Tornado and Hail in Texas, May 9, 2015

Name: Tornado and Hail in Texas, May 9, 2015
Start: 2015-05-09T15:32
End: 2015-05-09T17:04
Location: Texas

May 9, 2015 · NWS OUN · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

As the upper low continued to slowly track east across the Great Plains, storms once again formed in north Texas and the Texas panhandle and made their way eastward across western north Texas through the day and evening of the 9th.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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 OUN wrote it up.

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 Norman, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 9, 3:09 PM CST, 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 9, 3:09 PM CST, 23 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
409 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015

.DISCUSSION...
STRONG/SEVERE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE THROUGH MID
EVENING ACROSS WESTERN NORTH TEXAS AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA.
SUBSTANTIAL SEVERE...INCLUDING TORNADOES POSSIBLE. GREATEST
CONCERN WILL BE OVER WESTERN NORTH TEXAS...NEAR AND SOUTH OF
SEYMOUR AND WICHITA FALLS...OVER TOWARD SOUTH-CENTRAL OKLAHOMA.

SOMEWHAT LOW CONFIDENCE IN DRYLINE CONVECTION AFFECTING WESTERN
OKLAHOMA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...BUT WILL LEAVE POPS
GOING FOR THE POSSIBILITY. MOST OF THE FORCING AND STEERING FLOW
WOULD KEEP CONVECTION JUST NORTH AND WEST OF BODY OF OKLAHOMA.
DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH NORTHERN TEXAS/FAR SOUTHERN
OKLAHOMA CONVECTIVE TRENDS THROUGH THE EVENING INTO OVERNIGHT...
WE COULD SEE CONVECTION REDEVELOPING NEAR THE I-44 CORRIDOR TOWARD
DAYBREAK SUNDAY. IF THERE IS AN MCS TO OUR SOUTH...CHANCES QUITE
LOW. IF CONVECTION DOES NOT SUSTAIN TO OUR SOUTH OR MOVES EAST
QUICKER THAN PROGD...WE COULD SEE ELEVATED LLJ INDUCED ACTIVITY
NEAR THE I-44 CORRIDOR TOMORROW MORNING. SLOW EASTWARD PROGRESS
WOULD BE SEE THROUGH THE DAY SUNDAY WITH MOST OF THE SEVERE RISK
ACROSS EASTERN AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA. HEAVY RAIN/FLOODING APPEARS
TO BE THE PRIMARY CONCERNS FOR WESTERN NORTH TEXAS-SOUTHWEST INTO
CENTRAL OKLAHOMA.

A COUPLE OF DRY DAYS MONDAY AND TUESDAY BEFORE ACTIVE PATTERN
RETURNS MID TO LATE WEEK. ROUNDS OF SEVERE WEATHER APPEAR PROBABLE
WITH FLOODING A DEFINITE AND CONTINUING THREAT. TEMPERATURES WERE
NOT CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM PREV FCSTS.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
OKLAHOMA CITY OK  63  76  51  70 /  40  60  30   0
HOBART OK         57  78  49  71 /  30  20  10   0
WICHITA FALLS TX  63  78  54  73 /  60  60  20  10
GAGE OK           51  74  44  69 /  20   0  10   0
PONCA CITY OK     63  77  49  70 /  30  50  30   0
DURANT OK         68  76  59  75 /  80  80  80  20

&&

.OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH MONDAY MORNING FOR OKZ006>008-011>013-
     015>048-050>052.

TX...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH MONDAY MORNING FOR TXZ083>090.

&&

25/11

Hazardous weather outlook, May 9, 10:11 AM CST, 5 hours 21 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1111 AM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015

OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-101615-
HARPER-WOODS-ALFALFA-GRANT-KAY-ELLIS-WOODWARD-MAJOR-GARFIELD-
NOBLE-ROGER MILLS-DEWEY-CUSTER-BLAINE-KINGFISHER-LOGAN-PAYNE-
BECKHAM-WASHITA-CADDO-CANADIAN-OKLAHOMA-LINCOLN-GRADY-MCCLAIN-
CLEVELAND-POTTAWATOMIE-SEMINOLE-HUGHES-HARMON-GREER-KIOWA-JACKSON-
TILLMAN-COMANCHE-STEPHENS-GARVIN-MURRAY-PONTOTOC-COAL-COTTON-
JEFFERSON-CARTER-JOHNSTON-ATOKA-LOVE-MARSHALL-BRYAN-HARDEMAN-
FOARD-WILBARGER-WICHITA-KNOX-BAYLOR-ARCHER-CLAY-
1111 AM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN...
WESTERN...CENTRAL...AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH
TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...

.THUNDERSTORMS...
THERE IS A ENHANCED RISK OF SEVERE STORMS ACROSS WESTERN AND PARTS
OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA... AND ALL OF WESTERN
NORTH TEXAS.

LOCATION...
THE ENHANCED RISK AREA IS GENERALLY WEST OF A LINE FROM MEDFORD
AND ENID... TO KINGFISHER AND MUSTANG... TO PAULS VALLEY AND
ARDMORE OKLAHOMA. THIS INCLUDES ALL OF WESTERN NORTH TEXAS. A
SLIGHT RISK COVERS THE REST OF NORTH CENTRAL... CENTRAL... SOUTH
CENTRAL... AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA.

