Hail in Texas, April 25, 2016

Name: Hail in Texas, April 25, 2016
Start: 2016-04-25T16:54
End: 2016-04-25T20:20
Location: Texas

April 25, 2016 · NWS EWX · 29 events in 4 counties and zones

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: 29

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 EWX wrote it up.

In the wake of a cold front, a strong capping inversion developed across South Central Texas. Above the cap the atmosphere was unstable and if any thunderstorms were able to form they would likely be severe. A dryline moved through and provided sufficient lift to generate thunderstorms which produced large hail.

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 Austin/San Antonio, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 25, 2:24 PM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 25, 2:24 PM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
324 PM CDT MON APR 25 2016

.SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT)...CAP HAS ERODED PER
SPC ANALYSIS ACROSS THE NORTHERN HILL COUNTRY AS WELL AS SOUTH
OVER THE BRUSH COUNTRY AND PORTIONS OF THE WINTER GARDEN AREA.
THE CAP MAY FURTHER ERODE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HILL COUNTRY THROUGH
THE LATER AFTERNOON. A WEAK MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE WAS NOTED MOVING
ACROSS WEST-CENTRAL TEXAS AND COULD HELP INITIATE CONVECTIVE
DEVELOPMENT 21Z-03Z. A FEW HI RESOLUTION MODELS ARE INDICATING
CONVECTIVE INITIALIZATION THROUGH THE AFOREMENTIONED CORRIDOR
WHERE THE CAP HAS ERODED. IT DOES APPEAR CU FIELD IS STARTING TO
DEVELOP IN LATEST VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY ACROSS THE BRUSH
COUNTRY TO THE SOUTH AND ACROSS THE NORTHERN EDWARDS PLATEAU.
SHOULD CONVECTION INITIALIZE...A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS COULD
DEVELOP...WITH CAPE VALUES EXCEEDING 4000 J/KG PER SPC ANALYSIS.
HAIL AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS WOULD BE THE PRIMARY THREATS.
COVERAGE SHOULD REMAIN ISOLATED.

CAP WILL RE-DEVELOP OVERNIGHT WITH STRATUS...PATCHY DRIZZLE AND
ISOLATED SHOWERS POSSIBLE BENEATH IT. THE CAP SHOULD HOLD THROUGH
THE EARLY AFTERNOON ON TUESDAY. THE FORECAST SOUNDINGS SUGGEST AS
THE STRONGER FORCING APPROACHES THE NORTHERN CWA AND NORTH TEXAS
THE CAP SHOULD ERODE ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS 21Z-00Z TUESDAY
AFTERNOON.

STEEP MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES YIELD STRONG CAPE VALUES IN EXCESS OF
4500 J/KG ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS DURING THIS TIME...WITH EFFECTIVE
BULK SHEAR VALUES APPROACHING 40 KT. THIS WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF
SEVERE STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL LATE IN THE
AFTERNOON AND THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS ACROSS THE HILL COUNTRY
AND INTO THE I-35 CORRIDOR LATE IN THE EVENING...WITH SECONDARY
THREAT OF DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS. BETTER LOW LEVEL SHEAR/HELICITY
VALUES REMAIN TO NORTH OF THE AREA...ALTHOUGH AN ISOLATED TORNADO
CAN NOT BE COMPLETELY RULED OUT.

UNCLEAR HOW FAR SOUTH THE CAP ERODES THROUGH THE EVENING. TEXAS
TECH 4 KM WRF AND ARW MORE BULLISH WITH UNZIPPING CONVECTION AS
FAR SOUTH AS SAN ANTONIO 03Z-09Z.

&&

.LONG TERM (WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY)...AS THE DISTURBANCE PASS TO
THE NORTHEAST ON WEDNESDAY DRIER AIR IS DRAGGED EAST THROUGH MUCH
OF THE CWA. SHOWERS AND STORMS ACROSS THE EASTERN CWA WEDNESDAY
MORNING SHOULD QUICKLY EXIT THE CWA WITH A DRY WARM AFTERNOON
ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA.

MOISTURE RETURN TAKES PLACE OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY AND THROUGH THE
DAY THURSDAY...WITH DIGGING UPPER LEVEL LOW INTO THE DESERT
SOUTHWEST. THE GFS IS MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH THE MOISTURE RETURN
AND DEVELOPS QPF ACROSS THE AREA THURSDAY AFTERNOON...WHILE THE
ECMWF AND NAM12 ARE DRIER. LOW 20 POPS ARE IN THE FORECAST
CURRENTLY.

