo forecast zone
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 35.174, -98.375 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Grady

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Grady forecast zone
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 35.017, -97.884 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Lincoln

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Lincoln forecast zone
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 35.703, -96.881 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Cleveland

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Cleveland forecast zone
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 35.203, -97.326 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Pottawatomie

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Pottawatomie forecast zone
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 35.207, -96.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Kiowa

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Kiowa forecast zone
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 34.916, -98.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Comanche

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Comanche forecast zone
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 34.662, -98.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Stephens

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Stephens forecast zone
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 34.486, -97.851 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Murray

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Murray forecast zone
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 34.482, -97.068 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Cotton

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Cotton forecast zone
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 34.290, -98.372 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Jefferson

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 34.111, -97.836 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Carter

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Carter forecast zone
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 34.251, -97.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Johnston

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Johnston forecast zone
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 34.317, -96.661 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Atoka

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Atoka forecast zone
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 34.374, -96.038 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Bryan

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Bryan forecast zone
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 33.962, -96.260 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Choctaw

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Choctaw forecast zone
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 34.027, -95.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Kiowa

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Kiowa forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.916, -98.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Comanche

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Comanche forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.662, -98.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Stephens

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Stephens forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.486, -97.851 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Murray

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Murray forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.482, -97.068 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Cotton

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Cotton forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.290, -98.372 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Grady

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Grady forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.017, -97.884 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Lincoln

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Lincoln forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.703, -96.881 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Cleveland

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Cleveland forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.203, -97.326 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Washita

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Washita forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.290, -98.992 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.111, -97.836 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Carter

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Carter forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.251, -97.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Johnston

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Johnston forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.317, -96.661 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Atoka

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Atoka forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.374, -96.038 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Bryan

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Bryan forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.962, -96.260 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Choctaw

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Choctaw forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.027, -95.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Caddo

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Caddo forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.174, -98.375 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Pottawatomie

When: April 3, 5:15 PM CST to 11:45 PM CST
Where: Pottawatomie forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.207, -96.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Oklahoma in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in Oklahoma, April 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5560565, 5560566, 5560708, 5560709, 5560710, 5560711, 5560712, 5560713, 5560714, 5560715, 5560716, 5560717, 5560718, 5560719, 5560720, 5560721, 5560722, 5725066, 5725068, 5725070, 5725072, 5725074, 5725076, 5725078, 5725080, 5725082, 5725084, 5725086, 5725088, 5725090, 5725092, 5725094, 5725096, 5725098.