Hail, Comanche
- When
- April 19, 6:35 PM CST
- Where
- Comanche County, Fletcher
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Fire Department/Rescue
- Coordinates
- 34.820, -98.240
Hail and Damaging Wind in Oklahoma, April 19, 2012
Several supercells resulted in widespread hail during the evening of April 19 from southwest to central Oklahoma. The most significant storm developed in western Caddo County around 7:00pm, and produced hail up to tennis ball size in the area between Anadarko and Hinton over the hour that followed.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 21
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 OUN wrote it up.
Several supercells resulted in widespread hail during the evening of April 19 from southwest to central Oklahoma. The most significant storm developed in western Caddo County around 7:00pm, and produced hail up to tennis ball size in the area between Anadarko and Hinton over the hour that followed. This supercell split around 8:00pm, and the right split continued to produce large hail through 10:00pm as it moved east-southeast from near Anadarko to Chickasha to Purcell. Additional storms tracked through Kiowa and Comanche County between 10:30pm-12:00am, with a report of marginally severe hail in Lawton.
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 Norman, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 19, 4:30 PM CST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 19, 4:30 PM CST, 2 hours 5 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 530 PM CDT THU APR 19 2012 .AVIATION... COLD FRONT ACROSS WESTERN OKLAHOMA SOUTHWARD INTO WEST TEXAS WILL BE A FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS EVENING WITH ADDITIONAL SHWR/TSTM ACTIVITY POSSIBLE ACROSS MAINLY SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS OVERNIGHT. FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT. EXPECT TO SEE STRONG... GUSTY NORTH WINDS LINGER THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY ON FRIDAY... BUT DRY WITH VFR CEILINGS BY 15Z. 30 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 254 PM CDT THU APR 19 2012/ .DISCUSSION... COLD FRONT THAT HAS MOVED THROUGH NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE FA WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. A DRYLINE ALSO EXTENDS SOUTH JUST WEST OF THE FA THIS AFTERNOON. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP NEAR THE DRYLINE AND FRONT IN SOUTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE FA LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE THEN EXPECTED TO DEVELOP DOWN THE COLD FRONT AFFECTING PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN OK. OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP TO THE WEST OF THE FA AND MOVE INTO THE REGION OVERNIGHT AS AN UPPER WAVE MOVES ACROSS THE PLAINS. INSTABILITY AND WIND SHEAR MAY BE SUFFICIENT FOR SOME OF THE STORMS TO BECOME SEVERE LATE THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING WITH LARGE HAIL AND WINDS BEING THE MAIN CONCERN. COOLER AIR WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION BEHIND THE COLD FRONT LEADING TO A COUPLE OF COOL DAYS ACROSS THE FA. MODELS SHOW THE REGION BEING INFLUENCED BY AN UPPER RIDGE THROUGH TO AT LEAST THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK WITH SOUTHERLY WINDS AND WARM TEMPERATURES RETURNING TO THE FA. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... OKLAHOMA CITY OK 53 66 43 71 / 60 20 10 10 HOBART OK 52 69 43 73 / 40 20 0 10 WICHITA FALLS TX 56 72 45 71 / 50 30 0 10 GAGE OK 47 69 40 77 / 40 10 0 10 PONCA CITY OK 49 65 40 72 / 60 10 10 10 DURANT OK 57 65 46 70 / 70 60 10 10 && .OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OK...NONE. TX...NONE. && 03/25
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 19, 3:35 PM CST, 3 hours before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 435 PM CDT THU APR 19 2012 OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-201100- HARPER-WOODS-ALFALFA-GRANT-KAY-ELLIS-WOODWARD-MAJOR-GARFIELD- NOBLE-ROGER MILLS-DEWEY-CUSTER-BLAINE-KINGFISHER-LOGAN-PAYNE- BECKHAM-WASHITA-CADDO-CANADIAN-OKLAHOMA-LINCOLN-GRADY-MCCLAIN- CLEVELAND-POTTAWATOMIE-SEMINOLE-HUGHES-HARMON-GREER-KIOWA-JACKSON- TILLMAN-COMANCHE-STEPHENS-GARVIN-MURRAY-PONTOTOC-COAL-COTTON- JEFFERSON-CARTER-JOHNSTON-ATOKA-LOVE-MARSHALL-BRYAN-HARDEMAN- FOARD-WILBARGER-WICHITA-KNOX-BAYLOR-ARCHER-CLAY- 435 PM CDT THU APR 19 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS NORTHERN...WESTERN... CENTRAL...AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK... THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT ACROSS PORTIONS OF OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. LOCATION... MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM MEDFORD... TO WATONGA... TO HOBART... TO ALTUS AND INCLUDING ALL OF WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. TIMING... THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FROM 6 PM THROUGH 1 AM. RECOMMENDED ACTIONS... STORM SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL ACROSS THE RISK AREA SHOULD PLAN FOR SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS FROM 6 PM UNTIL 1 AM. DISCUSSION... A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF OKLAHOMA AND FAR WESTERN PORTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS BY SUNSET TODAY...CONTINUING ITS PROGRESS SOUTH AND EAST THIS EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO DEVELOP ALONG AND NEAR THE FRONT EARLY THIS EVENING WHEN COOLER AIR ALOFT ARRIVES WITH AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH. A SURFACE LOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ON THE FRONT ACROSS SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA OR WESTERN NORTH TEXAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON. AS THIS OCCURS DIRECTIONAL WIND SHEAR WILL INCREASE NEAR THE SURFACE LOW AS STRONGER MID LEVEL WINDS FROM THE WEST ARRIVE THIS EVENING. SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS... CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS... MAY DEVELOP BEFORE SUNSET NORTHEAST OF THIS SURFACE LOW FROM NEAR WICHITA FALLS TO LAWTON TO CHICKASHA. PROBABILITY TABLE...VALID THROUGH 700 AM CDT FRIDAY APR 20. PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA...90 PERCENT. PROBABILITY OF SEVERE STORMS IF STORMS OCCUR...70 PERCENT. OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER... NONE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK... THUNDERSTORMS WILL END IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA BY MID-DAY FRIDAY. NONE ARE EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER... NONE. THE NEXT SCHEDULED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED BY 5 AM FRIDAY.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Apr 19, 5:35 PM CST, 1 hour before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENTNWS NORMAN
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
635 PM CDT THU APR 19 2012
TXZ088-200000-
BAYLOR TX-
635 PM CDT THU APR 19 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BAYLOR COUNTY UNTIL 700 PM CDT...
AT 631 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BOMARTON...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH DIAMETER...
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
SEYMOUR AND BOMARTON.
MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY AND BE ALERT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS.
LAT...LON 3346 9947 3368 9934 3368 9933 3343 9899
3340 9906 3340 9947
TIME...MOT...LOC 2331Z 238DEG 17KT 3344 9938
30Special weather statement, Apr 19, 6:17 PM CST, 18 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENTNWS NORMAN NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 717 PM CDT THU APR 19 2012 OKZ023-038-200045- CADDO OK-COMANCHE OK- 717 PM CDT THU APR 19 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN CADDO AND COMANCHE COUNTIES UNTIL 745 PM CDT... AT 714 PM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 24 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LAKE ELLSWORTH TO CACHE...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. HAZARDS INCLUDE... HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH DIAMETER... WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH... LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... LAWTON...CACHE...ELGIN...CYRIL...FLETCHER...STERLING...MEDICINE PARK...FORT SILL...MEERS...LAKE ELLSWORTH AND LAKE LAWTONKA. MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY AND BE ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS. LAT...LON 3487 9850 3492 9811 3461 9817 3454 9880 TIME...MOT...LOC 0014Z 251DEG 25KT 3483 9835 3460 9868 30
Special weather statement, Apr 19, 6:23 PM CST, 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENTNWS NORMAN NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 723 PM CDT THU APR 19 2012 OKZ023-200100- CADDO OK- 723 PM CDT THU APR 19 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CADDO COUNTY UNTIL 800 PM CDT... AT 718 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR FORT COBB... MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. HAZARDS INCLUDE... HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH DIAMETER... WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH... LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... ANADARKO...FORT COBB...GRACEMONT...ALBERT...LAKE CHICKASHA AND FORT COBB RESERVOIR. LAT...LON 3534 9817 3508 9809 3501 9846 3518 9853 TIME...MOT...LOC 0018Z 249DEG 20KT 3511 9844 30
Special weather statement, Apr 19, 6:35 PM CST, 0 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENTNWS NORMAN
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
735 PM CDT THU APR 19 2012
OKZ038-200100-
COMANCHE OK-
735 PM CDT THU APR 19 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR COMANCHE COUNTY UNTIL 800 PM
CDT...
AT 731 PM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG A LINE EXTENDING
FROM CYRIL TO MEDICINE PARK TO CACHE...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS...
