An upper level trough and surface cold front combined to bring severe weather on consecutive days May 8 and 9. A short wave trough moved through the long wave pattern on the 8th and caused isolated severe thunderstorms.
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 EWX wrote it up.
An upper level trough and surface cold front combined to bring severe weather on consecutive days May 8 and 9. A short wave trough moved through the long wave pattern on the 8th and caused isolated severe thunderstorms. On the 9th the long wave trough pushed the cold front through causing more widespread storms that produced severe wind gusts, large hail and flash flooding.
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 Austin/San Antonio, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 8, 11:48 AM CST, 1 hour 32 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 1248 PM CDT THU MAY 8 2014 .UPDATE... PLEASE SEE THE 18Z AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW. && .AVIATION... CIGS ARE SLOWLY LIFTING AS DAYTIME HEATING AND MIXING COMMENCE. THE HEATING IS ALSO AIDING IN CONVECTION AND THE LATEST RADAR DATA SHOWS AN INCREASE IN COVERAGE ALONG THE I-35 CORRIDOR. WE/LL CONTINUE TO MENTION TEMPO GROUPS FOR SHRA/TSRA THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE I-35 TAF SITES. WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING... A DECREASE IN CONVECTION IS EXPECTED AND WE/LL KEEP THE FORECAST PRECIPITATION FREE AFTER 02Z. CIGS WILL QUICKLY LOWER THIS EVENING WITH IFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED AROUND 06Z. OUT WEST AT KDRT... WE/LL KEEP THE FORECAST DRY WITH VFR CONDITIONS AS MOST CONVECTION SHOULD REMAIN EAST OF THE TERMINAL. CIGS SHOULD MOVE BACK IN DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON FRIDAY AND WILL START MVFR CIGS AROUND 09/09Z. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1057 AM CDT THU MAY 8 2014/ UPDATE... MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO FIRST PERIOD. DISCUSSION... CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY HAS WANED OVER THE LAST FEW HOURS...BUT WILL RE-INITIATE THIS AFTERNOON AS THE SFC DRYLINE AND UPPER TROUGH BOTH CONTINUE TO PUSH EASTWARD. PARTIAL CLEARING IS EXPECTED AHEAD OF THE DRYLINE...WHICH WILL ALLOW SFC TEMPS TO WARM UP AND FURTHER DESTABILIZE THE ENVIRONMENT. FORCING ALONG THE DRYLINE AND STEEP LAPSE RATES APPEAR TO BE STRONG ENOUGH FOR SOME OF THE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING TO BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE THE MAIN CONCERNS. HOWEVER...CLOUD COVER WILL LINGER THROUGHOUT THE DAY ACROSS EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE REGION AND COULD THEREFORE LIMIT THE POTENTIAL FOR STORMS TO BECOME AND/OR MAINTAIN SEVERE LEVELS. ADDITIONALLY...MORNING SOUNDINGS INDICATE PWS RANGE FROM 1.5 TO OVER 2 INCHES ACROSS MUCH OF THE CWA...SO THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN (GENERALLY ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF THE I-35 CORRIDOR WHERE THE HIGHER PWS RESIDE). DUE TO THE ONGOING DROUGHT THE HEAVY RAINS WOULD BE A WELCOME SIGHT...BUT THE CONCERN LIES WITH THE INTENSITY OF THE RAINFALL RESULTING IN QUICK RUNOFF. ONGOING FORECAST IS GENERALLY ON TRACK WITH ONLY MINOR ADJUSTMENTS MADE TO THE FIRST PERIOD FOR CURRENT TRENDS. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 628 AM CDT THU MAY 8 2014/ AVIATION... RAIN SHIELD JUST CLIPPING THE SOUTHEAST EDGE OF THE AREA THIS MORNING...WITH LIGHT PRECIP FALLING HERE AT KHYI. RAINFALL VC KSSF AND SHOULD MOVE INTO KAUS VC WITHIN THE HOUR. ADDED TEMPO GROUPING FOR THOSE SITES FOR -RA...BUT MINIMAL VIS RESTRICTIONS.BREEZY CONDITIONS KICK IN THIS MORNING WITH SE 15G25KTS ALONG THE HILL COUNTRY...WHILE LIGHTER WINDS TO THE WEST. