An MCS developed across Southeast Texas during the overnight and early morning hours of April 2nd. This upper level disturbance rounded the base of an upper level trough across Southeast Texas and moved northeastward into Northeast Texas, Northern Louisiana and Southern Arkansas during the late morning and afternoon hours of April 2nd.
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 SHV wrote it up.
An MCS developed across Southeast Texas during the overnight and early morning hours of April 2nd. This upper level disturbance rounded the base of an upper level trough across Southeast Texas and moved northeastward into Northeast Texas, Northern Louisiana and Southern Arkansas during the late morning and afternoon hours of April 2nd. The atmosphere ahead of this line of thunderstorms became very unstable by late morning with CAPE values approaching 4000 J/Kg. Very steep lapse rates were also present such that large hail and damaging thunderstorm wind gusts were the primary threat with these storms. Widespread tree damage was reported across all of Northeast Texas, Northern Louisiana and Southern Arkansas.
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 2, 1:52 PM CST, 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA 252 PM CDT MON APR 2 2012 .DISCUSSION... WATER VAPOR LOOP THIS AFTERNOON SHOWING CLASSIC UPPER LEVEL TROUGH FILLING AS IT MOVES QUICKLY NE FROM THE SE TX COAST INTO THE HEART OF OUR REGION. CONVECTION HAS PRIMARILY BEEN CONFINED TO A LARGE COLD POOL WHICH EXTENDS FROM JUST EAST OF THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH METROPLEX...EAST TO NEAR THE AR/LA BORDER AND THEN SE INTO SE LA. AIRMASS NORTH OF THIS LINE HAS BECOME VERY UNSTABLE NOW WITH CAPE VALUES IN EXCESS OF 3500J/KG AND THUS...THE SEVERE THREAT SHOULD CONTINUE TO SHIFT NORTH INTO SW AR/SE OK FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS. GIVEN THE GENERAL MOVEMENT OF THE LINE NNE NEAR 30 MPH...THE CONVECTION MAY ONLY BE CONFINED TO OUR EXTREME NORTHERN MOST COUNTIES BY 4 PM. HOWEVER...AIRMASS RECOVERY IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY TO OUR SOUTHWEST WHERE WFO HGX HAS SEEN QUITE AN INCREASE IN STORM COVERAGE AND INTENSITY TO THE SOUTH OF THE UPPER LOW WHERE STRONG LAPSE RATES STILL EXIST. TEMPERATURES HAVE REBOUNDED INTO THE MIDDLE 70S ACROSS PORTIONS OF SE TX THIS AFTERNOON AND IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN JUST HOW MUCH AIRMASS RECOVERY OUR SOUTHERN ZONES CAN GET TO SUSTAIN THE CONVECTION MOVING BACK INTO OUR DEEP EAST TEXAS COUNTIES. WILL CONFINE HIGHEST POPS TO OUR EXTREME NORTH FOR EARLY THIS EVENING AND TAPER THEM LOWER ACROSS OUR SOUTHERN ZONES BUT THIS WILL BE A LAST MINUTE DECISION BASED ON COVERAGE TO OUR SOUTHWEST BY PRESS TIME. CLOSE ON ITS HEELS IS A MORE IMPRESSIVE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WHICH HAS BEEN SHOWING SIGNS OF CUTTING OFF ACROSS THE FOUR CORNERS REGION THIS AFTN. WELL DEFINED DRYLINE HAS SET UP ACROSS THE TX HILL COUNTRY CURRENTLY WITH CONVECTION EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THIS FEATURE LATER THIS AFTN/EVENING. DRYLINE GETS A PUSH EASTWARD TOWARDS THE I-35/I-45 CORRIDORS BY LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTN TUE AND WILL LIKELY BE PUSHING INTO OUR WESTERN MOST ZONES BY TUE AFTN. SPC CURRENTLY HAS THIS AREA BLANKETED IN A SLIGHT RISK AND THIS IS WARRANTED GIVEN THE EXTREME INSTABILITY ONCE AGAIN EXPECTED ACROSS OUR WESTERN HALF TUE AFTN/EVENING. INCREASED POPS FOR LATE TUESDAY AND KEPT BLANKET LIKELY POPS AREAWIDE FOR TUE NIGHT EVEN THOUGH THE SEVERE THREAT SHOULD BE LESS ACROSS OUR EASTERN ZONES TUE NIGHT AND SHOULD DIMINISH AREAWIDE WITH THE LOSS OF HEATING TUE EVENING. MADE VERY LITTLE CHANGES BEYOND WEDNESDAY BUT THE GENERAL CONSENSUS IS UPPER RIDGING BEGINNING TO DOMINATE BY THE END OF THE WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND WITH LOW END CHANCE POPS RETURNING EARLY NEXT WEEK AS DIRTY WESTERLY FLOW RECOMMENCES ACROSS