Scattered thunderstorms during the morning hours of May 23 produced mainly minor damage as they traversed the northern third of the region.
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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 FWD wrote it up.
Scattered thunderstorms during the morning hours of May 23 produced mainly minor damage as they traversed the northern third of the region.
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 May 23, 6:06 AM CST, 1 hour 19 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 706 AM CDT MON MAY 23 2016 .AVIATION... /12Z TAFs/ The MCS that has impacted the Red River counties is steadily weakening, making minimal progress to the south. However, outflow has already shifted surface winds to the north. The southern periphery of the complex may graze the Metroplex, but any lightning would be short-lived. The north flow will also be temporary. The activity should dissipate by midday, but the outflow boundaries it lays down may be the focus for additional thunderstorm development this afternoon. With minimal coverage and low confidence in placement and timing, have refrained from introducing any afternoon convection in the TAFs. A similar MCS may be in the offing late tonight into Tuesday morning. At this time, have focused on the more likely stratus intrusion. With deeper moisture in place, the arrival of MVFR ceilings tonight will be much earlier than previous days. 25 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 403 AM CDT MON MAY 23 2016/ Complex of thunderstorms continues to move through southern Oklahoma and into our Red River counties this morning with a well defined bow echo likely to produce some severe wind gusts over the next few hours. Atmosphere out ahead of this line of storms from I-20 north is moderately unstable with mixed-layer CAPE near 1500j/kg with a healthy low level jet feeding into the system. Local acoustic profiler indicates southeast winds at 20kt at 500ft which increase to 40kt at 1800ft per the latest FWS VAD wind profile. This fairly strong southerly flow and instability should keep the complex moving into North Texas through early morning affecting areas primarily north of Interstate 20. The threat for severe weather (mainly damaging wind) appears that it will be confined to a few of our Red River counties as instability diminishes farther to the east and low level winds weaken. We will have to monitor for additional development farther west which could eventually dive south into a better environment. So through the late morning hours...we will have the highest PoPs along our northern tier of counties...diminishing to 20% from Interstate 20 and areas south. There are a couple of concerns through the next 6-12 hours or so with respect to the ongoing convection. Low level warm advection is quite strong...and several new thunderstorms have developed well behind the main complex within the mature cold pool. These storms so far are staying primarily in Oklahoma but we will have to see if additional development gets close to North Texas. Any of these storms would likely pose a hail threat. Of slightly higher concern is the slowing southward progression of the current line of storms. As we head later into the morning...the low level flow is expected to veer...becoming oriented more parallel with the current line or its outflow boundary. As we heat up...there could be renewed development in the same general area as the current convection...which could result in a localized flash flood threat. Rainfall rates with some of these storms have been as high as 3"/hr. If convection persists or trains in any given area for very long...flash flooding would be an increasing concern. This could also be problematic later tonight if additional thunderstorms move over areas that are getting heavy rainfall now. At this time...no flash flood watch will be issued given uncertainties in the evolution of this morning's activity...however...this potential will be monitored closely. The current forecast will indicate a gradual weakening of this complex through late morning...with more stable air in its wake into the early afternoon. We will have 20% chances of new thunderstorm development this afternoon across North and Central Texas. Similar to yesterday...the dryline will likely be the focus for afternoon/evening thunderstorms across West Texas with the best chance for storm organization across the Panhandle into southwestern Oklahoma. These locations will again be closer to any appreciable forcing aloft. By early evening...the atmosphere across North Texas should have recovered and become moderately unstable again. Thunderstorms will once again have the potential to make a run at North Texas so we will have the highest PoPs across the northwest half of the CWA. On Tuesday...flow aloft will become more southwesterly which should help strengthen the capping inversion across the region. The dryline will make a push a little farther east by late afternoon...so will keep some 20% PoPs across our far western counties...otherwise most areas should remain dry. Capping will be strongest on Wednesday with little in the way of convection expected across North Texas. Temperatures will also warm in response and should be in the upper 80s and lower 90s across most of the area. By late Wednesday night...a strong shortwave trough will be moving into the 4-corners region with ascent spreading east into Texas. Some