Hail, Cimarron
- When
- May 19, 4:30 PM CST
- Where
- Cimarron County, 3 mi E of Kenton
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 36.900, -102.917
Hail in Oklahoma, May 19, 2001
A severe thunderstorm with large hail developed over the western Oklahoma panhandle during the early evening hours.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. 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
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 AMA wrote it up.
A severe thunderstorm with large hail developed over the western Oklahoma panhandle during the early evening hours.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Amarillo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 19, 1:55 PM CST, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 19, 1:55 PM CST, 2 hours 35 minutes before
TEXAS/OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 255 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2001 CURRENT ANALYSIS SHOWS A SURFACE LOW SOUTHWEST OF CHILDRESS WITH THE LOW-LEVEL JET ACROSS THE EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE AND A WARM FRONT LIFTING NORTH ACROSS THE SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE. A SHORTWAVE WAS APPROACHING THE PANHANDLES FROM THE SOUTHWEST. WITH CAPES OVER 5000 J/KG THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING COUPLED WITH DECENT DIRECTIONAL SHEAR AND WIND SPEEDS...ESPECIALLY IN THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN ZONES...IT SEEMS SEVERE STORMS WILL RAPIDLY REDEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY THIS EVENING WITH AN INCREASING TORNADO POTENTIAL. WITH THE CLEARING APPROACHING FROM THE SOUTHWEST...IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SEVERE CONVECTION COULD BECOME WIDESPREAD LATE THIS AFTERNOON CONTINUING THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. SEVERE STORMS COULD CONTINUE AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH THE THUNDERSTORM THREAT CONTINUING THROUGH DAYBREAK. THE BEST CHANCE APPEARS TO BE ACROSS THE NORTHEASTERN HALF TO THE WEST OF THE 850 MB JET AND ALONG THE INSTABILITY AXIS. SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD CONTINUE AFTER DAYBREAK SUNDAY ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTHEAST BUT THE AREAL COVERAGE SHOULD DIMINISH AS THE JET ENERGY SHIFTS EAST INTO OKLAHOMA. STORMS ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS AGAIN IN THE NORTHEAST ALONG A COLD FRONT. THE COLD FRONT SHOULD PASS SUNDAY EVENING WITH NORTHERLY FLOW AND COOLER AIR BEHIND THE FRONT. THIS WILL STABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE AND SHUT DOWN PRECIPITATION. EXPECT COOLER TEMPERATURES MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT AS THE CLOUDS PARTIALLY CLEAR OUT OF THE FORECAST AREA. FOR THE EXTENDED PERIOD...NORTHWEST FLOW WILL DOMINATE AS THE UPPER TROUGH DIGS ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST. THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS SHOW LITTLE IN THE WAY OF SHORTWAVE ACTIVITY UNTIL WEDNESDAY AS THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF THE UPPER-LEVEL JET COMES OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. THIS COMBINED WITH A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT ENTERING THE PICTURE ON WEDNESDAY MAKES THUNDERSTORMS A POSSIBILITY WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY WITH SHORTWAVE ACTIVITY POSSIBLE AS AN UPPER- LEVEL JET EXITS THE AREA. IF THE MODELS ARE CLOSE TO CORRECT...AN UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE SHOULD DEVELOP ACROSS THE WESTERN STATES SATURDAY WHICH COULD LIMIT CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. HOWEVER...UNCERTAINTY REMAINS HIGH WHICH COULD POSSIBLY MEAN THE MODELS ARE OUT TO LUNCH. SO WILL INTRODUCE A SLIGHT CHANCE ALL ZONES2 TO THE SATURDAY FORECAST. PRELIM CCF... AMA 60/80 49/68 47 633 DHT 56/79 45/67 42 633 .AMA... TX...NONE. OK...NONE. CB
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 19, 10:39 AM CST, 5 hours 51 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1139 AM CDT SAT MAY 19 2001
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0956 AM 20NW MIAMI TX 1.75 INCH HAIL
05/19/01 ROBERTS REPORTED BY ROBERTS COUNTY
SO
0956 AM 20NW MIAMI TX 60 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
05/19/01 ROBERTS REPORTED BY ROBERTS COUNTY
SO
1028 AM 15NW MIAMI TX 1.25 INCH HAIL
05/19/01 ROBERTS REPORTED BY ROBERTS COUNTY
SO
JWSpecial weather statement, May 19, 11:55 AM CST, 4 hours 35 minutes before
OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-192200- TEXAS/OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 1255 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2001 THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES THROUGH TONIGHT. A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS EXISTS ACROSS THE PANHANDLES THIS AFTERNOON. THERE IS ALSO A WARM FRONT THAT STRETCHES FROM NEAR TUCUMCARI TOWARDS CHILDRESS. THIS WARM FRONT IS EXPECTED TO SLOWLY MOVE NORTH AND NORTHEAST AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES ACROSS THE PANHANDLES FROM SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE EASTERN PANHANDLES WILL CONTINUE TO FORM...HOWEVER BETTER ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE FAVORABLE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AS THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE APPROACHES THE PANHANDLES AND MORE DAYTIME HEATING OCCURS. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL...TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE AS ATMOSPHERIC WINDS WILL AID IN THUNDERSTORM ROTATION. ACTIVATION OF SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS LIKELY LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ...TECHNICAL INFORMATION... LI'S ACR/OSS THE PANHANDLES CURRENTLY RANGE FROM -5 TO -10 WITH CAPE VALUES IN THE 2500 TO 3500 J/KG RANGE. STORMS THAT DEVELOP MAY EVOLVE INTO HP SUPERCELLS. WOLTERS
Local storm report, May 19, 12:57 PM CST, 3 hours 33 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
157 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2001
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0956 AM 20NW MIAMI TX 1.75 INCH HAIL
05/19/01 ROBERTS REPORTED BY ROBERTS COUNTY
SO
0956 AM 20NW MIAMI TX 60 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
05/19/01 ROBERTS REPORTED BY ROBERTS COUNTY
SO
1028 AM 15NW MIAMI TX 1.25 INCH HAIL
05/19/01 ROBERTS REPORTED BY ROBERTS COUNTY
SO
1030 AM 10NW MIAMI TX 1.75 INCH HAIL
05/19/01 ROBERTS REPORTED BY THE PUBLIC
1030 AM 10NW MIAMI TX 70 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
05/19/01 ROBERTS REPORTED BY THE PUBLIC
1242 PM 5SW MIAMI TX FLASH FLOODS
05/19/01 ROBERTS 4 INCHES OF WATER COVERING
HWY 60 FROM GRAY COUNTY
LINE TO MIAMI.
0104 PM 8S CANADIAN TX FLASH FLOODS
05/19/01 HEMPHILL HWY 83 UNDER WATER.
REORTED BY COUNTY SO E
JWSpecial weather statement, May 19, 1:59 PM CST, 2 hours 31 minutes before
OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-192300- TEXAS/OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 259 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2001 THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE EASTERN HALF OF THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES WITH A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REMAINING PANHANDLES THROUGH TONIGHT. THE MODERATE RISK AREA IS GENERALLY EAST OF A LINE FROM GUYMON OKLAHOMA TO HEREFORD TEXAS. A VERY MOIST AND EXTREMELY UNSTABLE AIRMASS EXISTS ACROSS THE PANHANDLES. THERE IS ALSO A WARM FRONT THAT STRETCHES FROM NEAR CLAYTON...ACROSS AMARILLO AND TOWARDS CHILDRESS. THIS WARM FRONT WILL ACT AS A FOCUS FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES. ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN THIS AFTERNOON AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES ACROSS THE PANHANDLES FROM SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO. TORNADOES...VERY LARGE HAIL...TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ACROSS THE PANHANDLES. ACTIVATION OF SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WILL BE NECESSARY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. WOLTERS
The radar
The Pueblo radar (KPUX), 206 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:30 UTC.
Event by event
1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
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
- Lightning Strikes in Georgia, May 19, 2001
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Virginia, May 19 to 20, 2001
- Tornado and Flash Flood in Oklahoma, May 19, 2001
- Hail and Lightning Strike in Texas, May 19, 2001
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, May 19 to 22, 2001
- Damaging Wind in Nebraska, May 19, 2001
- High Wind in Montana, May 19, 2001
- Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in Texas, May 19, 2001
- Flash Flood in Alabama, May 19 to 20, 2001
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Texas, May 19, 2001
- High Wind in Washington, May 19, 2001
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, May 19 to 20, 2001
More
Every storm in Oklahoma in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, May 2001
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: 5247684.