TIMING...
A SEVERE STORM OR TWO WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON BUT THE
MOST SIGNIFICANT SEVERE THREAT WILL EVOLVE FROM 4 PM TO 10 PM.

IMPACTS...
TORNADOES POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... ESPECIALLY
ACROSS PARTS OF WESTERN OKLAHOMA. VERY LARGE HAIL UP TO BASEBALL
SIZE DAMAGING WINDS TO 70 MPH HEAVY RAINFALL MAY LEAD TO FLASH
FLOODING AND RIVER FLOODING IN SOME AREAS.

.SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT STATEMENT...

STORM SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN THE
RISK AREAS SHOULD PREPARE FOR SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS MUCH OF
THE DAY...BUT ESPECIALLY IN THE 4 PM TO 10 PM WINDOW...WHEN THE
MORE SIGNIFICANT SEVERE THREAT IS EXPECTED.

DISCUSSION...
ANOTHER COMPLEX SEVERE WEATHER SETUP IS FORECAST TODAY AND
TONIGHT.

A COUPLE AREAS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO
AFFECT PARTS OF WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND SOUTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA AND
NORTH TEXAS. THIS ACTIVITY MAY DECREASE SOME BY AROUND MID-
AFTERNOON.

THE MORE SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO BE LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE EAST OF THE
DRYLINE. THE PROGRESSION AND INTENSITY OF THE SEVERE STORMS LATE
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL DEPEND ON THE EVOLUTION AND
RECOVERY FROM THE EARLY STORMS. VERY LARGE HAIL... DAMAGING WIND
GUSTS... AND TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE. THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE
STORMS WILL DECREASE OVERNIGHT BUT STORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE
INTO EARLY SUNDAY.

.HEAVY RAIN...
ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN WILL BE LIKELY IN SOME AREAS TODAY AND
TONIGHT WHICH COULD LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. RIVER FLOODING WILL
ALSO OCCUR THROUGH TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...

.THUNDERSTORMS...
SEVERE STORMS WILL REMAIN IN THE FORECAST SUNDAY...AS THE STRONG
STORM SYSTEM SLOWLY MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. STRONG TO POTENTIALLY
SEVERE STORMS MAY BE ONGOING SUNDAY MORNING...BUT A MORE
SUBSTANTIAL THREAT OF SEVERE STORMS WILL DEVELOP DURING THE MID
TO LATE AFTERNOON HOURS AHEAD OF A SLOW MOVING FRONT. ADEQUATE
INSTABILITY AND WIND SHEAR WILL BE PRESENT FOR VERY LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS. A LOW TORNADO THREAT WILL ALSO EXIST WITH ANY
STRONGER STORMS. STORMS WILL LIKELY LINGER INTO SUNDAY NIGHT AS
THEY SLOWLY MOVE EAST...WITH A BREAK IN THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY.

STORMS THEN RETURN TO THE FORECAST LATE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT
WEEKEND. SOME STRONG TO SEVERE STORM POTENTIAL MAY EXIST BY LATE
NEXT WEEK INTO NEXT WEEKEND.

.HEAVY RAIN...
VERY HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OCCUR SUNDAY AS SEVERAL ROUNDS OF
THUNDERSTORMS MOVE OVER THE SAME AREAS. THIS WILL LIKELY LEAD TO
ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOODING AND RIVER FLOODING CONCERNS.

GET GRAPHICS AND MORE DETAILS AT WEATHER.GOV/NORMAN...AND FOLLOW
OUR WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK.

AUSTIN/EM

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 9, 2:18 PM CST, 1 hour 14 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
318 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015

OKZ019-024-025-027>029-092045-
OKLAHOMA OK-CANADIAN OK-GRADY OK-LOGAN OK-MCCLAIN OK-CLEVELAND OK-
318 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL OKLAHOMA...SOUTHEASTERN
CANADIAN...NORTHEASTERN GRADY...SOUTHERN LOGAN...WESTERN MCCLAIN AND
NORTHWESTERN CLEVELAND COUNTIES UNTIL 345 PM CDT...

AT 316 PM CDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM
NEAR MUSTANG TO 3 MILES NORTH OF BLANCHARD TO 4 MILES NORTHEAST
OF ALEX...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

HAZARDS INCLUDE...
HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH DIAMETER...
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...
FLOODING IN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE...

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
OKLAHOMA CITY...NORMAN...EDMOND...MOORE...MIDWEST CITY...DEL CITY...
NEWCASTLE...BLANCHARD...PURCELL...YUKON...BETHANY...MUSTANG...
CHOCTAW...WARR ACRES...THE VILLAGE...NOBLE...TUTTLE...
SLAUGHTERVILLE...SPENCER AND NICHOLS HILLS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY AND BE ALERT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS.

