Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, April 4, 2011

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, April 4, 2011
Start: 2011-04-04T06:11
End: 2011-04-04T07:45
Location: Texas

April 4, 2011 · NWS SHV · 11 events in 5 counties and zones

S. driving a cold front southeast into the Four State Region.

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: $70,000
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 SHV wrote it up.

A strong upper level short wave move from west to east across the Central Plains states of the U.S. driving a cold front southeast into the Four State Region. Strong to severe thunderstorms formed in the unstable air mass ahead of the cold front. The front and at least 3 lines of thunderstorms moved through the Four State Region from west to east during the day. Strong low level shear in the atmosphere allowed some thunderstorms to rotate, producing tornadoes with damaging straight line winds producing downbursts.

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 Shreveport, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 4, 6:04 AM CST, 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 4, 6:04 AM CST, 7 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
704 AM CDT MON APR 4 2011

.UPDATE...

...TO ADD EAST TEXAS COUNTIES IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WATCH
NUMBER 97 UNTIL 11 AM CDT...

&&

.DISCUSSION...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO FORM OVER NORTH TEXAS ALONG AND
AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT MOVING ACROSS TEXAS. HAVE ADDED MUCH OF THE
REMAINING NORTHEAST TEXAS COUNTIES SOUTH TO CHEROKEE...
NACOGDOCHES...AND SHELBY COUNTIES. /06/

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 522 AM CDT MON APR 4 2011/

DISCUSSION...

PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE FOUR STATE REGION CONTINUED TO PROVIDE
STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS THIS MORNING WITH SPEEDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH
WITH HIGHER GUSTS TO NEAR 30 TO 35 MPH. WITH THE PASSAGE OF AN
APPROACHING COLD FRONT THE WINDS WILL BE SHIFTING TO THE
NORTHWEST TO NORTH AND WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE STRONG AND GUSTY
WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS TO NEAR 30 TO 35 MPH...AS
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS SOUTH INTO THE AREA. WILL KEEP THE
LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM THIS EVENING...WHEN THE WINDS
START TO DECREASE BELOW LAKE WIND CRITERIA. SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ONGOING AHEAD OF A SURFACE COLD FRONT OVER NORTH
CENTRAL TEXAS...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...AND SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS MORNING.
THE FRONT REACHED ON TO THE NORTHEAST ACROSS NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
AND INTO A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION. THE
FORECAST AREA HAS A CAP IN PLACE AROUND 5 TO 6 THOUSAND FEET...WHICH
WILL HINDER THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR SOME
SECTIONS THIS MORNING...BUT CONVERGENCE ALONG THE FRONT AND JUST
AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY WILL LIFT THE MOISTURE ABOVE THAT LEVEL.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH WILL REMAIN IN PLACE FOR PARTS OF
NORTHEAST TEXAS INTO SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH
CENTRAL ARKANSAS. ANOTHER WATCH WILL MORE THAN LIKELY REPLACE THE
CURRENT ONE...NUMBER 87...LATER DURING THE DAY AND INTO THE
AFTERNOON. THIS MORNING LARGE HAIL AND HIGH AND POSSIBLY DAMAGING
WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT...THEN DURING THE HEATING OF THE DAY
AND MOVEMENT OF THE FRONT WILL INCREASE THE CHANCES FOR HEAVY
RAINS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES...FROM EAST TEXAS INTO NORTHWEST AND
NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND SOUTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS. THE UPPER
TROUGH WILL MOVE EAST SENDING THE COLD FRONT QUICKLY ACROSS THE
FOUR STATE REGION DURING THE DAY...NUDGING THE BOUNDARY EAST OF
THE AREA BY LATE AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EARLY EVENING. COLD AIR
WILL SPILL INTO THE AREA TONIGHT WITH TEMPERATURES OVER PARTS OF
OKLAHOMA AND SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS JUST ABOVE FREEZING. HIGH
PRESSURE ON THE SURFACE AND ALOFT WILL HOLD OVER THE AREA INTO
LATE WEEK WHEN THE NEXT UPPER DISTURBANCE MOVES ACROSS THE DESERT
SOUTHWEST AND EJECTS ACROSS THE AREA. AFTER THIS ONE PASSES THE
FLOW ALOFT WILL BE SOUTHWEST WHICH WILL HELP RETURN TEMPERATURES
BACK INTO THE MID 80/S WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE 60S. ANOTHER
CLOSED LOW DROPPING DOWN THE WEST COAST...WILL START TO LIFT OUT
TO THE NORTHEAST AS AN OPEN WAVE KEEPING RAIN CHANCES FOR THE
NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST REGION UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF THE
WEEKEND WHEN MOISTURE RETURN WILL COMBINE WITH ANOTHER COLD FRONT.
/06/

AVIATION...