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS STILL A GOOD POSSIBILITY FOR THE HILL COUNTRY TODAY...SO CONTINUING WITH TEMPO TSRA GROUPINGS. CIGS REACH VFR THIS AFTERNOON...BUT REMAIN BKN TO OVC. WINDS GO L/V OVERNIGHT ALL AREAS...WITH CIGS FALLING TO IFR BY MIDNIGHT. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 350 AM CDT THU MAY 8 2014/ SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY)... AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVES OUT ACROSS THE PLAINS TODAY DRAGGING THE DRYLINE INTO WESTERN PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. UPWARD FORCING INTERACTING WITH A MOIST AIRMASS (PWS AROUND 1.5 INCHES) WILL GENERATE SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EAST OF THE DRYLINE. INSTABILITY AND SOME SHEAR MAY ALLOW FOR A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER MAY LIMIT THE STORM SEVERITY. SOME TRAINING OF THE RAINS MAY CAUSE HEAVIER RAINS WHICH DUE TO DROUGHT CAUSED HARD SOILS MAY CAUSE SOME RUNOFF ISSUES...ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AREAS. MOST OF THE UPPER TROUGH MOVES OFF TO THE EAST WITH RAINS SLOWLY ENDING. ALTHOUGH...A SMALL PIECE OF THE TROUGH BREAKS OFF AND MOVES ACROSS SOUTHERN TEXAS ON FRIDAY CAUSING SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO LINGER TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY EVENING. TROUGH AXIS PASSES BY AT PEAK HEATING AND SOME STRONGER STORMS MAY BE POSSIBLE AT THAT TIME IF THE DRYLINE LINGERS OVER THE HILL COUNTRY. CLOUD COVER WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES NEAR OR SLIGHTLY COOLER THAN AVERAGE IN THE EAST WHILE FAIR SKIES ALLOW FOR WELL ABOVE AVERAGE OUT WEST TODAY AND FRIDAY. LONG TERM (FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)... ZONAL FLOW KEEPS THE WEEKEND RAIN FREE. EXCEPT SOME THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SERRANIAS DEL BURRO MAY CROSS THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY SUNDAY EVENING. ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE PLAINS EARLY NEXT WEEK SENDING A COLD FRONT THROUGH SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS LATER ON MONDAY INTO MONDAY EVENING. WILL MAINTAIN LOW CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT...THEN ENDING ON TUESDAY AS THE TROUGH MOVES OFF TO THE EAST AND DRIER AIRMASS MOVES INTO THE AREA. ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES OVER THE WEEKEND TURN WELL BELOW AVERAGE BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. FIRE WEATHER... ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WEST OF THE DRYLINE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS VAL VERDE COUNTY INTO WESTERN EDWARDS COUNTY DUE TO HUMIDITIES IN THE TEENS AND WESTERLY WINDS UP TO 10 MPH. ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS RETURN TO THE VAL VERDE COUNTY AREA TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONS DUE TO HUMIDITIES IN THE UPPER TEENS AND WINDS AROUND 10 MPH. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AUSTIN CAMP MABRY 71 89 70 91 72 / 30 20 10 - - AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTL AIRPORT 70 89 70 90 71 / 30 20 10 - - NEW BRAUNFELS MUNI AIRPORT 70 90 70 92 71 / 30 20 10 - - BURNET MUNI AIRPORT 69 87 68 90 69 / 20 20 10 - - DEL RIO INTL AIRPORT 71 94 72 97 73 / - 10 10 - - GEORGETOWN MUNI AIRPORT 69 88 69 88 71 / 30 20 10 - 10 HONDO MUNI AIRPORT 71 92 70 96 72 / 20 20 10 - - SAN MARCOS MUNI AIRPORT 70 89 70 90 71 / 30 20 10 - - LA GRANGE - FAYETTE REGIONAL 73 87 70 88 71 / 40 30 20 10 10 SAN ANTONIO INTL AIRPORT 72 90 71 93 72 / 20 20 10 - - STINSON MUNI AIRPORT 72 90 71 94 72 / 20 20 10 - - && .EWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && MESOSCALE/AVIATION...24 SYNOPTIC/GRIDS...25 PUBLIC SERVICE/DATA COLLECTION...30
