Hail, Brewster
- When
- April 7, 2:15 PM CST to 2:25 PM CST
- Where
- Brewster County, 8 mi SSE of Alpine
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Amateur Radio
- Coordinates
- 30.263, -103.619
Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, April 7, 2012
A dryline was present across the Permian Basin and Trans Pecos region with plentiful low level moisture to the east of this feature. Heating of the higher terrain of the Davis Mountains and Trans Pecos along with a mid-level shortwave helped to create lift and instability over southwest Texas.
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
- 17
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 MAF wrote it up.
A dryline was present across the Permian Basin and Trans Pecos region with plentiful low level moisture to the east of this feature. Heating of the higher terrain of the Davis Mountains and Trans Pecos along with a mid-level shortwave helped to create lift and instability over southwest Texas. A cold front had moved into the area during the afternoon and evening hours and helped to create additional lift and instability. This contributed to the development of severe thunderstorms along the Trans Pecos and Permian Basin with many hail reports and a tornado.
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 Midland/Odessa, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 7, 2:09 PM CST, 6 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 7, 2:09 PM CST, 6 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 309 PM CDT SAT APR 7 2012 .UPDATE... WE HAVE UPDATED THE FORECAST TO INCLUDE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH #150...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT. && .DISCUSSION... STORMS CONTINUE TO FIRE ACROSS THE TRANS PECOS MOUNTAINS AND ACROSS THE EASTERN PERMIAN BASIN AND WESTERN LOW ROLLING PLAINS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THESE AREAS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BIG SPRING TX 57 74 57 81 / 60 30 20 20 CARLSBAD NM 56 76 57 86 / 30 30 20 10 DRYDEN TX 64 76 61 83 / 50 20 20 10 FORT STOCKTON TX 60 77 58 85 / 60 30 20 10 GUADALUPE PASS TX 50 70 53 79 / 20 30 20 20 HOBBS NM 52 73 54 80 / 50 30 20 10 MARFA TX 52 73 48 79 / 30 20 20 20 MIDLAND INTL AIRPORT TX 57 76 58 81 / 60 30 20 10 ODESSA TX 57 75 58 81 / 60 30 20 10 WINK TX 61 80 59 87 / 60 30 20 10 && .MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && 44/06
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 7, 11:44 AM CST, 2 hours 31 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 1244 PM CDT SAT APR 7 2012 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-081745- GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY COUNTY-EDDY COUNTY PLAINS- NORTHERN LEA COUNTY-CENTRAL LEA COUNTY-SOUTHERN LEA COUNTY-GAINES- DAWSON-BORDEN-SCURRY-ANDREWS-MARTIN-HOWARD-MITCHELL- VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR-REEVES COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS- LOVING-WINKLER-ECTOR-MIDLAND-GLASSCOCK-WARD-CRANE-UPTON-REAGAN- DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA-PECOS-PRESIDIO VALLEY-MARFA PLATEAU- BIG BEND AREA-TERRELL-GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS- 1244 PM CDT SAT APR 7 2012 /1144 AM MDT SAT APR 7 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND WEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THERE WILL BE A WIDESPREAD CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND WEST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT MOVES SOUTH INTO THE AREA...AND A DRYLINE EXTENDS SOUTH OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY INTO SOUTHWEST TEXAS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY THREATS. HOWEVER A TORNADO OR TWO COULD ALSO FORM NEAR THE COLD FRONT OR EAST OF THE DRYLINE. IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL OCCUR WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. NORTHEAST WINDS WILL RISE TO 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 55 MPH IN THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT TONIGHT. LOCALIZED WINDS MAY ALSO BE ENHANCED BY THUNDERSTORMS IN AND NEAR THE GUADALUPES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY MORE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. ADDITIONAL SEVERE STORMS COULD OCCUR IN THE EXTENDED FORECAST TOO... BUT AREAS POSSIBLY AFFECTED BY STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE ASCERTAINED CLOSER TO THOSE TIME FRAMES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON FOR AREAS GENERALLY ALONG AND EAST OF A SEMINOLE TO PECOS TO SANDERSON LINE. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS...STORM SPOTTER GROUPS...AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS SITUATION AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN YOUR AREA. THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...ADVISORIES... AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN MIDLAND CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT /LOWER CASE/ HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/MIDLAND