EXPECT WIDESPREAD MVFR CIGS AND STRONG SURFACE WINDS OF 15 TO 20 KTS
TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE FOUR STATE REGION. IN ADDITION...SCATTERED TO
NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND TSTMS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL
BRING HAZARDOUS FLIGHT CONDITIONS TO THE REGION FOR MUCH OF TODAY.
THE FRONT WILL REACH A TXK-TYR LINE AROUND 14Z AND A MLU-LFK LINE BY
20Z. WIND SHIFT FROM SOUTH TO NORTHWEST EXPECTED WITH FRONTAL
PASSAGE WITH TSTMS ENDING AND CIGS IMPROVING TO VFR WITHIN 2 HOURS
AFTER FROPA. BY 05/03Z MOST OF THE FOUR STATE REGION SHOULD HAVE
CLEAR SKIES WITH SURFACE WINDS DIMINISHING TO AROUND 10 KTS.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SHV  73  41  70  47  77 /  80  10   0   0   0
MLU  77  40  69  44  77 /  80  20   0   0   0
DEQ  67  33  69  42  75 /  70  10   0   0   0
TXK  71  37  70  45  76 /  80  10   0   0   0
ELD  72  38  70  44  77 /  80  10   0   0   0
TYR  73  40  72  49  77 /  80  10   0   0   0
GGG  73  40  72  47  77 /  80  10   0   0   0
LFK  76  41  75  46  79 /  80  10   0   0   0

&&

.SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073.

LA...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: LAZ001>006-010>014-017>022.

OK...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: OKZ077.

TX...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: TXZ096-097-108>112-124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167.

&&

06

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 4, 5:00 AM CST, 1 hour 11 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
600 AM CDT MON APR 4 2011

ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073-LAZ001>006-010>014-017>022-OKZ077-TXZ096-
097-108>112-124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167-041700-
ANGELINA-BIENVILLE-BOSSIER-BOWIE-CADDO-CALDWELL-CAMP-CASS-CHEROKEE-
CLAIBORNE-COLUMBIA-DE SOTO-FRANKLIN-GRANT-GREGG-HARRISON-HEMPSTEAD-
HOWARD-JACKSON-LA SALLE-LAFAYETTE-LINCOLN-LITTLE RIVER-MARION-
MCCURTAIN-MILLER-MORRIS-NACOGDOCHES-NATCHITOCHES-NEVADA-OUACHITA-
PANOLA-RED RIVER LA-RED RIVER TX-RUSK-SABINE LA-SABINE TX-
SAN AUGUSTINE-SEVIER-SHELBY-SMITH-TITUS-UNION AR-UNION LA-UPSHUR-
WEBSTER-WINN-WOOD-
600 AM CDT MON APR 4 2011

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
AND SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL
LOUISIANA...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...AND EAST AND NORTHEAST
TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...
STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH...CAN
BE EXPECTED EARLY THIS MORNING ACROSS THE FOUR STATE REGION. THE
WINDS WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN
SURFACE LOW PRESSURE EXTENDING FROM THE UPPER MID WEST INTO THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS AND HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS THE GULF COAST STATES. A
COLD FRONT WILL BE PASSING THROUGH THE REGION DURING THE DAY WITH
THE WINDS SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST TO NORTH...AND REMAINING
STRONG WITH SPEEDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH. AN
UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL BE MOVING ACROSS THE CENTRAL
SECTIONS OF THE COUNTRY TODAY WITH THE SOUTHERN END OF THE
TROUGH AXIS SENDING THE COLD FRONT SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA.
SHOWERS AND STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DEVELOPING
ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY AS IT ADVANCES...AFFECTING
SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...AND ADJACENT SECTIONS OF NORTHEAST TEXAS
AND SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS EARLY TO MID MORNING...FOLLOWED BY PARTS OF
SOUTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS...NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...AND EAST TEXAS NEAR
MID DAY...AND THE REMAINING SECTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS...
PARTS OF NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...AND LOWER SECTIONS
OF NORTHEAST TEXAS IN THE AFTERNOON. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
WITH THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS
WILL OCCUR EARLY MORNING TO MID MORNING...WITH A GREATER CHANCE
OF LARGE HAIL...STRONG AND DAMAGING WINDS...ISOLATED
TORNADOES IN THE LATE MORNING TO AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTH
CENTRAL ARKANSAS INTO NORTH LOUISIANA...AND PARTS OF LOWER
EAST TEXAS. BY LATE AFTERNOON THE CHANCE FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE VERY LOW SINCE THE FRONT WILL CLEAR THE
FORECAST AREA.

