A strong frontal boundary pulled up stationary south of Northeast Texas and Northern Louisiana during the morning hours of March 17th. However, an elevated boundary near 850mb was located nearly stationary across the Middle Red River Valley of Northern Texas into Southern Arkansas.
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 SHV wrote it up.
A strong frontal boundary pulled up stationary south of Northeast Texas and Northern Louisiana during the morning hours of March 17th. However, an elevated boundary near 850mb was located nearly stationary across the Middle Red River Valley of Northern Texas into Southern Arkansas. Flow aloft was mostly west to east across the Southern Plains at this time but subtle weak disturbances and strong deep layer shear resulted in the development of scattered strong to severe thunderstorms across portions of North Central Texas and South Central Oklahoma during the predawn hours of March 17th. After sunrise, these storms progressed eastward into Southeast Oklahoma, Southwest Arkansas, Northeast Texas and Northwest Louisiana. While the atmosphere was pretty stable at the surface...moderate instability existed aloft which resulted in rather steep mid level temperature lapse rates. This was conducive for the development of large hail which was widespread across the region...ranging from pea size to up to golfball size. In addition, an elevated supercell moved across portions of Red River and Bowie Counties in Northeast Texas and while a tornado was not produced from this storm, a strong and damaging downburst was produced with widespread wind damage noted across portions of both counties.
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 Shreveport, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 17, 5:59 AM CST, 2 hours 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA 659 AM CDT THU MAR 17 2016 .AVIATION... A WEAK SFC FRONT EXTENDS FROM CNTRL TX ESE INTO DEEP E TX AND CNTRL LA THIS MORNING...WITH THE BNDRY EXPECTED TO REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY OR DRIFT SLIGHTLY N TODAY TO NEAR/JUST S OF THE I-20 CORRIDOR. MVFR CIGS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER N AND ECNTRL TX NEAR THIS FRONT THIS MORNING...AND WILL AFFECT THE TYR/GGG TERMINALS THIS MORNING BUT MAY SCATTER OUT/LIFT BY LATE MORNING. AREAS OF VLIFR CIGS/FG HAVE DEVELOPED OVER SE TX/SRN AND CNTRL LA...INCLUDING THE LFK TERMINAL CLOSER TO THE FRONT...AND COULD LINGER THROUGH MUCH OF THE MORNING BEFORE LIFTING. SHOULD SEE SCT CONVECTION DEVELOP/SPREAD E FROM N TX ALONG/N OF THE FRONT TODAY...AFFECTING THE AREA TERMINALS LATER THIS MORNING THROUGH MUCH OF THE AFTERNOON. GIVEN THE LOW CONFIDENCE OF COVERAGE/TIMING...HAVE PREVAILED MENTION OF VCTS FOR THE AFFECTED TERMINALS...WITH THE CONVECTION EXPECTED TO DIMINISH FROM W TO E LATER THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING. ADDITIONAL REDEVELOPMENT WILL BE POSSIBLE NEAR THE FRONT OVERNIGHT...AS THE FRONT LIFTS SLOWLY N TO THE I-20 CORRIDOR. CIGS SHOULD BECOME LOW MVFR/IFR NEAR/S OF THE FRONT LATE...WITH AREAS OF FG AGAIN POSSIBLE MAINLY OVER DEEP E TX/NCNTRL LA. ENE WINDS 6-10KTS TODAY WILL BECOME E AND DIMINISH TO LESS THAN 5KTS AFTER 00Z. /15/ && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 246 AM CDT THU MAR 17 2016/ DISCUSSION... A WEAK SURFACE BOUNDARY EXTENDING ACROSS DEEP EAST TEXAS TOWARD MONROE WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR CONVECTION LATER TODAY. DESPITE MAINLY ZONAL FLOW ACROSS THE REGION...AN UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVING ACROSS THE REGION IN THE VICINITY OF THE NEARLY STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL GENERATE SUFFICIENT LIFT TO ALLOW FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. INSTABILITY WILL BE ENHANCED BY SUFFICIENT MOISTURE SOUTH OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE HAIL...WITH DAMAGING WINDS A SECONDARY THREAT. THE STRONGEST CONVECTION WILL LIKELY OCCUR DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS AS THE BOUNDARY LAYER DESTABILIZES. RAINFALL TOTALS WILL AVERAGE AN INCH OR LESS TODAY MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20. HOWEVER...ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF AS HIGH AS 2 INCHES MAY BE POSSIBLE IN THE STRONGER CONVECTION ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTH-CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST LOUISIANA. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WORK WEEK INTO THE EARLY PART OF THE WEEKEND DUE TO THE LINGERING FRONTAL BOUNDARY PARKED ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20. NORTHWEST FLOW BEHIND A LONGWAVE TROUGH TO BUILD ACROSS THE REGION ON SATURDAY ALLOWING FOR IMPROVING CONDITIONS. MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES EXPECTED LATE IN THE WEEKEND THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF THE WORK WEEK WITH HIGHS IN THE 50S AND 60S AND LOWS IN THE 30S AND 40S. OTHERWISE...A GRADUAL WARMING TREND EXPECTED THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WORK WEEK. /05/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... SHV 75 56 70 49 / 30 40 50 50 MLU 76 55 71 50 / 20 40 40 50 DEQ 72 49 64 43 / 20 40 40 40 TXK 73 52 66 45 / 20 40 40 40 ELD 74 51 67 47 / 10 40 40 40 TYR 74 57 70 47 / 30 50 40 50 GGG 75 56 70 48 / 30 50 40 50 LFK 78 61 75 53 / 40 50 50 60 && .SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. LA...NONE. OK...NONE. TX...NONE. && 15
