A cold front interacted with an existing dry line on the 21st of the month. A line of thunderstorms developed early in the day to the north of the Red River.
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.
A cold front interacted with an existing dry line on the 21st of the month. A line of thunderstorms developed early in the day to the north of the Red River. The line continued to move south and east, moving into increasingly unstable air across north Texas. Numerous reports of large hail and damaging winds were reported.
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 May 21, 10:28 AM CST, 47 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 1128 AM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013 .UPDATE... THE MAIN TORNADO THREAT WILL BE WITH DISCRETE CELLS OUT AHEAD OF THE SQUALL LINE THIS AFTERNOON. THE SQUALL LINE IS BEGINNING TO ORGANIZE AND IS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20-25 MPH. EXTRAPOLATION PLACES IT ALONG A SHERMAN TO EASTLAND LINE AROUND 2 PM AND ALONG AN EMORY TO LAMPASAS LINE BY 5 PM. LEAD STORMS ALONG THE LINE COULD STILL PRODUCE TORNADOES...BUT THOSE CELLS WITHIN THE LINE WILL BE MORE LIKELY TO PRODUCE DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS FROM BOW ECHOES AND LARGE HAIL. HAVE HIGHEST POPS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE LINE AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. THE CONVECTION WILL EXIT THE SOUTHEAST COUNTIES EARLY THIS EVENING. TEMPERATURES ARE ALREADY FALLING BEHIND THE COLD FRONT WHICH HAS PUSHED INTO THE NORTHWEST COUNTIES. 75 && .AVIATION... THUNDERSTORM TIMING STILL PROBLEMATIC...WITH RAP/NAM FORECASTING 15Z TSRA ARRIVAL AT METRO AIRPORTS AND HRRR/OUN WRF INDICATING 18Z. WRF ARW FAVORS 20Z AND TTU WRF IS THE LATEST WITH A 21Z ARRIVAL. ELEVATED CONVECTION IN OKLAHOMA HAS SHOWN NO TENDENCY TO MOVE SOUTH YET...BUT THE BOUNDARY CAN BE SEEN NEAR THE FREDERICK RADAR MOVING SOUTH. WILL TIME THE VCTS IN FOR 16Z AND THE TSRA IN FOR 18Z FOR THESE TAFS...BUT STILL SUBJECT TO CHANGE ONCE CONVECTION FIRES NEAR THE FRONT AND CAN BE TIMED. TODAY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A HIGH END EVENT...WITH LARGE HAIL THE GREATEST THREAT TO AVIATION INTERESTS. A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE OF THE SUPERCELLS THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY PRODUCE HAIL...AND SHOULD A HAIL CORE MOVE OVER AN AIRPORT THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGE IS HIGH. THE TORNADO THREAT WILL BE INCREASING DURING THE MORNING...AND REMAIN FAIRLY HIGH UNTIL THE DISCRETE SUPERCELLS EVOLVE INTO A SQUALL LINE DURING THE MID- LATE AFTERNOON...LIKELY NEAR OR SOUTH OF WACO. STORM TIMING AT WACO WILL BE A COUPLE OF HOURS AFTER METROPLEX ARRIVAL...AND HAVE CURRENTLY INDICATED 20Z. WACO IS ALSO IN THE MODERATE RISK AREA WITH ALL THE ATTENDANT HAZARDS. 84 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 357 AM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013/ ISOLATED SHOWERS CONTINUE TO POP UP ACROSS THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING...WITH THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY REMAINING NORTH OF THE REGION OVER OKLAHOMA IN THE VICINITY OF A SLOW MOVING FRONT. THE WEATHER SHOULD REMAIN RELATIVELY QUIET IN THE SHORT TERM...BUT THE INGREDIENTS APPEAR TO BE COMING TOGETHER FOR A SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK ACROSS NORTH TEXAS LATER TODAY. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY INDICATES A SHORTWAVE OVER NEW MEXICO MOVING SOUTHEAST TOWARDS NORTHWEST TEXAS. THIS FEATURE WILL CONTINUE TO SWING SOUTHEAST INTO NORTH TEXAS LATER TODAY...PROVIDING LIFT FOR SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LATER THIS MORNING AND THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. AT THE SURFACE...AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY APPEARS TO BE LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF THE RED RIVER. THIS BOUNDARY WILL PROVIDE FOCUS FOR DEVELOPMENT AS LIFT INCREASES AHEAD OF THE SHORTWAVE. HI-RESOLUTION MODEL DATA SHOWS DEVELOPMENT BEGINNING OVER THE NORTHERN COUNTIES AROUND DAYBREAK NEAR THE REMNANT BOUNDARY. ADDITIONAL STORM DEVELOPMENT WILL LIKELY OCCUR ALONG THE SYNOPTIC FRONT AS IT ADVANCES SOUTH TOWARDS THE RED RIVER...ESSENTIALLY OVERTAKING THE MESOSCALE BOUNDARY LATER THIS MORNING. SHOWERS AND STORMS SHOULD ADVANCE SLOWLY SOUTHEAST ALONG THE SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT. SURFACE HEATING WILL ALLOW THE ATMOSPHERE TO DESTABILIZE MID AND LATE MORNING AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND ONGOING