Severe thunderstorms developed along and ahead of a dryline located just west of the CWA in the afternoon hours. These storms eventually merged into a line that continued marching east across most of the region.
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 along and ahead of a dryline located just west of the CWA in the afternoon hours. These storms eventually merged into a line that continued marching east across most of the region. Winds up to 70-80 mph and hail up to golf ball size were reported with these storms, and a brief EF-0 tornado occurred in Hood County.
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 18, 1:55 PM CST, 2 hours 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 255 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2015 .DISCUSSION... THE UPPER LEVEL LEVEL LOW THAT HAS SPENT THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS OVER THE CENTRAL ROCKIES IS NOW ON THE MOVE EASTWARD OUT INTO THE PLAINS. A SHORTWAVE TROUGH AXIS ROTATING AROUND THE BASE OF THE UPPER LOW WILL TRACK THROUGH NORTH TEXAS THIS EVENING AND PROVIDE THE LIFT REQUIRED TO GENERATE CONVECTION. ALREADY SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE FORMING ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS...ALONG AN ORGANIZING DRY LINE. THE APPROACHING SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND PARTLY SUNNY SKIES HAS ALLOWED THE AIRMASS OVER THE REGION TO BEGIN THE RECOVERY PROCESS FROM THE CONVECTIVE OVERTURNING/STABILIZATION THAT OCCURRED LAST NIGHT. OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS HAS CONVECTIVE INHIBITION ERODING OVER MOST OF THE REGION...BUT ABOUT 50 J/KG OF SURFACE BASED CINH REMAIN. A FEW MORE HOURS OF HEATING AND INCREASING SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO HELP PRIME THE ATMOSPHERE FOR THE SCATTERED STORMS AS THEY MOVE IN FROM THE WEST LATE THIS AFTERNOON. SURFACE BASED CAPE WILL RANGE FROM 1000-2000 J/KG...WHICH IS ENOUGH FOR A LARGE HAIL THREAT ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE STEEP MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND RELATIVELY LOW -20C AND 0C HEIGHTS. BULK WIND SHEAR IS NOT TOO IMPRESSIVE BUT IS ADEQUATE FOR SOME TRANSIENT SUPERCELL STRUCTURES. WE GENERALLY EXPECT THE STORM ACTIVITY TO EVOLVE INTO MULTI-CELL CLUSTERS OR SHORT LINE SEGMENTS WITH AN EASTWARD MOTION BY EARLY EVENING. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY WHERE THESE LINE SEGMENTS ORGANIZE. NOT EVERYONE WILL BE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THE HEAVY RAINFALL OR STORMS THIS EVENING...BUT WE HAVE INCREASED POPS INTO THE LIKELY CATEGORY SINCE MOST LOCATIONS WILL PROBABLY SEE RAINFALL. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT WEST OF THE I-35 CORRIDOR...WHERE THE SEVERE RISK IS GREATEST. HOWEVER CONDITIONS ACROSS THE I-35 CORRIDOR DO LOOK A LITTLE MORE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE WEATHER THAN YESTERDAY SO IT IS POSSIBLE THE BOX WILL BE EXPANDED EASTWARD OR A NEW ONE WILL BE ISSUED IN A FEW HOURS. AS FOR TIMING...STORMS WILL AFFECT THE WESTERN ZONES NOW THROUGH 8PM...THE I-35 CORRIDOR FROM 7 TO 11 PM...AND THE EASTERN ZONES FROM 9 PM TO 2 AM. POPS WILL END FROM WEST TO EAST TONIGHT AS THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES EAST. A SURFACE LOW WILL TRACK ALONG THE RED RIVER VALLEY SUNDAY AND SEND A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION DURING THE DAYTIME HOURS. WINDS WILL BECOME SOUTHWESTERLY BY MORNING...GRADUALLY VEERING TO THE WEST AND NORTHWEST DURING THE DAY. WINDS WILL BE A BIT BREEZY FROM THE NORTHWEST BY LATE AFTERNOON AS DEEP MIXING OF THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE TRANSFERS HIGHER MOMENTUM AIR DOWN TO THE SURFACE. SOME GUSTS TO 30 MPH ARE POSSIBLE BY LATE AFTERNOON. WITH THE VEERING WINDS AND MAINLY SUNNY SKIES TOMORROW...TEMPERATURES WILL BENEFIT FROM DOWNSLOPE SUBSIDENCE AND WARM INTO THE 80S AREAWIDE. ACROSS THE EASTERN ZONES...THE AIRMASS WILL BECOME VERY UNSTABLE AND WEAKLY CAPPED AHEAD OF THE FRONT DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. HOWEVER CONVECTION WILL HAVE TROUBLE DEVELOPING DUE TO THE DRYING EFFECTS OF WESTERLY WINDS ABOVE THE SURFACE. STILL WE WILL HOLD ONTO LOW POPS FOR ISOLATED CONVECTION. SOME SEVERE THREAT DOES EXIST...BUT IT IS LIKELY THE CELLS THAT DO FORM IN OUR CWA WILL HAVE MOVED INTO EAST TEXAS BEFORE GROWING MATURE ENOUGH FOR SEVERE WEATHER. MUCH COOLER WEATHER IS EXPECTED SUNDAY NIGHT WITH TEMPS FALLING INTO THE MID 40S AND