Hail, Shelby
- When
- April 1, 4:04 PM CST to 4:09 PM CST
- Where
- Shelby County, 2.92 mi ESE of Brunswick
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 35.259, -89.730
Quarter size hail on Memphis-Arlington Road in Lakeland.
Hail in Tennessee, April 1, 2015
An upper level disturbance moving into the region triggered scattered thunderstorms along a warm front stretched from Northeast Arkansas through the Memphis Metropolitan area into North Mississippi. There were a few reports of large hail during the afternoon hours on April 1, 2015.
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
- 2
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 MEG wrote it up.
An upper level disturbance moving into the region triggered scattered thunderstorms along a warm front stretched from Northeast Arkansas through the Memphis Metropolitan area into North Mississippi. There were a few reports of large hail during the afternoon hours on April 1, 2015.
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 Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 1, 1:25 PM CST, 2 hours 39 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 1, 1:25 PM CST, 2 hours 39 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 225 PM CDT WED APR 1 2015 .DISCUSSION... EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...A WARM FRONT PUSHING SLOWLY NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE MIDSOUTH EXTENDED FROM NORTHEAST AR INTO NORTHEAST MS. THE FRONT WAS EVIDENT IN THE SURFACE DEW POINTS RANGING FROM 32 DEGREES AT PARIS TN TO 62 DEGREES AT MEMPHIS. SURFACE BASED INSTABILITY WAS INCREASING ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE WARM FRONT... RANGING FROM 1500 TO 2000 J/KG. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE WARM FRONT THIS AFTERNOON AS UPPER LEVEL RIDGING MOVES TO THE EAST. AN UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE WAS MOVING INTO SOUTHWEST MO AND NORTHWEST AR SPARKING THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY OVER SOUTHWEST MO ATTM. AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH DURING THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS WITH FREQUENT CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG WITH MOSTLY MILD TEMPERATURES...ALTHOUGH BRIEFLY COOLER FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. THE UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE TO OUR WEST WILL MOVE THROUGH THE MIDSOUTH TONIGHT ENCOUNTERING THE MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR SOUTH OF THE WARM FRONT. AS A RESULT...SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR. INCREASED THE POPS SOME FROM THE PREVIOUS FORECAST IN MOST LOCATIONS. A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREATS. THURSDAY...THE MIDSOUTH WILL BE FULLY ENTRENCHED IN THE WARM SECTOR WITH GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL CLIMB TO AROUND 80 DEGREES. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE MIDSOUTH FROM THE NORTHWEST BY LATE THURSDAY NIGHT...MOVING THROUGH THE REGION FRIDAY. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE FRONT. SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. A WIND ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR PORTIONS OF THE MIDSOUTH FRIDAY AS STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS OCCUR AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT TURING TO STRONG NORTHERLY BEHIND THE FRONT. COLD AND DRIER HIGH PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO BUILD INTO THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES TO THE SOUTHEAST. LOWS SATURDAY MORNING WILL RANGE FROM THE MIDDLE 30S TO MIDDLE 40S. SUNNY AND COOLER WEATHER WILL OCCUR SATURDAY. THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE TO THE EAST BY SUNDAY WITH A THREAT OF SHOWERS SPREADING INTO THE REGION FROM THE SOUTHWEST DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE ECMWF AND GFS ARE IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT FOR THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK. CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR AS WARMER...MORE MOIST...AND MORE UNSTABLE AIR SPREADS BACK ACROSS THE REGION. UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES IN WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL INTERACT WITH THE MORE MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR TO CAUSE CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. BY MID-WEEK...THE MODELS ARE NOT IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE GFS PUSHING A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION WHILE THE