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Apr 7, 1:24 PM CST, 51 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 224 PM CDT SAT APR 7 2012 TXZ074-075-081-072000- PECOS-BIG BEND AREA-DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA- 224 PM CDT SAT APR 7 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING NORTHWESTERN BREWSTER...SOUTH CENTRAL PECOS AND SOUTHEASTERN JEFF DAVIS COUNTIES UNTIL 300 PM CDT... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF ALTUDA AT 221 PM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 5 MPH. LOCATIONS LIKELY TO BE IMPACTED ARE ALTUDA... STATE HIGHWAY 118... U.S. 90... U.S. 67. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... IN ADDITION TO HAIL AND STRONG WINDS... DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER... YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. SEEK SAFE SHELTER NOW. IF SEVERE WEATHER IS OBSERVED...HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN MIDLAND. &&
Special weather statement, Apr 7, 2:06 PM CST, 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 306 PM CDT SAT APR 7 2012 TXZ074-075-081-072030- PECOS-BIG BEND AREA-DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA- 306 PM CDT SAT APR 7 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING NORTHWESTERN BREWSTER...SOUTHEASTERN JEFF DAVIS AND SOUTHWESTERN PECOS COUNTIES UNTIL 330 PM CDT... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES EAST OF ALPINE AT 304 PM CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 5 MPH. IMPACTED LOCATIONS INCLUDE ALPINE...ALTUDA...U.S. 90...STATE HIGHWAY 118...AND U.S. 67. SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE THE PRIMARY THREATS WITH THESE STORMS AT THIS TIME. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... IN ADDITION TO HAIL AND STRONG WINDS... DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER... YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. SEEK SAFE SHELTER NOW. IF SEVERE WEATHER IS OBSERVED...HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN MIDLAND. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT SATURDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHWESTERN TEXAS. &&
The radar
The Midland/Odessa radar (KMAF), 231 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:14 UTC.
Event by event
15 hail, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Mitchell
- When
- April 7, 2:37 PM CST to 2:47 PM CST
- Where
- Mitchell County, 6 mi SSE of Colorado City
- Measured
- 1.25 in hail
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 32.320, -100.811
A storm moved over Mitchell County and produced half dollar sized hail and winds over 60 mph six miles south southeast of Colorado City.
Hail, Mitchell
- When
- April 7, 3:03 PM CST to 3:13 PM CST
- Where
- Mitchell County, 13 mi S of Westbrook
- Measured
- 3 in hail
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 32.162, -101.020
A storm moved over Mitchell County and produced three inch hail thirteen miles south of Westbrook. A rotating wall cloud was reported with this storm.
Hail, Mitchell
- When
- April 7, 3:03 PM CST to 3:13 PM CST
- Where
- Mitchell County, 13 mi S of Westbrook
- Measured
- 2.5 in hail
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 32.162, -101.020
Hail, Mitchell
- When
- April 7, 3:12 PM CST to 3:17 PM CST
- Where
- Mitchell County, 13 mi S of Westbrook
- Measured
- 3 in hail
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 32.162, -101.020
Tornado, Mitchell
- When
- April 7, 3:23 PM CST to 3:27 PM CST
- Where
- Mitchell County, 6.01 mi ESE of Hyman to 6.47 mi ESE of Hyman
- Rating
- EF0
- Path length
- 1.38 mi
- Path width
- 30 yd
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 32.110, -101.030
A severe thunderstorm moved over Mitchell County and produced a tornado eighteen miles south of Westbrook. This tornado remained over ranch land adjacent to and west of State Highway 163. No damage was identified with this tornado, and it was rated as an EF-0.
