Hail and Damaging Wind in Texas, March 17 to 18, 2008

Name: Hail and Damaging Wind in Texas, March 17 to 18, 2008
Start: 2008-03-17T17:45
End: 2008-03-18T00:15
Location: Texas

March 17 to 18, 2008 · NWS EWX · 11 events in 5 counties and zones

An area of low pressure formed near the Mexican border along a slow moving cold front producing thunderstorms which caused large hail in the western portion of South Central Texas.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 11

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 EWX wrote it up.

An area of low pressure formed near the Mexican border along a slow moving cold front producing thunderstorms which caused large hail in the western portion of South Central Texas.

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 Austin/San Antonio, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 17, 5:29 PM CST, 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 17, 5:29 PM CST, 16 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
629 PM CDT MON MAR 17 2008

.AVIATION...
ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EARLY THIS EVENING WILL BECOME
MORE WIDESPREAD BY MIDNIGHT AND SPREAD EAST AS AN UPPER LEVEL
TROUGH AND DRY LINE MOVE ACROSS THE AREA LATER TONIGHT AND TUESDAY
MORNING INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON. HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE
POSSIBLE WITH THE STORMS. STORMS WILL THEN BECOME ISOLATED IN THE
AFTERNOON. MOSTLY VFR SKIES WILL BECOME MVFR THIS EVENING WITH IFR
POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SKIES WILL BECOME
VFR BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. S TO SE WINDS 10 TO 20 KTS WITH GUSTS TO
30 KTS WILL SHIFT TO W TO NW WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE DRYLINE.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 302 PM CDT MON MAR 17 2008/

DISCUSSION...
THE LONG AWAITED SEVERE WEATHER EPISODE HAS JUST ABOUT ARRIVED.
A STRONG DEEP FETCH OF RICH GULF MOISTURE WHICH HAS DOMINATED
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS TODAY WILL ENCOUNTER A MAMMOTH UPPER LEVEL
LOW. THIS UPPER LOW WILL DIG A LITTLE MORE INTO NORTHERN MEXICO
LATER TODAY BEFORE HEADING EAST AND CLASHING WITH OUR MOIST AND
UNSTABLE AIRMASS LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY TUESDAY. THE RESULT
WILL BE SCATTERED TO WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPING FROM THE NORTHWEST AND SPREADING SOUTHEAST ACROSS
THE CWA TONIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY. STORMS WILL CRANK ALONG
A DRY LINE ACROSS THE SOUTH PLAINS INTO WEST CENTRAL TEXAS
THIS AFTERNOON AND DEVELOP SOUTH TONIGHT AS THE LOW MOVES EAST.
EXPECT A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG
THE  DRY-LINE/FRONT MOVING INTO THE HILL COUNTRY BY LATE
TONIGHT WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR LARGE HAIL, DAMAGING WINDS AND
HEAVY RAINS. SOME ISOLATED TORNADOES CANNOT BE RULED OUT GIVE
GOOD SHEARS ALOFT AND STRONG SOUTHEAST INFLOW INTO DISCRETE CELLS.
THE UPPER LOWS CENTER WILL BE MARCHING NORTHEAST ACROSS SOUTH
CENTRAL TEXAS TOMORROW AFTERNOON INTO TOMORROW NIGHT WITH RAINS
ENDING FROM THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST TOMORROW NIGHT.

NORTHWEST FLOW WILL FOLLOW ON WEDNESDAY WITH DIMINISHING
WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES. INCREASINGLY ZONAL FLOW WITH
SOUTHERLY FLOW THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY WILL LEAD TO
A WARMING TREND. A COLD FRONT PUSHING THROUGH THE AREA
EARLY SUNDAY WILL RESULT IN SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL HIGHS AND
LOW CHANCES FOR RAIN.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
AUSTIN CAMP MABRY              63  64  47  75  44 /  80 100  50  -    0
AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTL AIRPORT  65  65  48  70  38 /  80 100  40  -    0
DEL RIO INTL AIRPORT           61  69  44  77  49 /  70  30  20  -    0
SAN ANTONIO INTL AIRPORT       64  67  43  78  44 /  70  70  30  -    0

&&

.EWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
RED FLAG WARNING FROM 12 PM TO 7 PM CDT TUESDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES: DIMMIT...FRIO...KINNEY...MAVERICK...UVALDE...VAL VERDE...
ZAVALA.

FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES: BASTROP...BLANCO...BURNET...CALDWELL...FAYETTE...
GILLESPIE...HAYS...LEE...LLANO...TRAVIS...WILLIAMSON.

&&

13/04

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 17, 2:42 PM CST, 3 hours 3 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
342 PM CDT MON MAR 17 2008

TXZ171>173-188-190>194-208-209-182045-
LLANO-BURNET-WILLIAMSON-GILLESPIE-BLANCO-HAYS-TRAVIS-BASTROP-LEE-
CALDWELL-FAYETTE-
342 PM CDT MON MAR 17 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEAST PORTIONS OF SOUTH
CENTRAL TEXAS FOR TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NEARLY ALL
OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.

