A cold front and bulging dryline moved into north Texas during the afternoon hours as an upper level low pressure system moved from west Texas into Oklahoma. Numerous severe storms were the result with several reports of severe hail and wind damage.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS FWD wrote it up.
A cold front and bulging dryline moved into north Texas during the afternoon hours as an upper level low pressure system moved from west Texas into Oklahoma. Numerous severe storms were the result with several reports of severe hail and wind damage. A cyclic supercell produced three tornadoes in Robertson County.
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 Fort Worth, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 7, 2:21 PM CST, 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 321 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2008 .DISCUSSION... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE CURRENTLY MOVING THROUGH SOUTHEASTERN NORTH TEXAS ALONG WHAT LOOKS TO BE A GRAVITY WAVE. MORE SUBSTANTIAL CONVECTION IS LAGGING BEHIND ON THE EASTERN PERIPHERY OF THE UPPER LOW AND WILL AFFECT THE NORTHWESTERN COUNTIES SHORTLY. THE SURFACE LOW IS NOW WELL DEFINED AND IS CENTERED JUST NORTHWEST OF WICHITA FALLS. MAIN FEATURE OF CONCERN IS THE DRYLINE WHICH HAS ALREADY SURGED THROUGH THE WESTERN THIRD OF THE AREA. A FEW ECHOES ARE BEGINNING TO SHOW UP ALONG THE DRYLINE...INDICATING THE EROSION OF THE CAP. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE ROUGHLY FROM MINERAL WELLS...TO DALLAS...TO SULPHUR SPRINGS. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS AS WELL AS ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON...MAINLY OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE WATCH BOX. AS THE DRYLINE MOVES EAST...AREAS TO THE WEST OF IT WILL SEE A DRAMATIC DECREASE IN PRECIPITATION CHANCES. THERE WILL STILL BE SOME PRECIPITATION CHANCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER LOW ITSELF AS IT MOVES THROUGH IN A FEW HOURS...BUT THE BULK OF THE ACTIVITY SHOULD BE OVER BY 7 PM. ANOTHER SYSTEM FOLLOWS QUICKLY ON THE HEELS OF THIS ONE WITH A FROPA FRIDAY NIGHT/SATURDAY MORNING. UPPER 80S AND LOWER 90S ARE STILL FORECAST FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...ALTHOUGH MET GUIDANCE IS A FEW DEGREES COOLER THAN THE MAV. THE LATEST GFS TEMPERATURE GUIDANCE FOR SUNDAY IS COOLER THAN PREVIOUS RUNS AND ALSO MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHER ENSEMBLE MEMBERS. THIS IS MAINLY DUE TO THE OPERATIONAL GFS HAVING LOW LEVEL SOUTHWEST WINDS WHICH THE OTHER MODELS DONT HAVE. THEREFORE HAVE LEANED TOWARDS THE ENSEMBLE SOLUTION. WINDS WILL QUICKLY BECOME SOUTHERLY AGAIN ON SATURDAY AS ANOTHER SURFACE CYCLONE DEVELOPS OVER THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES. UPPER LEVEL FORCING IS FAR AWAY FROM NORTH TEXAS AT THIS TIME...SO HAVE NOT GONE ABOVE SLIGHT CHANCE POPS. ANOTHER COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE IS POSSIBLE SUNDAY. THE MAIN CONCERN HERE WILL BE THE QUALITY OF MOISTURE RETURN WITH SYSTEMS SUCH A SHORT DISTANCE APART. SH/13 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX 62 85 65 87 68 / 5 0 0 10 10 WACO, TX 60 88 64 87 68 / 5 0 0 5 5 PARIS, TX 61 80 60 84 62 / 40 0 10 10 10 DENTON, TX 59 84 62 86 64 / 5 0 0 10 10 MCKINNEY, TX 59 83 63 86 63 / 10 0 0 10 10 DALLAS, TX 63 85 67 89 70 / 5 0 0 10 10 TERRELL, TX 61 83 64 87 67 / 10 0 0 10 10 CORSICANA, TX 62 83 65 87 67 / 10 0 0 5 5 TEMPLE, TX 58 86 65 92 68 / 5 0 0 5 5 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 330 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2008 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-081100- ANDERSON-BELL-BOSQUE-COLLIN-COMANCHE-COOKE-CORYELL-DALLAS-DELTA- DENTON-EASTLAND-ELLIS-ERATH-FALLS-FANNIN-FREESTONE-GRAYSON-HAMILTON- HENDERSON-HILL-HOOD-HOPKINS-HUNT-JACK-JOHNSON-KAUFMAN-LAMAR-LAMPASAS- LEON-LIMESTONE-MCLENNAN-MILAM-MILLS-MONTAGUE-NAVARRO-PALO PINTO- PARKER-RAINS-ROBERTSON-ROCKWALL-SOMERVELL-STEPHENS-TARRANT-VAN ZANDT- WISE-YOUNG- 330 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE... THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING EAST OF A BONHAM...KAUFMAN...TO PALESTINE LINE. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF NORTH TEXAS. A DRYLINE WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE REGION THIS EVENING AND PROVIDE A FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY HAZARD. HOWEVER...A FEW TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN THE MODERATE RISK AREA. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL END FROM WEST TO EAST AS THE DRYLINE MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SECTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS SATURDAY NIGHT AS A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE RED RIVER. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED WEST OF INTERSTATE 35 THROUGH 6 PM AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 35 BETWEEN 4 PM AND 9 PM. 79
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
324 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2008
TXZ091-072100-
MONTAGUE TX-
324 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2008
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
NORTHWESTERN MONTAGUE COUNTY
AT 324 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 14 MILES WEST OF NOCONA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30
MPH.