&&

LAT...LON 3574 9735 3537 9726 3499 9737 3484 9781
      3515 9772 3545 9780
TIME...MOT...LOC 2016Z 239DEG 28KT 3542 9771 3519 9765 3495 9772

MAHALE

Special weather statement, May 9, 2:34 PM CST, 58 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
334 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015

OKZ031-032-042-092100-
PONTOTOC OK-HUGHES OK-SEMINOLE OK-
334 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN PONTOTOC...
SOUTHWESTERN HUGHES AND SOUTHEASTERN SEMINOLE COUNTIES UNTIL 400 PM
CDT...

AT 332 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 7 MILES SOUTH OF
ALLEN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

HAZARDS INCLUDE...
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS...
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...
MINOR FLOODING IN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY AND BE ALERT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS.

&&

LAT...LON 3477 9640 3477 9641 3476 9641 3473 9644
      3474 9659 3501 9648 3498 9614
TIME...MOT...LOC 2032Z 207DEG 39KT 3477 9646

Special weather statement, May 9, 2:54 PM CST, 38 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
354 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015

OKZ032-042-043-092130-
COAL OK-PONTOTOC OK-HUGHES OK-
354 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN COAL...EAST CENTRAL
PONTOTOC AND SOUTHEASTERN HUGHES COUNTIES UNTIL 430 PM CDT...

AT 352 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES NORTHWEST
OF CENTRAHOMA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

HAZARDS INCLUDE...
HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH DIAMETER...
FLOODING IN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE...

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
TUPELO...CALVIN...STUART...GERTY AND CENTRAHOMA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AND NO WARNINGS ARE ANTICIPATED AT
THIS TIME.

&&

LAT...LON 3454 9638 3469 9652 3505 9621 3498 9609
      3471 9609
TIME...MOT...LOC 2052Z 229DEG 42KT 3468 9639

MAHALE

Special weather statement, May 9, 3:08 PM CST, 24 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
408 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015

OKZ030>032-040>042-092145-
POTTAWATOMIE OK-PONTOTOC OK-HUGHES OK-MURRAY OK-SEMINOLE OK-
GARVIN OK-
408 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN POTTAWATOMIE...
CENTRAL PONTOTOC...SOUTHWESTERN HUGHES...NORTHEASTERN MURRAY...
SOUTHERN SEMINOLE AND EASTERN GARVIN COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM CDT...

AT 405 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 4 MILES NORTH OF
FITZHUGH...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

HAZARDS INCLUDE...
HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH DIAMETER...
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...
FLOODING IN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE...

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
ADA...BYNG...ALLEN...ROFF...FRANCIS...FITZHUGH...SASAKWA...VANOSS AND
SPAULDING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY AND BE ALERT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS.

&&

LAT...LON 3459 9680 3459 9694 3481 9693 3510 9651
      3490 9629
TIME...MOT...LOC 2105Z 228DEG 41KT 3473 9679

MAHALE

Special weather statement, May 9, 3:10 PM CST, 22 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
410 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015

TXZ085-092145-
WILBARGER TX-
410 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN WILBARGER COUNTY UNTIL
445 PM CDT...

AT 408 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF LOCKETT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

HAZARDS INCLUDE...
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS...
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...
MINOR FLOODING IN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY AND BE ALERT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS.

&&

LAT...LON 3386 9924 3386 9947 3421 9934 3418 9896
TIME...MOT...LOC 2108Z 226DEG 31KT 3405 9928

Special weather statement, May 9, 3:30 PM CST, 2 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
430 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015

OKZ032-042-043-092200-
COAL OK-PONTOTOC OK-HUGHES OK-
430 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN COAL...SOUTHEASTERN
PONTOTOC AND SOUTHERN HUGHES COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM CDT...

AT 429 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 8 MILES NORTHEAST
OF STONEWALL...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

HAZARDS INCLUDE...
HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH DIAMETER...
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...
FLOODING IN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE...

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
ALLEN...STONEWALL...CALVIN...STUART AND GERTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY AND BE ALERT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS.

&&

LAT...LON 3459 9655 3478 9655 3505 9614 3495 9609
      3476 9609
TIME...MOT...LOC 2129Z 247DEG 30KT 3473 9642

MAHALE

The radar

The Altus AFB radar (KFDR), 46 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:31 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Wilbarger

When: May 9, 3:32 PM CST
Where: Wilbarger County, 4.24 mi WNW of Grayback
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.010, -99.240

Nickel to quarters with some half dollars mixed in.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wilbarger

When: May 9, 4:20 PM CST
Where: Wilbarger County, 2.86 mi E of Harrold
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 34.080, -98.980

Reported off of highway 287.

Tornado, Wichita

When: May 9, 4:57 PM CST to 5:04 PM CST
Where: Wichita County, 4.29 mi WNW of Burkburnett to 3 mi NNW of Burkburnett
Rating: EF0
Path length: 3.25 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 34.110, -98.631

A tornado touched down near the intersection of Muller Road and Fairview Road to the west-northwest of Burkburnett and moved northeast to at least an area 3 miles north-northwest of Burkburnett. No significant damage was reported.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Texas, 2015 Warnings in Texas, May 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: 579717, 579718, 584377.