Tornado, Mitchell
- When
- April 7, 3:38 PM CST to 3:48 PM CST
- Where
- Mitchell County, 6.47 mi ESE of Hyman to 5.44 mi ESE of Hyman
- Rating
- EF0
- Path length
- 1.17 mi
- Path width
- 40 yd
- Continued into
- Sterling, Tx (SJT)
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 32.090, -101.030
A severe thunderstorm moved over Mitchell County and produced a tornado eighteen miles south of Westbrook. This tornado remained over ranch land adjacent to and west of State Highway 163. No damage was identified with this tornado, and it was rated as an EF-0.
Hail, Mitchell
- When
- April 7, 3:52 PM CST to 3:57 PM CST
- Where
- Mitchell County, 18 mi S of Westbrook
- Measured
- 2.5 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 32.090, -101.020
Hail, Midland
- When
- April 7, 6:11 PM CST to 6:21 PM CST
- Where
- Midland County, 2 mi S of Spraberry
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Fire Department/Rescue
- Coordinates
- 31.891, -101.830
Hail, Reagan
- When
- April 7, 7:10 PM CST to 7:30 PM CST
- Where
- Reagan County, 25 mi NNE of Big Lake
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 31.534, -101.308
A storm moved over Reagan County and produced at least quarter sized hail twenty-five miles north northeast of Big Lake. A COOP observer reported a fifteen inch hail drift with quarter sized hail present about 24 hours after the storm. Leaves were stripped off the trees.
Hail, Reagan
- When
- April 7, 8:25 PM CST to 8:35 PM CST
- Where
- Reagan County, 9 mi SE of Stiles
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 31.308, -101.472
A storm moved over Reagan County and produced golfball sized hail and wind speeds over 60 mph nine miles southeast of Stiles.
Hail, Upton
- When
- April 7, 8:30 PM CST to 8:40 PM CST
- Where
- Upton County, Mc Camey
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 31.130, -102.230
Hail, Reagan
- When
- April 7, 9:01 PM CST to 9:11 PM CST
- Where
- Reagan County, Big Lake
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 31.200, -101.470
Hail, Reagan
- When
- April 7, 9:01 PM CST to 9:11 PM CST
- Where
- Reagan County, Big Lake
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 31.200, -101.470
A line of storms moved through Reagan County and produced golfball sized hail and 60 mph winds in Big Lake. The trained spotter reported tree branches on the ground.
Hail, Reagan
- When
- April 7, 9:05 PM CST to 9:15 PM CST
- Where
- Reagan County, Big Lake
- Measured
- 1.5 in hail
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 31.200, -101.470
Hail, Reagan
- When
- April 7, 9:25 PM CST to 9:35 PM CST
- Where
- Reagan County, 8 mi S of Big Lake
- Measured
- 1.25 in hail
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 31.084, -101.470
Hail, Pecos
- When
- April 7, 10:15 PM CST to 10:20 PM CST
- Where
- Pecos County, Sheffield
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Fire Department/Rescue
- Coordinates
- 30.670, -101.830
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- Tornado
- A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Wildfire in Virginia, April 7 to 18, 2012
- Wildfire in Virginia, April 7 to 19, 2012
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Texas, April 7, 2012
- Frost and Freeze in Virginia, April 7, 2012
- Frost and Freeze in West Virginia, April 7, 2012
- Frost and Freeze in Maryland, April 7, 2012
- Wildfire in New Jersey, April 7, 2012
- Hail in Oklahoma, April 7, 2012
- Hail in Oklahoma, April 7, 2012
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Texas, April 7, 2012
More
Every storm in Texas in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 2012Warnings in Texas, 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: 367842, 367841, 367843, 367844, 367845, 378640, 378641, 378639, 368106, 367847, 367848, 367918, 368097, 368098, 368099, 368100, 368101.