A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE BEGIN TO AFFECT TEXAS TODAY...WITH
A THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL TONIGHT THROUGH
TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE PRIMARY SEVERE THREAT IS FOR LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS...WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...

THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE PRIMARY SEVERE THREAT IS FOR LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS...WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE. LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY.

TXZ184>187-189-204>207-220>225-182045-
EDWARDS-REAL-KERR-BANDERA-KENDALL-MEDINA-BEXAR-COMAL-GUADALUPE-
ATASCOSA-WILSON-KARNES-GONZALES-DE WITT-LAVACA-
342 PM CDT MON MAR 17 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE BEGIN TO AFFECT TEXAS TODAY...WITH
A THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL TONIGHT THROUGH
TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE PRIMARY SEVERE THREAT IS FOR LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS...WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...

THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE PRIMARY SEVERE THREAT IS FOR LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS...WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE. LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY.

TXZ183-202-203-217>219-228-182045-
VAL VERDE-KINNEY-UVALDE-MAVERICK-ZAVALA-FRIO-DIMMIT-
342 PM CDT MON MAR 17 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE BEGIN TO AFFECT TEXAS TODAY...WITH
A THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL TONIGHT THROUGH
TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE PRIMARY SEVERE THREAT IS FOR LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS...WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...

THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. THE PRIMARY SEVERE THREAT IS FOR
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE.
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY
MORNING.

A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN PORTIONS OF SOUTH
CENTRAL TEXAS FROM NOON UNTIL 7 PM TUESDAY. A STRONG STORM SYSTEM
WILL PRODUCE STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS LATE TUESDAY MORNING
THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THESE WINDS WILL RESULT IN DRYING
CONDITIONS FOR SEVERAL HOURS...WITH AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITIES
FALLING TO NEAR 25 PERCENT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING.

The radar

The Laughlin AFB radar (KDFX), 81 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:46 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Uvalde

When: March 17, 5:45 PM CST
Where: Uvalde County, 2.47 mi S of Utopia
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 29.584, -99.527

Quarter size hail was reported at Utopia on the River.

Hail, Bandera

When: March 17, 5:45 PM CST
Where: Bandera County, 9.79 mi SW of Vanderpool
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 29.640, -99.483

Quarter size hail was reported on the Thunder Creek Ranch.

Hail, Bandera

When: March 17, 5:50 PM CST
Where: Bandera County, 10.22 mi W of Vanderpool
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 29.740, -99.550

The Bandera County emergency manager reported half dollar size hail in Vanderpool.

Hail, Bandera

When: March 17, 6:45 PM CST
Where: Bandera County, 1.51 mi SSW of Medina Circle R Arpt
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 29.800, -99.280

The Bandera County emergency manager reported golf ball size hail on HWY 337 2 miles west of Medina. They also measured 1.60 inches of rain.

Hail, Real

When: March 17, 6:45 PM CST
Where: Real County, 8 mi WNW of Leakey
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 29.774, -99.873

A resident reported penny size hail 8 miles west-northwest of Leakey which caused some minor tree damage.

Hail, Bandera

When: March 17, 6:50 PM CST
Where: Bandera County, 1.38 mi WNW of Medina Circle R Arpt
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 29.830, -99.290

The COOP observer 3 miles northwest of Medina reported penny size hail.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bandera

When: March 17, 7:05 PM CST
Where: Bandera County, 0.49 mi NNE of Medina Circle R Arpt
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 29.827, -99.268

The Bandera County Courier reported numerous trees down along Highway 16 North.

Hail, Kerr

When: March 17, 8:22 PM CST
Where: Kerr County, 1.79 mi E of Hunt
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 30.070, -99.300

The COOP observer 2 miles east of Hunt reported quarter size hail.

Hail, Kerr

When: March 17, 8:27 PM CST
Where: Kerr County, 1.79 mi E of Hunt
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 30.070, -99.300

The COOP observer two miles east of Hunt reported a hail storm with a maximum size of golf ball. Most of the hail was quarter size.

Hail, Kerr

When: March 17, 8:29 PM CST
Where: Kerr County, 1.83 mi SE of Camp Scenic
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 30.100, -99.260

The fire department two miles northwest of Ingram reported golf ball size hail.

Hail, Val Verde

When: March 18, 12:15 AM CST
Where: Val Verde County, Comstock
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 29.680, -101.170

The COOP observer in Comstock relayed a report from the public of golf ball size hail. The hail size in the storm ranged from ping-pong ball to golf ball.

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 Texas in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, March 2008

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: 90295, 90298, 88362, 88364, 88366, 88367, 90305, 88369, 88370, 88371, 88372.