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

ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
POSSIBLE THURSDAY AND DURING NEXT WEEKEND...AS A SERIES OF UPPER
LEVEL DISTURBANCES MOVE ACROSS THE REGION. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER
IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGERS...STORM SPOTTER NETWORKS...AND
AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS...MAY BE NEEDED ACROSS SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA AND ADJACENT SECTIONS OF NORTHEAST TEXAS AND
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...AND EXTREME NORTHWEST LOUISIANA THIS MORNING...
AND FOR SOUTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS INTO NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL
LOUISIANA...AND EAST AND LOWER SECTIONS OF NORTHEAST TEXAS FROM MID
MORNING TO THE AFTERNOON. ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE REQUIRED FOR TONIGHT
DUE TO THE RAPID MOVEMENT OF THE COLD FRONT OUT OF THE AREA.

06

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 4, 1:53 AM CST, 4 hours 18 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
253 AM CDT MON APR 4 2011

ARZ050-OKZ077-040900-
MCCURTAIN-SEVIER-
253 AM CDT MON APR 4 2011

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SHREVEPORT HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY...EFFECTIVE UNTIL 400 AM CDT...FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES...

IN SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...
     SEVIER...
IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...
     MCCURTAIN...

INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
     BROKEN BOW...

AT 251 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
DETECTING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF BROKEN BOW...OR
34 MILES WEST OF DE QUEEN...MOVING EAST AT 65 MPH.

DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

Local storm report, Apr 4, 5:38 AM CST, 33 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
638 AM CDT MON APR 04 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0605 AM     HAIL             1 E IDABEL              33.90N 94.80W
04/04/2011  E0.25 INCH       MCCURTAIN          OK   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

LFRANTZ

The radar

The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 171 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:11 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Red River

When: April 4, 6:11 AM CST
Where: Red River County, 0.58 mi E of Bogata
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 33.470, -95.210

Hail, Smith

When: April 4, 6:56 AM CST
Where: Smith County, Tyler Pounds Arpt
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 32.350, -95.400

Hail, Smith

When: April 4, 7:01 AM CST
Where: Smith County, 1.38 mi S of Tyler
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 32.330, -95.300

Penny to quarter sized hail fell in the southern part of Tyler, Texas.

Hail, Smith

When: April 4, 7:08 AM CST
Where: Smith County, 1.5 mi SSW of Noonday
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 32.210, -95.430

Golfball sized hail was reported in the community of Emerald Bay on Lake Palestine.

Hail, Bowie

When: April 4, 7:09 AM CST
Where: Bowie County, 2 mi SE of New Boston
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Storm Chaser
Coordinates: 33.429, -94.395

Quarter sized hail fell at the Red River Army Depot.

Lightning, Gregg

When: April 4, 7:19 AM CST
Where: Gregg County, 1.17 mi E of Liberty City
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 32.450, -94.910

Three oilfield service tanks exploded following a lightning strike. The tanks were located along FM 1252 east of Liberty City, Texas. One tank was struck which caused the other two to blow up.

Thunderstorm Wind, Gregg

When: April 4, 7:20 AM CST
Where: Gregg County, 1.81 mi NE of Greggton
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 32.520, -94.760

A tree was downed in town.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bowie

When: April 4, 7:24 AM CST
Where: Bowie County, 1.38 mi S of Wake Vlg
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 33.400, -94.080

Powerlines were downed southwest of Texarkana.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cass

When: April 4, 7:35 AM CST
Where: Cass County, 1.74 mi W of Hughes Spgs
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 33.000, -94.630

Multiple trees down all across the county but especially in Hughes Springs. One tree fell on a building with people trapped inside. There were no report of any injuries.

Hail, Bowie

When: April 4, 7:40 AM CST
Where: Bowie County, 1.34 mi ESE of Wake Vlg
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 33.410, -94.060

Dime size hail reported southwest of Texarkana.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bowie

When: April 4, 7:45 AM CST
Where: Bowie County, South Texarkana
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 33.370, -94.070

Several areas of Texarkana without power. Scattered power outages with some tree damage in the area.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
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 2011 Every state in 2011 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, April 2011

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: 282613, 282612, 282614, 282623, 282615, 282636, 282625, 282616, 282617, 282618, 282619.