OUR REGION. PRELIMS TO FOLLOW...13. && .AVIATION... LINE OF CONVECTION ROUGHLY FROM JUST N OF KTYR...TO KTXK...TO KMLU CONTINUING TO MOVE NWD...WITH ADDITIONAL CONVECTION MOVING INTO THE REGION FROM THE S. EXPECT IFR VSBYS VC CONVECTION WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 40 KTS AND SMALL HAIL POSSIBLE. MVFR/IFR CIGS VSBYS DUE TO BR AND STRATUS EXPECTED AGAIN AFTER 03/06Z...WHICH SHOULD LIFT 03/17-19Z. OTHERWISE...WINDS GENERALLY OUT OF THE SE AT 5-10 KTS THROUGH THE PD...WITH SOME GUSTS POSSIBLE DURING PEAK MIXING. STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL APPROACH THE REGION ON TUE...BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF CONVECTION BY TUE AFTERNOON/EVENING. /12/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... SHV 66 84 64 83 61 / 50 60 70 40 10 MLU 64 85 66 83 62 / 50 40 70 60 20 DEQ 63 81 59 82 50 / 60 70 70 30 10 TXK 65 83 63 82 58 / 60 70 70 30 10 ELD 63 84 63 82 57 / 60 40 70 60 20 TYR 67 81 61 82 59 / 50 70 70 20 10 GGG 65 83 62 82 57 / 50 70 70 20 10 LFK 67 85 65 83 63 / 40 60 70 50 10 && .SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. LA...NONE. OK...NONE. TX...NONE. && 13/12
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA 104 PM CDT MON APR 2 2012 ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073-LAZ003>006-014-OKZ077-TXZ096-097- 108>112-124>126-031200- SEVIER-HOWARD-LITTLE RIVER-HEMPSTEAD-NEVADA-MILLER-LAFAYETTE- COLUMBIA-UNION AR-WEBSTER-CLAIBORNE-LINCOLN-UNION LA-OUACHITA- MCCURTAIN-RED RIVER-BOWIE-FRANKLIN-TITUS-CAMP-MORRIS-CASS-WOOD- UPSHUR-MARION- 104 PM CDT MON APR 2 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS...SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA... NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHEAST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... A COMPLEX OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...CURRENTLY ACROSS NORTHEAST TEXAS AND NORTHWEST LOUISIANA WILL CONTINUE LIFTING NORTH THROUGH THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. STRONG DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE THREAT SHOULD DIMINISH BY LATE EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOUR WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... ANOTHER STRONGER STORM SYSTEM WILL ENTER WESTERN TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA TUESDAY AFTERNOON...DRIFTING NORTHEAST INTO SOUTHERN KANSAS AND OKLAHOMA WEDNESDAY. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER CENTRAL TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA TUESDAY MORNING...SPREADING EAST NORTHEAST INTO EAST TEXAS AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA TUESDAY AFTERNOON. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY THREATS. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT SHOULD DIMINISH TUESDAY NIGHT WITH LOSS OF HEATING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL INCREASE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY NIGHT...WHICH WILL FALL OVER AREAS THAT HAS HAD RECENT HEAVY RAINFALL AND WET SOILS. THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING WILL EXIST THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY MORNING...BEFORE THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DIMINISH FROM WEST TO EAST WITH A FRONTAL PASSAGE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS ARE CURRENTLY WARRANTED GIVEN THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL THROUGH THIS EVENING. LAZ001-002-010>013-017>022-TXZ136>138-149>153-165>167-031200- CADDO-BOSSIER-DE SOTO-RED RIVER-BIENVILLE-JACKSON-SABINE LA- NATCHITOCHES-WINN-GRANT-CALDWELL-LA SALLE-SMITH-GREGG-HARRISON- CHEROKEE-RUSK-PANOLA-NACOGDOCHES-SHELBY-ANGELINA-SAN AUGUSTINE- SABINE TX- 104 PM CDT MON APR 2 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...EAST TEXAS AND NORTHEAST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... A COMPLEX OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...CURRENTLY ACROSS NORTHEAST TEXAS AND NORTHWEST LOUISIANA WILL CONTINUE LIFTING NORTH THROUGH THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. STRONG DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE THREAT SHOULD DIMINISH BY LATE EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOUR WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... ANOTHER STRONGER STORM SYSTEM WILL ENTER WESTERN TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA TUESDAY AFTERNOON...DRIFTING NORTHEAST INTO SOUTHERN KANSAS AND OKLAHOMA WEDNESDAY. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER CENTRAL TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA TUESDAY MORNING...SPREADING EAST NORTHEAST INTO EAST TEXAS AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS AND NORTHWEST LOUISIANA TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY THREATS. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT SHOULD DIMINISH TUESDAY NIGHT WITH LOSS OF HEATING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL INCREASE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY NIGHT...WHICH WILL FALL OVER AREAS THAT HAS HAD RECENT HEAVY RAINFALL AND WET SOILS. THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING WILL EXIST THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY MORNING...BEFORE THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DIMINISH FROM WEST TO EAST WITH A FRONTAL PASSAGE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS ARE CURRENTLY WARRANTED GIVEN THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL THROUGH THIS EVENING. 13
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
301 PM CDT MON APR 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0250 PM TSTM WND DMG 10 W MAUD 33.33N 94.52W
04/02/2012 BOWIE TX FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
SEVERAL LARGE TREES DOWN IN SIMMS.
&&
20PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
303 PM CDT MON APR 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0256 PM TSTM WND DMG STERLINGTON 32.69N 92.06W
04/02/2012 OUACHITA LA STORM CHASER
TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN. ONE TREE FELL ON A HOUSE ON
OLD STERLINGTON RD
&&
03PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
304 PM CDT MON APR 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0300 PM HAIL HOOKS 33.47N 94.29W
04/02/2012 E0.75 INCH BOWIE TX PUBLIC
&&
03PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
312 PM CDT MON APR 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0310 PM TSTM WND DMG FARMERVILLE 32.77N 92.40W
04/02/2012 UNION LA LAW ENFORCEMENT
NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ACROSS THE PARISH.
&&
20PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
322 PM CDT MON APR 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0220 PM TSTM WND DMG RUSTON 32.53N 92.64W
04/02/2012 LINCOLN LA TRAINED SPOTTER
TREES GREATER THAN 8 INCHES IN DIAMETER SNAPPED IN
RUSTON.
&&
20PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
324 PM CDT MON APR 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0255 PM TSTM WND DMG MOUNT VERNON 33.17N 95.22W
04/02/2012 FRANKLIN TX LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREE DOWN CR 4115 ONE MILE NORTH OF 21
&&
20The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 136 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:24 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were snapped and uprooted in the Parkers Chapel community.
Numerous trees were downed in Alleene, Arkansas.
Trees were snapped and uprooted on Old Union Road in the eastern portions of the county.
Winds estimated by a trained spotter in DeQueen, Arkansas.
A couple of trees were downed across the road just west of Horatio, Arkansas.
A tree was downed on Nevada Hwy. 7 near Prescott, Arkansas.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, April 2012
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: 364045, 364054, 364047, 364048, 364049, 364050.