STILL APPEARS AN ACTIVE PATTERN WILL TAKE PLACE FRIDAY THROUGH
SATURDAY ACROSS THE CWA...WITH DISTURBANCES IN THE SOUTHWEST FLOW
ALOFT AND THE UPPER LEVEL LOW ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST U.S. LIFTING
INTO THE WEST TEXAS AND THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES. DETAILS AND TIMING
ARE STILL MUDDY...BUT APPEARS HIGH CHANCES FOR RAINFALL COULD
OCCUR ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA DURING THIS TIME FRAME.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
AUSTIN CAMP MABRY              71  85  66  88  64 /  20  30  60  10  -
AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTL AIRPORT  71  85  67  87  62 /  20  20  60  10  -
NEW BRAUNFELS MUNI AIRPORT     70  85  67  88  63 /  20  20  50  10  -
BURNET MUNI AIRPORT            69  83  61  87  61 /  20  30  60  10  -
DEL RIO INTL AIRPORT           70  91  62  89  63 /  -   10  10   0   0
GEORGETOWN MUNI AIRPORT        70  84  65  86  62 /  20  30  60  10  -
HONDO MUNI AIRPORT             70  88  63  90  61 /  10  20  30  -   -
SAN MARCOS MUNI AIRPORT        70  85  66  86  63 /  20  20  60  10  -
LA GRANGE - FAYETTE REGIONAL   72  86  70  86  68 /  20  10  50  20  -
SAN ANTONIO INTL AIRPORT       71  86  67  88  64 /  20  20  40  10  -
STINSON MUNI AIRPORT           71  88  68  89  64 /  10  20  40  10  -

&&

.EWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

MESOSCALE/AVIATION...05
SYNOPTIC/GRIDS...RUNYEN
PUBLIC SERVICE/DATA COLLECTION...30

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 25, 1:54 PM CST, 3 hours before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
254 PM CDT MON APR 25 2016

TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-262000-
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-
254 PM CDT MON APR 25 2016

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM LLANO TO GEORGETOWN AND SOUTHWESTWARD
TO EAGLE PASS AND CARRIZO SPRINGS. THIS AREA INCLUDES AUSTIN AND
THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN PARTS OF SAN ANTONIO. THE MOST LIKELY
THREAT IS LARGE HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE
OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO
EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING ACROSS MOST OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. A
WEAK TORNADO CAN NOT BE RULED OUT AS WELL.

ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE AREA ON FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE FOR STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS AS WELL AS HEAVY RAIN.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON...LATE TUESDAY...
AND FRIDAY OR SATURDAY.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 25, 3:30 PM CST, 1 hour 24 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
430 PM CDT MON APR 25 2016

TXZ219-252200-
FRIO TX-
430 PM CDT MON APR 25 2016

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN FRIO COUNTY UNTIL
500 PM CDT...

AT 429 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 9
MILES SOUTH OF GOLDFINCH...OR 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CHARLOTTE...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

DIME SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
GOLDFINCH.

THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND
TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 2875 9903 2894 9881 2866 9880 2865 9883
      2865 9894
TIME...MOT...LOC 2129Z 234DEG 16KT 2873 9891

HAMPSHIRE

Special weather statement, Apr 25, 4:34 PM CST, 20 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
534 PM CDT MON APR 25 2016

TXZ220-252300-
ATASCOSA TX-
534 PM CDT MON APR 25 2016

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN ATASCOSA COUNTY
UNTIL 600 PM CDT...

AT 533 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7
MILES EAST OF BIGFOOT...OR 9 MILES WEST OF POTEET...MOVING NORTH AT 30
MPH.

NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
POTEET...ROSSVILLE...KYOTE...IUKA...ESPEY AND AMPHION.

LAT...LON 2899 9881 2912 9880 2923 9874 2913 9846
      2892 9870
TIME...MOT...LOC 2233Z 199DEG 27KT 2904 9874

HAMPSHIRE

The radar

The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 81 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:53 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

29 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 4:54 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 0.92 mi NW of Somerset
Measured: 2 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 29.230, -98.660

Hail, Atascosa

When: April 25, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Atascosa County, 4.8 mi NNE of Rossville
Measured: 2.5 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 29.160, -98.660

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:07 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 2.4 mi SSE of Von Ormy
Measured: 2.5 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 29.290, -98.650

Hail, Atascosa

When: April 25, 5:10 PM CST
Where: Atascosa County, Lytle
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 29.230, -98.800

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 3.51 mi S of Southton
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 29.230, -98.590

A thunderstorm produced golf ball size hail near Loop 1604 and Hwy 16 in southwestern San Antonio.

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:22 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 0.73 mi WNW of (Ssf)stinson Fld San
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 29.334, -98.481

A thunderstorm produced one inch hail near Roosevelt Ave. and Ashley Rd. in southern San Antonio.