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA 600 AM CDT THU MAR 17 2016 ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073-LAZ001>006-012>014-021-OKZ077-TXZ096- 097-108>112-124>126-137-138-181100- SEVIER-HOWARD-LITTLE RIVER-HEMPSTEAD-NEVADA-MILLER-LAFAYETTE- COLUMBIA-UNION-CADDO-BOSSIER-WEBSTER-CLAIBORNE-LINCOLN-BIENVILLE- JACKSON-OUACHITA-CALDWELL-MCCURTAIN-RED RIVER-BOWIE-FRANKLIN- TITUS-CAMP-MORRIS-CASS-WOOD-UPSHUR-MARION-GREGG-HARRISON- 600 AM CDT THU MAR 17 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS...SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA... NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHEAST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY AS AN UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL GENERALLY AVERAGE AROUND A TENTH TO A QUARTER OF AN INCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL GENERALLY RANGE FROM A QUARTER INCH OR LESS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL...AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS...AND STORM SPOTTERS WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT. LAZ010-011-017>020-022-TXZ136-149>153-165>167-181100- DE SOTO-RED RIVER-SABINE-NATCHITOCHES-WINN-GRANT-LA SALLE-SMITH- CHEROKEE-RUSK-PANOLA-NACOGDOCHES-SHELBY-ANGELINA-SAN AUGUSTINE- 600 AM CDT THU MAR 17 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...EAST TEXAS AND NORTHEAST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY. SOME STORMS COULD BE SEVERE DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS WITH HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN THREAT. RAINFALL TOTALS WILL AVERAGE AROUND A HALF AN INCH OR LESS. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS MAY BE POSSIBLE IN THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF A HALF AN INCH OR LESS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE IN THUNDERSTORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL...AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS...AND STORM SPOTTERS MAY BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT. 05
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
902 AM CDT THU MAR 17 2016
TXZ096-171445-
RED RIVER TX-
902 AM CDT THU MAR 17 2016
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL RED RIVER COUNTY UNTIL
945 AM CDT...
AT 902 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
NEAR BLOSSOM...OR 15 MILES EAST OF PARIS...MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT
45 MPH.
NICKEL SIZE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
CLARKSVILLE...BAGWELL...DETROIT...AVERY...ANNONA...WOODLAND...NEGLEY...
LYDIA...BRYARLY AND ENGLISH.
LAT...LON 3386 9531 3372 9474 3371 9475 3344 9475
3362 9531
TIME...MOT...LOC 1402Z 287DEG 38KT 3372 9529
13The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 180 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:08 UTC.
7 hail, 7 thunderstorm wind, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Dime size hail fell northwest of Bogota, and an estimated 50 mph wind gust blew a martin bird house off of the pole.
Trees down along Farm to Market Road 410. A number of farm outbuildings lost metal roof sheeting or were completely destroyed.
A number of homes lost shingles and siding near the Bagwell community. Approximately a half mile of power poles were flattened along Farm to Market Road 2573. Several trees were snapped and uprooted as well.
Widespread wind damage occurred within the city of Clarksville. Several of the older buildings had their metal roofs peeled back and partially thrown. A couple of gas stations either lost their canopies or had their canopies collapse. A car repair shop and the county jail also had their roofs lifted by the winds. The section of the open air metal roof at the lumberyard uplifted and was thrown nearly a half of a mile. The volunteer fire department also had their roof peeled back. A number of trees were snapped and uprooted as well. Nearly every street in town had some form of wind damage, but no tornado track was found even though a funnel cloud was witnessed in the area.
A roof was damaged to a home on County Road 3300 northeast of Annona. Large tree limbs were downed as well.
A funnel cloud was reported near the intersection of Highway 82 and County Road 3210 in Annona. However, a NWS Storm Survey confirmed that it did not touch down as a tornado.
Trees down on Highway 37.
Trees down along Highway 82 east of Clarksville.
Trees down on Farm to Market Road 2735.
Pea to dime size hail fell at the Red River Army Depot near Hooks.
Dime size hail was reported in Hooks.
Nickel size hail fell in Texarkana, Texas.
Pea to dime size hail was reported at the Franklin County Sheriffs Office in Mount Vernon, as well as other areas of the city north of Interstate 30.
Quarter size hail fell 5 miles southeast of Lindale on County Road 4101.
Ping-pong ball size hail fell 3 miles west of Waskom.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, March 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: 616316, 616317, 616353, 616320, 616322, 616325, 616326, 616327, 616328, 616329, 616330, 616331, 616332, 616333, 616335.