PEA-SIZED HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THIS
STORM.
IF THIS STORM INTENSIFIES...A SEVERE WEATHER WARNING MAY BE NEEDED.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT WEDNESDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHEASTERN TEXAS.
LAT...LON 3390 9799 3388 9790 3387 9789 3387 9785
3394 9775 3394 9773 3383 9764 3371 9799
TIME...MOT...LOC 2023Z 243DEG 22KT 3382 9797
25SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
339 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2008
TXZ103-072115-
DENTON TX-
339 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2008
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
SOUTH CENTRAL DENTON COUNTY
AT 339 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF TROPHY CLUB...MOVING EAST AT
22 MPH.
CITIES IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE ARGYLE...BARTONVILLE...
COPPER CANYON...CORINTH...CORRAL CITY...DOUBLE OAK...FLOWER MOUND...
HICKORY CREEK...HIGHLAND VILLAGE...LAKE DALLAS...ROANOKE...SHADY
SHORES AND TROPHY CLUB.
PEA-SIZED HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH CAN BE
EXPECTED FROM THIS STORM.
IF THIS STORM INTENSIFIES...A SEVERE WEATHER WARNING MAY BE NEEDED.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT WEDNESDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHEASTERN TEXAS.
LAT...LON 3314 9725 3322 9699 3299 9702 3299 9726
3300 9728
TIME...MOT...LOC 2039Z 253DEG 19KT 3304 9720
25SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
356 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2008
TXZ091-072130-
MONTAGUE TX-
356 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2008
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
NORTHWESTERN MONTAGUE COUNTY
AT 356 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF BOWIE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
26 MPH.
CITIES IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE NOCONA.
PEA-SIZED HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH CAN BE
EXPECTED FROM THIS STORM.
A SECOND STORM WILL SKIRT THE RED RIVER...ALSO MOVING NORTHEAST AT
AROUND 25 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF HALF-INCH HAIL AND WIND
GUSTS TO 50 MPH.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR
MONTAGUE COUNTY.
LAT...LON 3389 9794 3387 9789 3388 9782 3400 9768
3399 9761 3389 9754 3362 9798 3363 9799
3385 9800
TIME...MOT...LOC 2055Z 235DEG 23KT 3373 9799
25SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 357 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2008 TXZ159-072130- MCLENNAN TX- 357 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2008 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR... MCLENNAN COUNTY AT 357 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MCGREGOR...MOVING EAST AT 48 MPH. CITIES IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE BELLMEAD...BEVERLY HILLS... HALLSBURG...HEWITT...LACY-LAKEVIEW...MCGREGOR...NORTHCREST... ROBINSON...WACO AND WOODWAY. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...PEA-SIZED HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THIS STORM. IF THIS STORM INTENSIFIES...A SEVERE WEATHER WARNING MAY BE NEEDED. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT WEDNESDAY EVENING FOR THE AREA. LAT...LON 3175 9710 3153 9682 3133 9740 3146 9750 TIME...MOT...LOC 2057Z 252DEG 42KT 3140 9737 92
The Dyess AFB radar (KDYX), 104 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:05 UTC.
14 hail, 11 thunderstorm wind, 3 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Hangars were damaged at Olney Airport. Trees, power poles, and fences were blown down along FM 2178, West Payne Street, West Elm Street, and West Main Street.
Quarter-size hail was reported in Bryson.
Minor wind damage was reported in and around the city.
Trees were blown down across roads in Hallsburg.
Winds were estimated in excess of 65 MPH.
Golfball-size hail was reported west of Melissa.
Half-dollar size hail was reported near Bonham.
Trees were blown down near Eisenhower State Park.
Quarter-size hail was reported in Lanely.
Large tree limbs were blown down.
Large tree limbs were blown down.
Trees were blown down.
Trees were blown down.
Trees were blown down between Buffalo and Jewett.
Nickel-size hail was reported between Ector and Bonham.
Quarter-size hail was reported in the Reagan community.
A 70 MPH wind gust was reported southeast of Kosse.
A brief touchdown was reported on the southeast edge of Bremond. The tornado downed power lines and damaged trees.
A tornado was observed by the Bremond Fire Department and the public near Petteway. Numerous trees were downed or damaged along its path.
The Franklin Fire Department reported a brief touchdown. No damage was reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 2008Warnings in Texas, May 2008
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: 98974, 98957, 98958, 98978, 98970, 98959, 98960, 98961, 98979, 99664, 98962, 98963, 98964, 98965, 98971, 98966, 98975, 98976, 98972, 98967, 98983, 98973, 98968, 98969, 98977, 98980, 98981, 98982.