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 1115 AM CDT THU MAY 8 2014 TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-091615- LLANO-BURNET-WILLIAMSON-VAL VERDE-EDWARDS-REAL-KERR-BANDERA- GILLESPIE-KENDALL-BLANCO-HAYS-TRAVIS-BASTROP-LEE-KINNEY-UVALDE- MEDINA-BEXAR-COMAL-GUADALUPE-CALDWELL-FAYETTE-MAVERICK-ZAVALA- FRIO-ATASCOSA-WILSON-KARNES-GONZALES-DE WITT-LAVACA-DIMMIT- 1115 AM CDT THU MAY 8 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR AREAS GENERALLY EAST OF A LINE FROM ROCKSPRINGS TO UVALDE TO CARRIZO SPRINGS. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. IN ADDITION...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE FOR AREAS MAINLY EAST OF INTERSTATE 35. OTHERWISE... LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL LEAD TO ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR VAL VERDE AND WESTERN EDWARDS COUNTIES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
220 PM CDT THU MAY 8 2014
TXZ172-173-082000-
BURNET-WILLIAMSON-
220 PM CDT THU MAY 8 2014
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN BURNET AND
NORTHWESTERN WILLIAMSON COUNTIES UNTIL 300 PM CDT...
AT 217 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR MAHOMET...OR 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF BERTRAM...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH
HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
BRIGGS...
WATSON...
U.S. HIGHWAY 183...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
THE HEAVY RAIN MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES...LOW WATER
CROSSINGS AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ACROSS FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
LAT...LON 3102 9789 3091 9782 3091 9778 3070 9793
3079 9811 3102 9800 3105 9791
TIME...MOT...LOC 1920Z 211DEG 19KT 3083 9796The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 28 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:22 UTC.
7 hail, 6 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 1 lightning, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning from a thunderstorm struck a house causing a fire. There was smoke damage to the kitchen.
A thunderstorm produced a funnel cloud which remained above the ground.
A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 40 mph that knocked down some tree limbs.
A thunderstorm produced a wind gust measured by a spotter at 62 mph. No damage was reported.
A thunderstorm produced hail that covered the ground. The largest hail was one inch.
A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 50 to 60 mph by a trained observer. No damage was reported.
A thunderstorm produced one inch hail. People were moving their vehicles under carports to protect them from the hail.
A thunderstorm produced half dollar size hail and wind gusts estimated at 55 mph.
A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 70 mph that blew the roof off an 80x200 foot section of an office building at the Continental Tires Test Track.
A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 50 mph that blew down a 6-8 inch diameter tree and multiple full trash cans.
A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated at 60 mph that blew down the top half of a large, healthy Pecan tree.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that caused flash flooding in Karnes County. The roads were closed at the intersection of FM 99 and US 181 on the west side of Karnes City, and farther northeast FM 792 at TX 80 was closed near the San Antonio River.
Thunderstorms produced heavy rain that caused flash flooding closing County Road 1353 south of Karnes City.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2014
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: 515955, 515958, 515961, 515962, 515966, 515967, 515968, 515973, 515978, 515979, 515983, 515998, 515999, 516001, 516002, 516007, 516012.