Hail in Texas, September 18, 1996

Name: Hail in Texas, September 18, 1996
Start: 1996-09-18T00:10
End: 1996-09-18T00:10
Location: Texas

September 18, 1996 · NWS MAF · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Impressive Spring-type situation on the afternoon of the 17th and early morning of the 18th. Frontal boundary stalled over area was initial focus for deep convection.

Where it happened

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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 MAF wrote it up.

Impressive Spring-type situation on the afternoon of the 17th and early morning of the 18th. Frontal boundary stalled over area was initial focus for deep convection. During the day, the surface dew points rose into the upper 60s over much of the region. A southeast wind at the surface and a southwest flow aloft provided good directional shear for severe thunderstorms.

The radar

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

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Event by event

1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Gaines

When: September 18, 12:10 AM CST
Where: Gaines County, 17 mi NW of Seminole
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Coordinates: 32.880, -102.850

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, September 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: 5577186.