A weak cold front extended west to east across Northeast Texas into Southwest Arkansas. Meanwhile, an upper level disturbance was parked across the region.
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.
A weak cold front extended west to east across Northeast Texas into Southwest Arkansas. Meanwhile, an upper level disturbance was parked across the region. Late morning and afternoon heating resulted in scattered showers and thunderstorms. The heating resulted in moderate to high instability and the result was severe thunderstorms that produced large hail and damaging thunderstorm wind gusts around the region.
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 May 31, 10:06 AM CST, 52 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA 1106 AM CDT THU MAY 31 2012 .DISCUSSION... HAVE UPDATED THE ZONES TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE SKY COVER...RAIN CHANCES...TEMPERATURES...AND ADDED THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 327 WHICH WILL BE VALID TO 6 PM CDT. THE COMBINATION OF A COLD FRONT OVER SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...INTO NORTHEAST TEXAS AND AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM EARLIER STORMS OVER EAST TEXAS...AND DISTURBANCES ALOFT ROUNDING THE BASE OF AN UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE TROUGH OVER THE FOUR STATE REGION... WILL PRODUCE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS ACROSS \NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND INTO LOWER SECTIONS OF EAST AND NORTHEAST TEXAS. BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING THE SURFACE BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR A MONROE LOUISIANA TO LUFKIN TEXAS LINE...WITH THE BETTER CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND TO THE EAST OF THIS LINE. COOLER AND DRIER AIR WILL FILTER IN WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT BRINGING AN END TO THE RAIN WITH COOLER OVERNIGHT LOWS AND DAY TIME HIGHS. /06/ && .AVIATION... AREA OF CONVECTION ACROSS E TX HAS DIMINISHED QUITE A BIT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS. THIS CONVECTION WILL PIVOT EWD TODAY AS THE UPPER LOW DOES SO...AND WILL MAINLY AFFECT THE E TX/N LA TERMINALS. COLD FRONT NOW LOCATED ROUGHLY ALONG THE SULPHUR RIVER OF NE TX...NE TO ABOUT KHOT IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE PUSHING SEWD TODAY...AND MAY BRING ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. EXPECT REDUCED FLIGHT CATEGORIES AND GUSTY WINDS VC OF CONVECTION. CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OUT OF THE REGION BY EARLY FRI MORNING. OTHERWISE...W/SWLY WINDS 5-10 KTS WILL SHIFT TO THE NW AT 10-15 KTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS AFTER FROPA. /12/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... SHV 86 62 82 59 90 / 60 30 10 0 10 MLU 88 61 81 57 87 / 70 50 10 0 10 DEQ 81 56 76 58 86 / 30 20 10 0 20 TXK 83 59 78 58 87 / 50 20 10 0 10 ELD 86 58 78 56 87 / 60 30 10 0 10 TYR 85 64 81 63 90 / 50 20 10 0 10 GGG 85 64 82 62 90 / 50 20 10 0 10 LFK 89 70 84 65 93 / 70 30 10 0 10 && .SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. LA...NONE. OK...NONE. TX...NONE. && 06/12
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA 545 AM CDT THU MAY 31 2012 ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073-LAZ001>006-010>014-017>022-OKZ077- TXZ096-097-108>112-124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167-011045- SEVIER-HOWARD-LITTLE RIVER-HEMPSTEAD-NEVADA-MILLER-LAFAYETTE- COLUMBIA-UNION AR-CADDO-BOSSIER-WEBSTER-CLAIBORNE-LINCOLN- UNION LA-DE SOTO-RED RIVER-BIENVILLE-JACKSON-OUACHITA-SABINE LA- NATCHITOCHES-WINN-GRANT-CALDWELL-LA SALLE-MCCURTAIN-BOWIE- FRANKLIN-TITUS-CAMP-MORRIS-CASS-WOOD-UPSHUR-MARION-SMITH-GREGG- HARRISON-CHEROKEE-RUSK-PANOLA-NACOGDOCHES-SHELBY-ANGELINA- SAN AUGUSTINE-SABINE TX- 545 AM CDT THU MAY 31 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS...SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA... NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...EAST TEXAS AND NORTHEAST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL BEGIN TO REDEVELOP ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA BY THE LATE MORNING HOURS...ALONG A SOUTHWARD MOVING PREFRONTAL TROUGH INTO THE AREA. DAYTIME HEATING WILL AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT...ALLOWING A FEW STORMS TO BECOME SEVERE...WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ALL POSSIBLE. AS MORE STABLE AIR MOVES IN FROM THE NORTH LATER IN THE DAY... AND DIURNAL HEATING ENDS...A FEW REMAINING STORMS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20...SHOULD WEAKEN IN INTENSITY DURING THE EVENING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS MAY BECOME NECESSARY BY AROUND MIDDAY WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION. VII
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
827 AM CDT THU MAY 31 2012
TXZ149-152-153-165-166-311430-
ANGELINA-CHEROKEE-NACOGDOCHES-SAN AUGUSTINE-SHELBY-
827 AM CDT THU MAY 31 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SHREVEPORT HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY...EFFECTIVE UNTIL 930 AM CDT...FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES...