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:23 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 2.12 mi SE of Lackland Afb
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 29.356, -98.609

A thunderstorm produced one inch hail near the intersection of Vista Point and Vista Grove in southwestern San Antonio.

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:25 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 3.38 mi SSE of Lackland Afb
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 29.338, -98.602

A thunderstorm produced golf ball size hail near Five Palms Dr. and Trading Post St. in southwestern San Antonio.

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:30 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 1.93 mi WSW of (Skf)kelly Afb San A
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 29.390, -98.660

A thunderstorm produced one and a quarter inch hail at Hwy 90 and Ray Ellison Blvd. in western San Antonio.

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:31 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 3.61 mi W of (Ssf)stinson Fld San
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 29.330, -98.530

A thunderstorm produced golf ball size hail one mile south of South Park Mall in southern San Antonio.

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:32 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 4.27 mi W of Leon Vly
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 29.460, -98.700

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:33 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 1.2 mi W of Robards
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 29.500, -98.550

A thunderstorm produced quarter size hail near I-10 and I-410 in Balcones Heights.

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:36 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 2.41 mi E of Leon Vly
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 29.470, -98.590

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:37 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 1.93 mi WSW of Alamo Downs
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 29.440, -98.660

A thunderstorm produced golf ball size hail near Hwy 151 and Potranco Rd. in western San Antonio.

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:40 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 0.92 mi SW of Leon Vly
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 29.460, -98.640

A thunderstorm produced one and half inch hail at Culebra Rd. and Ingram Rd. in western San Antonio.

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:42 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 0.92 mi NW of Fratt
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 29.530, -98.580

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:45 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 0.92 mi SE of Cementville
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 29.490, -98.460

A thunderstorm produced one inch hail near Alamo Heights High School.

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:45 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 2.83 mi SSE of Beckmann
Measured: 2.5 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 29.560, -98.590

A thunderstorm produced two and a half inch hail near I-10 and De Zavala Rd. in northwestern San Antonio.

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:45 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 0.83 mi S of Fratt
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 29.508, -98.572

A thunderstorm produced one inch hail at Methodist Hospital on Floyd Curl Dr. in northwestern San Antonio.

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:48 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 1.51 mi NNW of Fratt
Measured: 2.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 29.540, -98.580

A thunderstorm produced 2.75 inch hail near USAA at I-10 and Huebner Rd.

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:50 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 2.57 mi SSE of Beckmann
Measured: 2 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 29.565, -98.586

A thunderstorm produced hail up to two inches at Vance Jackson Rd. and De Zavala Rd. in northwestern San Antonio. Most the hail was nickel to ping pong ball size.

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:58 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 1.51 mi NNW of Hollywood Park
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 29.590, -98.510

A thunderstorm produced quarter size hail one mile south of the intersection of Blanco Rd. and Loop 1604 in northern San Antonio.

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 5:58 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 2.07 mi N of Sat Twin Oaks Arpt
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 29.600, -98.470

A thunderstorm produced one inch hail near the intersection of Loop 1604 and Hwy 281 in northern San Antonio.

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 6:02 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 1.51 mi NNW of Hollywood Park
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 29.590, -98.510

A thunderstorm produced 1.5 inch hail one mile south of the intersection of Blanco Rd. and Loop 1604 in northern San Antonio.

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 6:05 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 6.22 mi N of Hollywood Park
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 29.660, -98.500

A thunderstorm produced one inch hail near Wilderness Oak and Hardy Oak Blvd. in the Stone Oak section of San Antonio.

Hail, Bexar

When: April 25, 6:10 PM CST
Where: Bexar County, 9.42 mi ENE of Leon Spgs
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 29.710, -98.480

A thunderstorm produced one inch hail in Timberwood Park.

Hail, Comal

When: April 25, 6:30 PM CST
Where: Comal County, Spring Branch
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 29.870, -98.400

Hail, Burnet

When: April 25, 7:47 PM CST
Where: Burnet County, 4.21 mi W of Buchanan Lake
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 30.830, -98.300

Hail, Burnet

When: April 25, 8:20 PM CST
Where: Burnet County, 2.47 mi WNW of Lake Victor
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 30.910, -98.240

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

Every storm in Texas in 2016 Every state in 2016 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, April 2016

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: 625612, 625613, 625614, 625615, 625616, 625618, 625619, 625620, 625621, 625622, 625623, 625624, 625625, 625626, 625627, 625628, 625629, 625630, 625631, 625632, 625633, 625634, 625635, 625636, 625637, 625638, 625639, 625640, 625641.