MID 50S FOR LOWS. ANOTHER PIECE OF UPPER LEVEL ENERGY WILL MOVE THROUGH THE NORTHERN ZONES EARLY MONDAY MORNING CAUSING LIFT AND SATURATION ALOFT. THIS WILL SURELY RESULT IN MID LEVEL CLOUDS AND VIRGA...AND PERHAPS SOME LIGHT SHOWERS OR SPRINKLES IF THE LOW LEVELS ARE MOIST ENOUGH. WILL KEEP THE FORECAST DRY FOR NOW BUT IT IS SOMETHING TO WATCH. THESE CLOUDS SHOULD DISSIPATE BY MIDDAY MONDAY WITH MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES AND PLEASANT CONDITIONS. HIGHS WILL ONLY BE IN THE LOW 70S WITH ANOTHER COOL NIGHT MONDAY NIGHT. SOUTHERLY WINDS RETURN ON TUESDAY...BUT MOISTURE WILL BE SLOW TO ARRIVE AND MODEL GUIDANCE HAS BACKED OFF ON QPF SO WILL SHOW A DRY FORECAST. MODEL GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO DISPLAY A LOT OF DISAGREEMENT IN THE MID TO LATE WEEK AS THEY ARE STRUGGLING WITH THE SUBTLE FEATURES IN THE WEST/SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. THERE IS AGREEMENT THAT THE CAP WILL BE PRETTY TOUGH TO OVERCOME WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AND THEREFORE WILL KEEP POPS IN THE SLIGHT CHANCE CATEGORY. BY THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY THE GFS/ECMWF ARE KEYING IN ON A STRONGER SHORTWAVE TROUGH THAT LIFTS AND ERODES THE CAP. IN ADDITION...A COLD FRONT WILL PROBABLY ACCOMPANY THIS SYSTEM...SO WILL SHOW POPS INCREASING TO 30-40 PERCENT DURING THIS TIME. OTHERWISE WILL SHOW TEMPERATURES GRADUALLY WARMING FROM THE 70S MID-WEEK TO THE MID 80S BY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. A SLIGHT COOL DOWN IS EXPECTED NEXT SATURDAY IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT. TR.92 && .AVIATION... /ISSUED 1249 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2015/ THE UPPER LOW NOW SPINNING OVER COLORADO WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE PLAINS OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WORKING ITS WAY AROUND THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE UPPER LOW WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON...AIDING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WEST OF THE TAF LOCATIONS LATE THIS AFTERNOON. CONVECTION WILL SPREAD EAST ACROSS NORTH TEXAS THIS EVENING. TIMING WILL BE A CHALLENGE...BUT THE LATEST HI-RES GUIDANCE ONCE AGAIN PINPOINTS THE 00-04Z TIME FRAME AS THE MOST LIKELY AT ALL TAF LOCATIONS THIS EVENING. CONVECTION SHOULD MOVE EAST OF THE AREA AND WEAKEN AROUND MIDNIGHT LOCAL. A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTHEAST ACROSS NORTH TEXAS TOMORROW. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 10-15 KT AROUND SUNRISE AHEAD OF THE FRONT. WINDS WILL VEER TO THE WEST SHORTLY AFTER 18Z WHILE INCREASING TO 15-20 KT. NORTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED AT ALL LOCATIONS BY 00Z SUNDAY EVENING. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THAT ANY CONVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT WILL REMAIN EAST OF ALL TAF SITES. 30 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX 60 83 51 72 50 / 70 5 0 5 5 WACO, TX 61 86 50 73 47 / 60 10 0 0 5 PARIS, TX 59 82 50 70 46 / 60 20 5 5 5 DENTON, TX 59 80 49 71 47 / 70 5 5 5 5 MCKINNEY, TX 60 82 50 72 47 / 70 10 0 5 5 DALLAS, TX 61 85 54 74 52 / 70 10 0 5 5 TERRELL, TX 61 84 53 73 49 / 70 20 5 5 5 CORSICANA, TX 62 85 51 73 50 / 60 20 5 5 5 TEMPLE, TX 61 88 51 75 50 / 60 10 5 0 5 MINERAL WELLS, TX 57 80 50 71 48 / 50 5 5 5 5 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 322 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2015 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-191245- 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- 322 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS NORTH TEXAS THIS EVENING. A FEW SEVERE STORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING WILL BE POSSIBLE. BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING IN THE STRONGER STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY AFTERNOON EAST OF THE INTERSTATE 35 CORRIDOR. A FEW OF THESE STORMS MAY BE STRONG WITH GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL RETURN TUESDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING WEST OF THE INTERSTATE 35 CORRIDOR...AND ACROSS THE REST OF THE REGION LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
302 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2015
TXZ100-115-182045-
STEPHENS TX-YOUNG TX-
302 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN YOUNG AND NORTHERN
STEPHENS COUNTIES UNTIL 345 PM CDT...