STORMS. THIS SHOULD LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS AROUND MIDDAY. THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY BE IN THE FORM OF DISCRETE CELLS...MOST LIKELY OCCURRING ALONG THE INTERSTATE 20 CORRIDOR INCLUDING DALLAS-FORT WORTH AND SURROUNDING AREAS. SEVERAL OF THESE STORMS WILL QUICKLY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND TORNADOES ALL POSSIBLE DURING THE AFTERNOON. WITH THE SLOW MOVING SURFACE BOUNDARY IN PLACE...THE POTENTIAL FOR LONG-TRACK TORNADOES WILL EXIST OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN PORTION OF THE REGION AS INDICATED BY SPC DAY 1 MODERATE RISK AREA. BY LATE AFTERNOON...STORMS SHOULD FORM INTO A SQUALL LINE...SHIFTING THE MAIN SEVERE THREAT TO DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL DURING THE EVENING HOURS. THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL PUSH EAST OF THE REGION TONIGHT AS THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH CONTINUES EAST AND HEADS FOR THE MS VALLEY....BRINGING OVERALL QUIET WEATHER TO THE REGION WEDNESDAY. THE SYNOPTIC SCALE COLD FRONT WILL HANG UP NEAR THE I-20 CORRIDOR TODAY BEFORE GRADUALLY LIFTING NORTH OF THE AREA WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. AN UPPER RIDGE WILL BUILD OVERHEAD WEDNESDAY THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. MODEL DATA CONTINUES TO HINT AT STORM DEVELOPMENT NORTHWEST OF THE REGION AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE...WITH ACTIVITY PROPAGATING SOUTHEAST TOWARDS THE AREA. WILL CONTINUE WITH LOW POPS ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN THIRD OF THE REGION DURING THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...WITH LINGERING POPS NORTH OF I-20 FRIDAY MORNING. THE UPPER RIDGE IS PROGGED TO INTENSIFY THIS WEEKEND...WHICH WOULD BRING SUMMER-LIKE TEMPERATURES FOR MEMORIAL DAY. 30 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX 82 65 87 68 89 / 70 30 10 10 10 WACO, TX 87 67 89 68 89 / 60 40 10 10 10 PARIS, TX 79 64 85 63 85 / 80 30 10 10 10 DENTON, TX 80 62 87 65 88 / 80 20 10 20 10 MCKINNEY, TX 81 63 87 64 86 / 80 30 10 10 10 DALLAS, TX 83 66 88 69 90 / 70 30 10 10 10 TERRELL, TX 84 65 86 65 87 / 80 30 10 10 10 CORSICANA, TX 87 67 87 68 88 / 80 40 10 10 10 TEMPLE, TX 88 68 89 68 88 / 60 50 20 10 10 MINERAL WELLS, TX 81 61 88 65 90 / 80 20 10 20 10 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && /75
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 303 AM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-220815- 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- 303 AM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS THE EASTERN THREE QUARTERS OF NORTH TEXAS...AND A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA. A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS NORTH TEXAS WITH THUNDERSTORMS BEGINNING NEAR THE RED RIVER IN THE MORNING...SPREADING SOUTH AND EAST AHEAD OF THE FRONT DURING THE DAY. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE FREQUENT LIGHTNING...HAIL LARGER THAN TWO INCHES IN DIAMETER...AND DAMAGING WINDS. THE TORNADO THREAT WILL INCREASE DURING THE DAY...WITH STRONG LONG TRACK TORNADOES A POSSIBILITY. BY MID AFTERNOON THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO EVOLVE INTO A SQUALL LINE...INCREASING THE DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WIND POTENTIAL. THE SQUALL LINE SHOULD EXIT THE SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES BY LATE EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS RETURNS WEDNESDAY EVENING IN THE NORTHWEST AND THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING GENERALLY NORTH OF THE I-20 CORRIDOR. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY BEGINNING IN THE MORNING FOR COUNTIES NEAR THE RED RIVER...EXTENDING SOUTH AND EAST ACROSS NORTH TEXAS DURING THE DAY AND EVENING.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 1128 AM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013 TXZ100-211700- YOUNG TX- 1128 AM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR... NORTHERN YOUNG COUNTY AT 1127 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 14 MILES SOUTHWEST OF OLNEY...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH. CITIES IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE OLNEY...JEAN...AND LOVING. PENNY-SIZED HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THIS STORM. LAT...LON 3340 9842 3325 9843 3310 9895 3340 9896 TIME...MOT...LOC 1627Z 249DEG 42KT 3320 9883 92
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1213 PM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013