elevated moisture will spread across North Texas late Wednesday night in a region of steep lapse rates. This may result in some spotty elevated thunderstorms so will include a 20% chance during that time. Otherwise...thunderstorms are expected to really increase in coverage during the day Thursday with additional chances into Friday as the shortwave moves east across the southern Plains. Severe weather will be possible on both days. Dunn && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Dallas-Ft. Worth 87 72 88 73 90 / 40 30 10 10 5 Waco 86 71 89 74 90 / 20 10 10 10 5 Paris 85 69 84 70 86 / 60 20 20 10 5 Denton 86 68 87 71 90 / 40 40 10 10 5 McKinney 85 70 86 73 87 / 50 30 20 10 5 Dallas 88 72 89 74 90 / 40 20 20 10 5 Terrell 87 70 87 72 88 / 30 20 20 10 5 Corsicana 87 72 89 73 89 / 20 10 10 10 5 Temple 85 70 87 72 89 / 20 10 10 10 5 Mineral Wells 86 69 87 71 91 / 20 30 20 20 5 && .FWD Watches/Warnings/Advisories... None. && 25/91
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 504 AM CDT MON MAY 23 2016 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-241100- 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- 504 AM CDT MON MAY 23 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A COMPLEX OF STORMS WILL IMPACT AREAS NORTH OF THE I-20 CORRIDOR THIS MORNING. GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL BE THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WITH THESE STORMS. OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM MORNING STORMS COULD SERVE AS A FOCUS FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT LATER IN THE DAY. CLOUDS MAY LINGER THIS AFTERNOON...BUT THERE WILL STILL BE AMPLE INSTABILITY FOR ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT ARE ABLE TO FORM. AS A RESULT...SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE...WITH DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN TODAY ALONG THE WEST TEXAS DRYLINE. THIS ACTIVITY MAY REACH WESTERN PORTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS THIS EVENING...AND COULD AFFECT AREAS NORTH OF THE I-20 CORRIDOR AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. DAMAGING WIND WOULD BE THE PRIMARY HAZARD DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. DESPITE CONSIDERABLE INSTABILITY ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...A STRONG CAPPING INVERSION SHOULD PREVENT THE DAYTIME INITIATION OF THUNDERSTORMS. AS A STORM SYSTEM APPROACHES LATE IN THE WEEK...HELPING TO WEAKEN THE CAP...THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL RETURN THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. THE ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAIN UNSTABLE...AND WITH INCREASING VERTICAL WIND SHEAR...SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE PERIOD. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS...BUT TORNADIC STORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES MAY LINGER ON SATURDAY...BUT SUNDAY LOOKS TO BE RAIN-FREE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... LIMITED SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. 25
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
620 AM CDT MON MAY 23 2016
TXZ091-101-102-231145-
MONTAGUE TX-WISE TX-JACK TX-
620 AM CDT MON MAY 23 2016
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN WISE...SOUTHERN MONTAGUE
AND NORTHEASTERN JACK COUNTIES UNTIL 645 AM CDT...
AT 620 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
NEWPORT...OR 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BOWIE...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
BOWIE...ALVORD...CHICO...FORESTBURG...SUNSET AND NEWPORT.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. SEEK
A SAFE SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.
&&
LAT...LON 3366 9749 3325 9748 3330 9821 3347 9814
3347 9798 3365 9798
TIME...MOT...LOC 1120Z 278DEG 22KT 3346 9795
DUNNSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
750 AM CDT MON MAY 23 2016
TXZ103-231315-
DENTON TX-
750 AM CDT MON MAY 23 2016
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR DENTON COUNTY UNTIL 815 AM CDT...
AT 749 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
CORRAL CITY...OR NEAR DENTON...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
ARGYLE AROUND 755 AM CDT.
BARTONVILLE AROUND 800 AM CDT.
FLOWER MOUND...CORINTH...AROUND 805 AM CDT.
LEWISVILLE...AROUND 810 AM CDT.
FRISCO...THE COLONY...HACKBERRY AROUND 815 AM CDT.
LAT...LON 3341 9684 3299 9685 3299 9740 3319 9739
3342 9723
TIME...MOT...LOC 1249Z 269DEG 27KT 3316 9723
DUNNThe Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 78 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:23 UTC.
1 lightning, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Three separate house fires were caused by lightning strikes during the morning hours of May 23 in the city of Frisco, TX.
According to local news reports, a woman drove into high water on the Little River bridge in Cameron. While the heavy rain from the day before had ended hours before the incident, water remained over the roadway by 9 AM CDT on the 23rd. As the woman drove her car on the bridge, the water swept the car off of the bridge and into the river bank. The woman was rescued by Cameron Police Department and the Cameron Volunteer Fire Department and taken to the hospital in Temple with minor injuries.
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, May 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: 640306, 640518.