AT 301 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 8 MILES SOUTH OF ELBERT TO
6 MILES NORTHEAST OF IBEX...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
BRECKENRIDGE...OLNEY...CRYSTAL FALLS AND NEWCASTLE.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR
NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS.
LAT...LON 3295 9910 3296 9895 3340 9895 3340 9867
3282 9868 3263 9909
TIME...MOT...LOC 2001Z 224DEG 22KT 3315 9902 3277 9906
30PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
522 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0517 PM HAIL 2 W PALO PINTO 32.77N 98.33W
04/18/2015 M1.75 INCH PALO PINTO TX LAW ENFORCEMENT
GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL ON HWY 180 JUST WEST OF PALO PINTOThe Dyess AFB radar (KDYX), 90 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:20 UTC.
29 thunderstorm wind, 15 hail, 1 flash flood, 1 tornado, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Golf ball sized hail was reported on Highway 180 just west of Palo Pinto.
The roof of a resort hotel in Graford was damaged.
Numerous reports of golfball sized hail along Highway 180 in Palo Pinto.
Tree limbs of 3-6 inches were knocked down in DeLeon.
Sixty to seventy mph wind gusts were estimated 3 miles west of Lometa.
Golfball sized hail was reported at FM 113 and Fingerbanks Lane north of Cool.
Tree limbs 3-6 inches in diameter were knocked down on River View Road near Bennett.
The Sheriff's Office reported Indian Creek Road was washed out near the Brazos River.
Ping pong ball sized hail was reported near Millsap.
A mobile home on Missouri Trail was damaged when debris from an abandoned house next to them was thrown into the mobile home. The residents of the mobile home were displaced due to the damage. The COOP Observer in the area estimated 70-80 mph wind gusts.
Amateur radio operators reported a brief tornado northeast of Oak Trail Shores, on the east side of Lake Granbury / Brazos River.
The COOP Observer located 5 miles north of Granbury estimated 70-80 mph wind gusts.
Half dollar sized hail was reported approximately 6 miles west of Springtown.
An Amateur Radio operator estimated 58 mph in the Benbrook area.
Numerous large trees were snapped at their base in Benbrook.
Trees were uprooted near White Settlement.
A 59 mph wind gust was measured in downtown Fort Worth. 3-4 inch tree branches were knocked down in Burnett Park at West 7th Street and Lamar Street.
Shingles were damaged on many roofs in the Lake Worth area.
Several large trees were down in Crowley.
Trees were uprooted just west of Burleson.
The ASOS at Fort Worth Naval Air Station (KNFW) measured a 66 mph wind gust.
Wind speeds near Hwy 377 and Watauga Road were estimated at 60+ MPH.
A trained spotter estimated winds up to 75 mph at I-20 and Green Oaks Blvd in Arlington.
An amateur radio operator estimated 60 mph winds approximately 2 miles north of Denton.
A trained spotter estimated 70 mph wind gusts just north of the Grapevine/Flower Mound border.
The fiberglass steeple at First United Methodist in Trophy Club was blown down by high winds. A trained spotter in the same area estimated 70 mph winds.
Sixty mph winds were estimated approximately 1 mile south of Cedar Hill.
An amateur radio operator measured a 67 mph wind gust approximately 3 miles north of Midlothian.
A trained spotter estimated 70 mph winds near Joe Pool Lake. Tree branches greater than 2 inches in diameter were knocked down in the area.
A trained spotter measured a 65 mph wind gust approximately 3 miles southwest of Grapevine.
A trained spotter estimated 60 mph winds approximately 5 miles north of Waxahachie.
A lightning strike started a house fire on Carmel Drive in Carrollton.
A 69 mph wind gust was measured near Alma Dr and Ridgeview Dr in Allen.
The emergency manager reported several areas of large trees damaged by thunderstorm winds.
A trained spotter measured a 60 mph wind gust near Anna.
A 60 mph wind gust was measured in Anna.
The emergency manager reported several areas of large trees damaged east and south of Eustace.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 2015Warnings in Texas, April 2015
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: 569618, 569625, 569621, 569619, 569628, 569629, 569622, 570360, 569630, 571897, 569615, 569632, 569635, 569633, 569728, 569729, 569731, 570361, 569730, 569734, 569732, 569735, 569733, 570356, 570357, 570358, 570359, 570362, 570363, 570364, 570365, 570366, 570367, 570368, 570371, 570369, 570370, 572852, 570372, 570380, and more.