ECMWF HAS THE REGION IN REMAINING IN THE WARM SECTOR. JCL && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE VFR CURRENTLY AT LOCATIONS EXCEPT FOR JBR WHERE MVFR CIGS PERSIST. CIGS AT JBR ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME VFR IN THE NEXT 1-2 HOURS. WARM FRONT LIFTING THROUGH THE AREA TODAY...EXPECT THAT WE MAY SEE SOME WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY FORM NEAR THIS BOUNDARY THIS AFTERNOON. TIMING AND COVERAGE ARE STILL HARD TO PIN DOWN SO WENT WITH JUST VCTS AT ALL LOCATIONS EXCEPT FOR JBR WHERE SFC BASED INSTABILITY IS SLIGHTLY MORE...AT JBR WENT TEMPO FOR -TSRA BETWEEN 20-23Z...STARTED VCTS A TAD LATER AT MKL/TUP AND WENT SLIGHTLY LONGER INTO THE EVENING HOURS. MORE ROBUST SHORTWAVE MOVES INTO THE AREA OVERNIGHT AT THIS TIME IT LOOKS LIKE MOST OF THE ENERGY WILL BE OVER WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA. DUE TO THIS BROUGHT A LATER TEMPO GROUP FOR TSRA IN AT JBR...AND REINTRODUCED VCTS AT MEM FOR 06Z LINE. MAY SEE A SHORT PERIOD OF CIGS IN THE 1000-2000FT RANGE BTN 10-16Z ON THURSDAY...WITH STILL INCREASING LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE FROM THE SOUTH. BROUGHT AT LEAST A TEMPO IN FOR MVFR CIGS AT ALL TAF SITES EXCEPT MKL IN THE MORNING. WINDS WILL ALSO PICK UP AS PRESSURE GRADIENT INCREASES WITH LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPING WEST OF THE AREA ON THURSDAY. WINDS GUSTS INCREASE TO 20-30KT ACROSS THE AREA BY 18Z ON THURSDAY. NGU && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 1, 2:05 PM CST, 1 hour 59 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 305 PM CDT WED APR 1 2015 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092-022215- ALCORN-BENTON MS-BENTON TN-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CHESTER-CHICKASAW-CLAY- COAHOMA-CRAIGHEAD-CRITTENDEN-CROCKETT-CROSS-DESOTO-DECATUR- DUNKLIN-DYER-FAYETTE-GIBSON-GREENE-HARDEMAN-HARDIN-HAYWOOD- HENDERSON-HENRY-ITAWAMBA-LAFAYETTE-LAKE-LAUDERDALE-LAWRENCE- LEE AR-LEE MS-MADISON-MARSHALL-MCNAIRY-MISSISSIPPI-MONROE-OBION- PANOLA-PEMISCOT-PHILLIPS-POINSETT-PONTOTOC-PRENTISS-QUITMAN- RANDOLPH-SHELBY-ST. FRANCIS-TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TIPPAH-TIPTON- TISHOMINGO-TUNICA-UNION-WEAKLEY-YALOBUSHA- 305 PM CDT WED APR 1 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS A SMALL PORTION OF NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...GENERALLY ALONG AND WEST OF A POCAHONTAS TO WALNUT RIDGE ARKANSAS LINE...THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. A MARGINAL RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXIST FOR MUCH OF THE REMAINDER OF THE MIDSOUTH. A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ACROSS MUCH OF THE MIDSOUTH. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SOME SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS AS THE MAIN THREATS. A WIND ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR PORTIONS OF THE MIDSOUTH FRIDAY. STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT FRIDAY TURNING TO STRONG NORTHERLY BEHIND THE FRONT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING. JCL
In the hours before
Local storm report, Apr 1, 3:43 PM CST, 21 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
443 PM CDT WED APR 01 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0428 PM HAIL BARTLETT 35.22N 89.84W
04/01/2015 E0.25 INCH SHELBY TN PUBLIC
PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL IN BARTLETT.
&&
AJCThe radar
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 16 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:04 UTC.
Event by event
2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Shelby
- When
- April 1, 4:06 PM CST to 4:11 PM CST
- Where
- Shelby County, Arlington
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 35.300, -89.680
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Missouri, April 1 to 3, 2015
- Tornado and Hail in Arkansas, April 1 to 3, 2015
- Hurricane in Guam, April 1 to 2, 2015
- Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 2015
- Flash Flooding in Texas, April 1, 2015
- Hail in Texas, April 1, 2015
- Drought in Oklahoma, April 1 to 30, 2015
- Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 2015
- High Wind in Texas, April 1, 2015
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, April 1, 2015
- Drought in New Mexico, April 1 to 30, 2015
- Drought and Dense Smoke in Colorado, April 1 to 30, 2015
More
Every storm in Tennessee in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, April 2015
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: 569123, 569124.