TXZ101-211745-
JACK TX-
1213 PM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
NORTHERN JACK COUNTY
AT 1213 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 16 MILES NORTHWEST OF JACKSBORO...MOVING EAST AT
35 MPH.
PENNY-SIZED HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THIS
STORM ACROSS THE NORTHERN PARTS OF JACK COUNTY.
LAT...LON 3343 9798 3343 9792 3333 9792 3324 9842
3343 9843 3347 9826 3347 9798
TIME...MOT...LOC 1713Z 254DEG 32KT 3335 9835The Dyess AFB radar (KDYX), 33 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:14 UTC.
21 thunderstorm wind, 14 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Stephens County sheriffs deputies reported quarter sized hail six miles west of Breckenridge.
The Decatur AWOS reported a wind gust of 55 knots.
The Denton ASOS reported a wind gust of 63 knots.
A trained spotter measured a wind gust of 62 mph at the intersection of US377 and FM455.
Roof damage was reported in Haslet. Singles were blown off of a few houses.
A former NWS employee reported a wind gust of 60 mph in Grapevine.
Trained spotters reported a 14 inch diameter tree was blown down near Gunter.
The McKinney ASOS reported a wind gust of 68 mph.
Trained spotters reported trees damaged near Virginia Parkway and Carlisle Street in McKinney. Large branches snapped.
Trees were blown down in McKinney, at the intersection of Fairway Vista and Valley Creek. Reported by amateur radio operators.
The McKinney COOP observer reported large tree limbs and branches blown down.
A sustained wind of 58 mph was measured at a home in Garland. Report came in through e-spotter.
A trained spotter measured a wind gust of 69 mph in Garland.
A trained spotter estimated winds near 65 mph in Princeton.
Large trees were blown down due to thunderstorm winds in Pilot Grove.
A trained spotter measured 62 mph winds in Farmersville.
Paris police reported several trees and power lines blown down in the city of Paris.
A 2 foot diameter tree was snapped in the city of Paris. The damage occurred near the intersection of 10th Street SE and Hearon.
Trees and power lines were blown down by thunderstorm winds in the city of Reno.
Several fires were started by lightning on the afternoon of May 21st. Two houses suffered fire damage after lightning struck their roof. Another lightning strike destroyed a battery of oil tanks near County Road 208.
The Hunt County Emergency Manager reported power lines and tree limbs blown down throughout the county. Homes in the Royse City and Caddo Mills areas suffered roof and fence damage. Two barns along County Road 2630 were also damaged by the winds.
Trained spotters reported quarter sized hail.
Nickel sized hail was reported.
Trained spotters reported damage near Morgans Point. A large tree fell onto a car.
Broadcast media spotter reported nickel to quarter sized hail near Fort Hood.
Several trees and power lines were blown down by thunderstorm winds. The Henderson County Sheriff's Office report showed 16 calls of trees down across the city of Athens and across the county.
Hail increased to the size of a half dollar in Franklin.
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, May 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: 445060, 445074, 445075, 445076, 445072, 445077, 445079, 445084, 445087, 445088, 445089, 445383, 445078, 445085, 445080, 445086, 445081, 445082, 445083, 451802, 451825, 445388, 445377, 445061, 445062, 445073, 445063, 445064, 451773, 445065, 445066, 445067, 445068, 445069, 445070, 445071.