Texas, 1996

High Wind in Texas, January 17 to 18, 1996

January 17 to 18, 1996 · NWS OUN · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

A strong cold front moved into North Texas the evening of January 17th, accompanied by sustained winds up to 37 mph with gusts as high as 41 mph in Wichita Falls. These strong gradient winds blew a tree onto a truck in Wichita Falls in Wichita County.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$5,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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.

A strong cold front moved into North Texas the evening of January 17th, accompanied by sustained winds up to 37 mph with gusts as high as 41 mph in Wichita Falls. These strong gradient winds blew a tree onto a truck in Wichita Falls in Wichita County.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Hardeman

When
January 17, 10:00 PM CST to January 18, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Hardeman forecast zone
Measured
41 kt (47 mph)
Coordinates
34.290, -99.746 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Foard

When
January 17, 10:00 PM CST to January 18, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Foard forecast zone
Measured
41 kt (47 mph)
Coordinates
33.975, -99.778 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Knox

When
January 17, 10:00 PM CST to January 18, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Knox forecast zone
Measured
41 kt (47 mph)
Coordinates
33.606, -99.741 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Baylor

When
January 17, 10:00 PM CST to January 18, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Baylor forecast zone
Measured
41 kt (47 mph)
Coordinates
33.617, -99.213 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Archer

When
January 17, 10:00 PM CST to January 18, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Archer forecast zone
Measured
41 kt (47 mph)
Coordinates
33.615, -98.688 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Clay

When
January 17, 10:00 PM CST to January 18, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Clay forecast zone
Measured
41 kt (47 mph)
Coordinates
33.786, -98.208 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wilbarger

When
January 17, 10:00 PM CST to January 18, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Wilbarger forecast zone
Measured
41 kt (47 mph)
Coordinates
34.081, -99.241 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wichita

When
January 17, 10:00 PM CST to January 18, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Wichita forecast zone
Measured
41 kt (47 mph)
Property damage
$5,000
Coordinates
33.988, -98.704 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Texas in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, January 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: 5547545, 5547546, 5547547, 5547548, 5547549, 5547550, 5547551, 5547552.