IN EASTERN TEXAS...
NACOGDOCHES...SAN AUGUSTINE...SHELBY AND ANGELINA...
IN NORTHEAST TEXAS...
CHEROKEE...
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
DOUGLASS...ETOILE...FOREST...HUDSON...HUNTINGTON...LUFKIN...
MARTINSVILLE...MELROSE...NACOGDOCHES...POLLOK...WELLS AND
WODEN...
AT 824 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
DETECTING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR WELLS...OR 17 MILES NORTHWEST OF
LUFKIN...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.
NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
05SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
951 AM CDT THU MAY 31 2012
LAZ017-018-311545-
NATCHITOCHES-SABINE-
951 AM CDT THU MAY 31 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SHREVEPORT HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY...EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1045 AM CDT...FOR THE FOLLOWING
PARISHES...
IN NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...
SABINE AND NATCHITOCHES...
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
FLORA...HAGEWOOD...PROVENCAL AND ROBELINE...
AT 949 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
DETECTING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES EAST OF MANY...OR 21 MILES
NORTH OF ANACOCO...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS AROUND 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
20SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
957 AM CDT THU MAY 31 2012
LAZ017-TXZ153-166-167-311600-
SABINE-SAN AUGUSTINE-SHELBY-
957 AM CDT THU MAY 31 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SHREVEPORT HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY...EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1100 AM CDT...FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES AND PARISHES...
IN EASTERN TEXAS...
SABINE...SAN AUGUSTINE AND SHELBY...
IN NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...
SABINE...
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
MANY...ZWOLLE...GENEVA...PATROON...ROSEVINE AND SAN AUGUSTINE...
AT 953 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
DETECTING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF ROSEVINE...OR 24
MILES SOUTH OF CENTER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS AROUND 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
20SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
1008 AM CDT THU MAY 31 2012
LAZ017-TXZ167-311615-
SABINE-
1008 AM CDT THU MAY 31 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SHREVEPORT HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY...EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1115 AM CDT...FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES AND PARISHES...
IN EASTERN TEXAS...
SABINE...
IN NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...
SABINE...
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
HEMPHILL...
AT 1007 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
DETECTING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR HEMPHILL...OR 21 MILES NORTHWEST
OF TOLEDO BEND DAM...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS AROUND 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
20SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
1036 AM CDT THU MAY 31 2012
LAZ017-018-311600-
NATCHITOCHES-SABINE-
1036 AM CDT THU MAY 31 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SHREVEPORT HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY...EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1100 AM CDT...FOR THE FOLLOWING
PARISHES...
IN NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...
SABINE AND NATCHITOCHES...
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
MOUNT CARMEL...
AT 1034 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
DETECTING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MANY...OR 15
MILES NORTH OF ANACOCO...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS AROUND 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
20SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
1109 AM CDT THU MAY 31 2012
LAZ017-018-311645-
NATCHITOCHES-SABINE-
1109 AM CDT THU MAY 31 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SHREVEPORT HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY...EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1145 AM CDT...FOR THE FOLLOWING
PARISHES...
IN NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...
SABINE AND NATCHITOCHES...
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
BELLWOOD...FLORA...GORUM...KISATCHIE AND PROVENCAL...
AT 1107 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
DETECTING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS 14 MILES EAST OF MANY...OR 18 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF NATCHITOCHES...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS AROUND 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE
STORMS.
20The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were downed in western Grant Parish near Montgomery, Louisiana.
Deputies in the area reported a downed tree across a roadway in Dry Prong, Louisiana.
A large tree limb was downed on a car on Azalea street in Jena, Louisiana. There were no reports of injuries.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Louisiana in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Louisiana, May 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: 379281, 379282, 379284.