The interaction of a dryline, a strong upper level disturbance and plenty of moisture resulted in an outbreak of severe thunderstorms across a large part of West Central Texas. An isolated tornado was also photographed just north of Stamford.
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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 SJT wrote it up.
The interaction of a dryline, a strong upper level disturbance and plenty of moisture resulted in an outbreak of severe thunderstorms across a large part of West Central Texas. An isolated tornado was also photographed just north of Stamford. A line of severe thunderstorms quickly formed and produced the vast majority of the large hail and wind reports.
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 San Angelo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 26, 2:43 PM CST, 1 hour 32 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service SAN ANGELO TX 343 PM CDT TUE APR 26 2016 .SHORT TERM... (Tonight) ...Large Hail and Damaging Winds and Tornadoes This Evening... A dryline and strong upper dynamics will combine to continue thunderstorms this evening. With surface based CAPE values around 4000 J/Kg across many of our eastern counties this afternoon, any thunderstorms which develop will rapidly intensify. The dryline this afternoon extends just west of a line from near Ozona to Sweetwater. Thunderstorms have developed along and near this dryline and will move into our western counties within an hour. Movement will be toward the northeast. Based on all indicators, the greatest tornado threat lies mainly along and northeast of a line from Haskell, to Abilene, to Coleman, to Brownwood. In addition, very large hail is possible northeast of this line. We have issued Tornado watch number 109, which continues until midnight CDT tonight, and includes those counties lying along and east or northeast of a line from Haskell, to Roby, to San Angelo, to San Saba. Later tonight, a Pacific cold front will push from west to east across West Central Texas and bring another round of thunderstorms. As this front moves across West Central Texas, thunderstorms will form a line, and this line will extend from north to south across most of West Central Texas. (Wednesday) ...Dry and Cooler... The Pacific front will quickly push convection east of West Central Texas and bring drier air, along with slightly cooler temperatures. High tomorrow will be mainly in the mid to upper 80s. winds will be mainly from the west in the 10 to 15 mph range. .LONG TERM... (Wednesday night through Tuesday) Generally dry conditions are expected on Thursday ahead of the next approaching upper level shortwave trough. High temperatures Thursday afternoon are forecast to be in the upper 80s to near 90. Rain chances will increase Thursday night across the area as the aforementioned upper level trough moves closer and large scale lift results in scattered showers and thunderstorms. A few strong to severe thunderstorms are possible. Friday afternoon, a Pacific front will move through West Central Texas, with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing along and ahead of this feature. This will result in a better chance of strong to severe thunderstorms, especially across the eastern half of the forecast area. In addition, locally heavy rainfall will be possible. Highs on Friday will mainly be in the mid to upper 80s. Generally dry conditions are expected this weekend, with highs mainly in the upper 70s to mid 80s, and overnight lows in the 50s. The next upper level trough will approach the Southern Plains early next week. Differences continue in the exact timing and track of this system, but a wetter/cooler pattern looks likely for the first part of next week. Daniels && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Abilene 55 85 57 88 / 40 0 0 10 San Angelo 52 88 55 90 / 20 0 0 10 Junction 53 88 52 88 / 60 5 0 20 && .SJT Watches/Warnings/Advisories... None. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX 352 PM CDT TUE APR 26 2016 TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139- 140-154-155-168>170-272100- FISHER-NOLAN-STERLING-COKE-RUNNELS-IRION-TOM GREEN-CONCHO- CROCKETT-SCHLEICHER-SUTTON-HASKELL-THROCKMORTON-JONES-SHACKELFORD- TAYLOR-CALLAHAN-COLEMAN-BROWN-MCCULLOCH-SAN SABA-MENARD-KIMBLE- MASON- 352 PM CDT TUE APR 26 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL HAVE A VERY HIGH POTENTIAL OF PRODUCING VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. TORNADOES ARE ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT THREAT...ESPECIALLY FOR LOCATIONS ALONG AND NORTHEAST OF A LINE FROM HASKELL...TO ABILENE...TO COLEMAN...TO BROWNWOOD. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...LINGERING OVER THE NORTHWEST HILL COUNTRY ON SATURDAY. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER HAZARDS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WE WILL NEED SPOTTERS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
438 PM CDT TUE APR 26 2016
TXZ054-064-065-262200-
STERLING TX-COKE TX-NOLAN TX-
438 PM CDT TUE APR 26 2016
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN COKE...NORTHEASTERN
STERLING AND SOUTHWESTERN NOLAN COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM CDT...
AT 438 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 13 MILES WEST OF
SILVER...OR 16 MILES NORTH OF STERLING CITY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50
MPH.
NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.
THIS STORM WILL REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTHWESTERN
COKE...NORTHEASTERN STERLING AND SOUTHWESTERN NOLAN COUNTIES.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT FOR WEST CENTRAL
TEXAS.
LAT...LON 3217 10055 3191 10090 3208 10102 3208 10068
3210 10066 3223 10066
TIME...MOT...LOC 2138Z 221DEG 54KT 3207 10090The San Angelo radar (KSJT), 90 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:16 UTC.
21 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
The public reported golf ball size hail along US Highway 87 about 12.5 miles northwest of Sterling City.
Law enforcement officials reported significant wind damage in Hamlin. A National Weather Service survey team found roofs blown off of buildings and some downed wood fences. These damaging winds blew out glass windows on a building and two vehicles. The damaging thunderstorms winds also knocked down trees and a power pole.
Law Enforcement reported half dollar size hail about a mile west southwest of Stamford.
A storm chaser photographed a tornado located just north of Stamford. The location of the tornado is estimated using radar and spotter information. The storm chaser took the picture from the golf course looking to the north and northwest. The tornado became quickly wrapped up in rain.
The fire department reported a lot of golf ball size hail in Haskell.
The fire Department reported a wind gust of 70 mph about 4 miles north of Throckmorton.
A trained spotter reported a thunderstorm wind gust of 70 mph about 1/2 mile west of Buffalo Gap.
A trained spotter reported quarter size hail in Clyde.
The fire department reported ping pong ball size hail about 4 miles north of Bronte.
A trained spotter reported quarter size hail about 1 mile northeast of Novice.
A trained spotter reported quarter size hail just south of Christoval.
A trained spotter reported golf ball size hail in Cross Plains.
A CoCoRaHS observer reported nickel size hail about 10 miles northeast of Silver Valley.
The public reported hail up to the size of ping pong balls about 1/2 mile east of Glen Cove.
An amateur radio operator reported nickel size hail about 1 mile west of Thrifty.
A trained spotter reported nickel size hail about 2 miles northwest of Brownwood.
A CoCoRaHS observer reported golf ball size hail just south of Sonora, causing broken windows and dents on vehicles.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 2016Warnings in Texas, April 2016
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: 628657, 628656, 628326, 628325, 628328, 631070, 628329, 628331, 628330, 628351, 628333, 628335, 628334, 628332, 628336, 628349, 628337, 628338, 628346, 628340, 628339, 628350, 628344, 628342, 628348, 628345.