Severe thunderstorms developed in an unstable environment ahead of a stalled frontal boundary lying across Northwest Texas. These storms affected the far northwestern counties of the CWA; producing hail up to golf ball and hen egg size.
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 FWD wrote it up.
Severe thunderstorms developed in an unstable environment ahead of a stalled frontal boundary lying across Northwest Texas. These storms affected the far northwestern counties of the CWA; producing hail up to golf ball and hen egg size.
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 Fort Worth, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 15, 3:11 PM CST, 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 411 PM CDT MON APR 15 2013 .DISCUSSION... AFTERNOON SATELLITE IMAGERY CLEARLY SHOWS THE STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXTENDING FROM NORTHWEST ARKANSAS ACROSS OKLAHOMA AND INTO NORTHWEST TEXAS. LINE OF ENHANCED CU HAS DEVELOPED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS AND CONVERGENCE ALONG THE BOUNDARY APPEARS STRONG WITH SOUTHEAST WINDS AT BOWIE AND DECATUR. TEMPS ALONG AND JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT HAVE REACHED THE LOWER 90S AND LOCALLY RUN OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS INDICATES LESS THAN 20J/KG OF CONVECTIVE INHIBITION REMAIN. AIRCRAFT SOUNDINGS INTO DFW AIRPORT INDICATE SLIGHTLY MORE INHIBITION FARTHER EAST WITH A LITTLE MORE ROBUST CAPPING. ALL OF THE HIGH RESOLUTION CONVECTION ALLOWING GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO CONVECT OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS ALONG THE FRONT AND GIVEN THE LATEST SATELLITE/RADAR OBSERVATIONS IT IS HARD TO JUSTIFY GOING AGAINST THIS. WATER VAPOR ALSO CONTINUES TO SUGGEST THAT WEAK LARGE SCALE FORCING IS SPREADING EAST WITH THE UPPER SPEED MAX. WILL HAVE SOME 20/30 POPS ALONG THE BOUNDARY FOR THIS EVENING. ATMOSPHERE IS MODERATELY UNSTABLE IN THIS AREA WITH SURFACE BASED CAPES AROUND 2200J/KG AND AROUND 45KTS OF DEEP LAYER SHEAR. THIS ENVIRONMENT IS MORE THAN ADEQUATE TO SUPPORT SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. WITH THE STEEP LAPSE RATES...AND NEARLY 30 DEGREE T/TD SPREADS NEAR THE BOUNDARY...VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS. THERE IS SOME CONCERN WITH THE RICH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE THOUGH AND LOCALIZED BACKING OF THE WINDS NEAR THE BOUNDARY THAT A BRIEF TORNADO COULD DEVELOP. LOW LEVEL HELICITY IS NOT GREAT BUT LOCALLY BACKED WINDS IN THE VICINITY OF THE BOUNDARY COULD ENHANCE A TORNADO THREAT. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD DIMINISH IN COVERAGE LATER TONIGHT WITH BOUNDARY LAYER COOLING. LATER TONIGHT...AFTER THE ACTIVITY DIMINISHES...IT WILL BE WARM WITH SOUTHERLY FLOW PERSISTING. ANOTHER BATCH OF LOW LEVEL CLOUDINESS IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE AREA OVERNIGHT THEN MOVE EAST AND SCATTER A BIT DURING THE DAY. THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO DRIFT TO THE NORTH DURING THE DAY TUESDAY AND BE LOCATED PRIMARILY ACROSS OKLAHOMA. THE DRYLINE SHOULD GENERALLY BE LOCATED ACROSS WEST TEXAS DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. TEMPS WILL BE SLIGHTLY COOLER TOMORROW BUT CAP STRENGTH IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN SIMILAR...SO WITH THE COOLER TEMPS...CAPPING WILL BE MORE OF AN ISSUE TOMORROW. CONVECTIVE INITIATION SHOULD OCCUR ALONG THE DRYLINE AND FRONTAL BOUNDARY...HOWEVER THIS SHOULD BE BOTH WEST AND NORTH OF THE CWA. AT THIS TIME...FORECAST WILL REMAIN DRY UNLESS IT APPEARS THAT THE DRYLINE WILL MIX FARTHER EAST. ON WEDNESDAY...THE UPPER TROF CONTINUES TO DIG AND MOVE EAST INTO THE FOUR CORNERS REGION. DURING THE MORNING...LOW LEVEL JET WILL INCREASE TO 50 TO 60KTS. WITH STEEP LAPSE RATES IN PLACE AND STRONG WARM ADVECTION...ELEVATED CONVECTION MAY BE ONGOING ACROSS PARTS OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND NORTH TEXAS WEDNESDAY MORNING. MOST OF THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD STREAM NORTH DURING THE MORNING. BY AFTERNOON THE DRYLINE SHARPENS ACROSS NORTHWEST TEXAS AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA. AS LARGE SCALE FORCING FROM THE UPPER TROUGH INCREASES DURING THE DAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS MUCH OF OKLAHOMA. WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON MAINLY TO THE NORTH OF THE AREA...HOWEVER NORTH TEXAS WILL ONLY BE WEAKLY CAPPED. IF ANY LOW LEVEL MESOSCALE FEATURES CAN FOCUS CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS NORTH TEXAS THEN SEVERE WEATHER CAN BE EXPECTED. AT THIS TIME...WILL ONLY HAVE 20/30 POPS ACROSS THE AREA FOR WEDNESDAY WITH HIGHEST IN THE NORTHWEST CLOSER TO THE DRYLINE. OTHERWISE...MAIN ACTIVITY WILL BE LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL EXPECTED WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY THURSDAY WITH DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE MAIN THREAT. BY THURSDAY...THE PRECIP WILL END FROM WEST TO EAST WITH QUIET WEATHER EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND. TEMPS WILL BE COOL WITH HIGHS IN THE 60S AND LOWS IN THE 30S/40S. DUNN && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX 69 86 69 83 54 / 20 5 10 20 70 WACO, TX 69 87 71 84 65 / 5 5 10 20 40 PARIS, TX 66 85 68 82 63 / 10 5 10 20 50 DENTON, TX 66 86 68 82 46 / 30 5 10 30 70 MCKINNEY, TX 66 85 68 81 55 / 20 5 10 20 70 DALLAS, TX 69 86 70 85 57 / 20 5 10 20 60 TERRELL, TX 68 86 70 83 65 / 5 5 10 20 50 CORSICANA, TX 68 87 70 84 66 / 5 5 10 20 40 TEMPLE, TX 68 88 71 86 66 / 5 5 10 20 40 MINERAL WELLS, TX 65 89 68 84 42 / 30 10 10 30 70 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 309 PM CDT MON APR 15 2013 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-161230- MONTAGUE-COOKE-GRAYSON-FANNIN-LAMAR-YOUNG-JACK-WISE-DENTON-COLLIN- HUNT-DELTA-HOPKINS-STEPHENS-PALO PINTO-PARKER-TARRANT-DALLAS- ROCKWALL-KAUFMAN-VAN ZANDT-RAINS-EASTLAND-ERATH-HOOD-SOMERVELL- JOHNSON-ELLIS-HENDERSON-COMANCHE-MILLS-HAMILTON-BOSQUE-HILL-NAVARRO- FREESTONE-ANDERSON-LAMPASAS-CORYELL-BELL-MCLENNAN-FALLS-LIMESTONE- LEON-MILAM-ROBERTSON- 309 PM CDT MON APR 15 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING IN THE AREA ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM COMANCHE TO DALLAS TO SULPHUR SPRINGS. THE BEST CHANCES OF STORMS WILL BE GENERALLY NORTH AND WEST OF THE DFW METROPLEX. STORMS THAT FORM WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY THREAT...BUT AN ISOLATED BRIEF TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. MORE WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE STORMS WILL BE WEDNESDAY NIGHT GENERALLY NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM GOLDTHWAITE...TO DALLAS/FORT WORTH...TO SHERMAN/DENISON. HOWEVER...THE BULK OF THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL LIKELY BE WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE ON THURSDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... LIMITED SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED THROUGH EARLY EVENING...FOR LOCATIONS NORTHWEST OF A COMANCHE TO DALLAS TO SULPHUR SPRINGS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
408 PM CDT MON APR 15 2013
TXZ100-101-152145-
JACK TX-YOUNG TX-
408 PM CDT MON APR 15 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
NORTHWESTERN JACK COUNTY
SOUTHEASTERN YOUNG COUNTY
AT 408 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 12 MILES NORTHEAST OF GRAHAM...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 25 MPH.
CITIES IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE BRYSON.
NICKEL-SIZED HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THIS
STORM.
IF THIS STORM INTENSIFIES...A SEVERE WEATHER WARNING MAY BE NEEDED.
ADDITIONAL STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND
SOUTH YOUNG COUNTY ALONG A STALLED FRONT.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CDT MONDAY EVENING
FOR NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS.
LAT...LON 3348 9835 3347 9824 3337 9810 3295 9856
3308 9876
TIME...MOT...LOC 2108Z 220DEG 20KT 3323 9842
/JLDThe Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 117 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:49 UTC.
21 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Ping pong ball sized hail was reported on FM 2190, northwest of Jacksboro.
Ping pong ball sized hail was reported 3 miles north of Jacksboro on Highway 148.
The hail size increased from quarters to ping pong balls 4 miles northwest of Alvord.
Ping pong ball sized hail was reported 6 miles northwest of Alvord; which is just north of the Wise/Montague County line.
Copious amounts of nickel to quarter sized hail covered the ground 7 miles north-northwest of Alvord in southern Montague County.
Nickel to quarter sized hail was reported 3 miles southwest of Post Oak.
Golf ball sized hail was reported 9 miles north of Alvord; which is about 3 miles northeast of Sunset.
Golf ball sized hail was covering the ground near Highway 59 and Frog Hollar Road.
Quarter sized hail was reported at Lake Amon Carter.
Quarter sized hail was reported approximately 5-6 miles north-northwest of Alvord which is in southern Montague County very near the county border.
Half dollar sized hail was reported at HWY 101 and Hwy 287 near Sunset.
Quarter sized hail was reported near Frog Hollar Rd and Highway 59 near the county border.
Half dollar sized hail was reported east of Sunset.
Quarter sized hail was reported east of Sunset.
Penny sized hail was reported 12 miles south of Saint Jo.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, April 2013
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: 439400, 439401, 439403, 439402, 439404, 439405, 439406, 439407, 439409, 439410, 439408, 439411, 443820, 443824, 443821, 443827, 443822, 443823, 443825, 443826, 443828.