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
LAWTON...CACHE...ELGIN...FLETCHER...STERLING...MEDICINE PARK...
FORT SILL...LAKE ELLSWORTH AND LAKE LAWTONKA.
MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY AND BE ALERT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS.
LAT...LON 3470 9860 3485 9851 3485 9809 3480 9809
3461 9826 3456 9872
TIME...MOT...LOC 0031Z 249DEG 23KT 3486 9821 3471 9845 3462 9859
30The radar
The Altus AFB radar (KFDR), 84 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:36 UTC.
Event by event
20 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Comanche
- When
- April 19, 6:36 PM CST
- Where
- Comanche County, 1 mi N of Fletcher
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Fire Department/Rescue
- Coordinates
- 34.834, -98.240
Hail, Caddo
- When
- April 19, 6:45 PM CST
- Where
- Caddo County, 5 mi SSW of Gracemont
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 35.123, -98.294
Hail, Caddo
- When
- April 19, 6:52 PM CST
- Where
- Caddo County, 9 mi NNW of Gracemont
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 35.310, -98.321
Thunderstorm Wind, Caddo
- When
- April 19, 6:52 PM CST
- Where
- Caddo County, 9 mi NNW of Gracemont
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 35.310, -98.321
Golf ball-size hail was also reported.
Hail, Caddo
- When
- April 19, 6:52 PM CST
- Where
- Caddo County, 10 mi S of Cement
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- Broadcast Media
- Coordinates
- 34.795, -98.140
Hail, Caddo
- When
- April 19, 7:05 PM CST
- Where
- Caddo County, 11 mi N of Gracemont
- Measured
- 2.5 in hail
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 35.349, -98.260
Hail, Grady
- When
- April 19, 7:10 PM CST
- Where
- Grady County, 2 mi N of Verden
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 35.109, -98.090
Hail, Grady
- When
- April 19, 7:24 PM CST
- Where
- Grady County, 9 mi W of Amber
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Emergency Manager
- Coordinates
- 35.160, -98.039
The hail was reported 4 miles west of Highway 81 on CR 1290.
Hail, Grady
- When
- April 19, 7:25 PM CST
- Where
- Grady County, 3 mi NE of Verden
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 35.111, -98.052
Hail, Stephens
- When
- April 19, 7:29 PM CST
- Where
- Stephens County, Marlow
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Amateur Radio
- Coordinates
- 34.650, -97.960
The hail was reported on the north side of town.
Hail, McClain
- When
- April 19, 8:09 PM CST
- Where
- McClain County, 7 mi S of Blanchard
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 35.039, -97.660
Hail, Garvin
- When
- April 19, 8:17 PM CST
- Where
- Garvin County, Pauls Valley
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 34.740, -97.220
Hail, McClain
- When
- April 19, 8:22 PM CST
- Where
- McClain County, Washington
- Measured
- 1.25 in hail
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 35.060, -97.480
Hail, McClain
- When
- April 19, 8:29 PM CST
- Where
- McClain County, 5 mi W of Purcell
- Measured
- 1.5 in hail
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 35.010, -97.458
Hail, McClain
- When
- April 19, 8:34 PM CST
- Where
- McClain County, 3 mi W of Purcell
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 35.010, -97.423
Hail, McClain
- When
- April 19, 8:39 PM CST
- Where
- McClain County, Purcell
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 35.010, -97.370
Hail, McClain
- When
- April 19, 8:40 PM CST
- Where
- McClain County, Purcell
- Measured
- 1.25 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 35.010, -97.370
Hail, McClain
- When
- April 19, 8:58 PM CST
- Where
- McClain County, 10 mi E of Purcell
- Measured
- 1.25 in hail
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 35.010, -97.193
The hail occurred near the McClain/Cleveland county line.
Hail, Stephens
- When
- April 19, 9:35 PM CST to 9:39 PM CST
- Where
- Stephens County, 1 mi ENE of Duncan
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 34.505, -97.944
The hail occurred on the corner of G and Fir Streets.
Hail, Comanche
- When
- April 19, 10:32 PM CST
- Where
- Comanche County, 2 mi N of Lawton
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Broadcast Media
- Coordinates
- 34.639, -98.390
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
More
Every storm in Oklahoma in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, April 2012
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: 370963, 370964, 370944, 370945, 370946, 370965, 370947, 370948, 370949, 370950, 370951, 370952, 370953, 370954, 370955, 370956, 370957, 370958, 370959, 370966, 370960.