On April 22, a brief landspout tornado touched down near Roby. Then on April 23, a cold front interacting with an upper level low pressure system and an unstable airmass resulted in the development of a few supercell thunderstorms.
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 SJT wrote it up.
On April 22, a brief landspout tornado touched down near Roby. Then on April 23, a cold front interacting with an upper level low pressure system and an unstable airmass resulted in the development of a few supercell thunderstorms. These storms went on to produce some large hail and damaging winds across portions of West Central Texas.
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 22, 5:35 PM CST, 42 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service San Angelo TX 635 PM CDT Mon Apr 22 2019 .AVIATION... /00Z TAFS/ VFR conditions will continue over the next few hours before conditions deteriorate later tonight. There is a good chance for MVFR ceilings to develop across all of the terminals. In fact, KJCT and KSOA may drop to IFR conditions around 7z or 8z. Then, for tomorrow afternoon, thunderstorms are expected to develop after 18z. Heavy rain and cloud to ground lighting is a possibility, along with reduced visibilities. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 244 PM CDT Mon Apr 22 2019/ SHORT TERM... (Tonight through Wednesday) Focus continues to be on the chances for convection and the possibility of heavy rainfall and severe weather for tonight through Wednesday. Moisture is plentiful, as is lift from the upper level low approaching the area as well as a cold front that will moving int the area. Front has pulled up nearly stationary from Childress to north of Midland late this afternoon. Model consensus is that convection will push the front south into the northern Big Country late tonight before stalling again on Tuesday. Main area of convection develops Tuesday night and Wednesday as the upper low itself reaches the area, with widespread convection across virtually all of West Central Texas. A few models, mainly the ECMWF, develop enough convection to give the front a better push on Tuesday and keep the majority of the convection Tuesday Night and Wednesday south of a Brownwood to San Angelo line. Will stick closer to model consensus for now, but keep the ECMWF as a possibility. Rainfall totals remain high, with models generally showing 1-3 inches and with some much higher localized totals possible. For the most part, area soils should be able to handle a lot of this. However, this certainly high enough to cause some city street flooding and other flooding of other low lying and flood prone areas. With best rain chances for Tuesday night and Wednesday, will hold off on a Flash Flood Watch but will need to continue to monitor and one may eventually be needed. Severe weather potential as well, especially along and just north of the front with the stronger updrafts. Always hard to tell just how much strong/severe convection will be around when you have such widespread storm activity. Still, given the lift and instability, getting a few updrafts strong enough to produce severe hail or damaging winds certainly possible. An isolated tornado also possible, especially along the front as it moves across the area on Tuesday and into early Wednesday. LONG TERM... (Wednesday night through Monday) Upper trough/low will move east across the region Wednesday night, with rain chances ending by daybreak Thursday. Additional rainfall amounts will be generally 1/2 inch or less, with the heavier amounts east of an Abilene...Brady line. Flooding potential will be limited to areas that earlier received heavy rainfall. Sunny skies return Thursday with subidence behind the upper low. Cooler Thursday with highs in the lower/mid 70s, with a warming trend back into the 80s Saturday and Sunday. While low level moisture will remain over the region, a broad upper ridging will prevent shower and thunderstorm development. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Abilene 61 74 57 64 / 20 60 90 90 San Angelo 60 75 57 68 / 20 50 90 90 Junction 61 78 59 73 / 20 30 70 100 Brownwood 61 74 58 65 / 20 50 90 100 Sweetwater 60 70 55 64 / 30 70 90 80 Ozona 60 76 57 69 / 20 40 80 90 && .SJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && 41
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service San Angelo TX 250 PM CDT Mon Apr 22 2019 TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139- 140-154-155-168>170-232000- 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- 250 PM CDT Mon Apr 22 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of west central Texas. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight A few strong to severe storms are possible across the northwest portions of West Central Texas tonight, mainly northwest of a Sweetwater to Anson to Throckmorton line. Large hail and damaging winds will be the primary threats. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday Thunderstorms will become more widespread across West Central Texas from late Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday. Heavy rainfall will be the main concern, with flooding of city streets, low water crossings, and other flood prone areas possible. A few storms may also reach severe levels, with large hail and damaging winds possible from the stronger storms. However, an isolated tornado will also be possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be requested across the northwest Big Country tonight, and across most of West Central Texas for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service San Angelo TX 253 PM CDT Mon Apr 22 2019 TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139- 140-154-155-168>170-231100- 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- Including the cities of ROTAN, ROBY, SWEETWATER, STERLING CITY, ROBERT LEE, BRONTE, BALLINGER, WINTERS, MERTZON, SAN ANGELO, EDEN, OZONA, ELDORADO, SONORA, HASKELL, THROCKMORTON, WOODSON, STAMFORD, ANSON, HAMLIN, ALBANY, ABILENE, CLYDE, BAIRD, CROSS PLAINS, COLEMAN, BROWNWOOD, BRADY, SAN SABA, MENARD, JUNCTION, and MASON 253 PM CDT Mon Apr 22 2019 ...Heavy Rainfall and Severe Thunderstorm Potential through Wednesday... An approaching upper level storm system will combine with a cold front moving across the area to bring the potential for heavy rainfall and severe thunderstorms to West Central Texas through Wednesday, Heavy Rainfall: Much of West Central Texas will see 1 to 3 inches of rain through mid week, mainly from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon. Some areas will see even more, and isolated totals in excess of 5 inches will be possible. Should this heavier rain fall over city areas such as Abilene, San Angelo, Brownwood, Sweetwater, and Brady, flooding of city streets, low water crossings, and other low lying areas near small creeks and streams will be possible. Severe Storms: Strong storms will also be possible, and a few may well reach severe levels. These stronger storms may develop as early as tonight across the northern Big Country north of I-20, and sag south with the cold front across the remainder of West Central Texas by Wednesday morning. Along with the heavy rainfall, damaging winds and larger hail will also be possible. However, an isolated tornado can not be ruled out. Residents are encouraged to stay tuned to the latest forecasts as well as any watch or warning information through the event.
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service San Angelo TX 708 PM CDT Mon Apr 22 2019 TXZ049-230030- Fisher TX- 708 PM CDT Mon Apr 22 2019 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN FISHER COUNTY UNTIL 730 PM CDT... At 706 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Roby, or 13 miles west of Hamlin, moving northeast at 35 mph. Pea size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Rotan, Roby, and Hitson. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. && LAT...LON 3296 10015 3274 10022 3273 10054 3296 10054 TIME...MOT...LOC 0006Z 205DEG 28KT 3282 10034 PO
The Dyess AFB radar (KDYX), 105 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:19 UTC.
8 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter from the Roby Fire Department observed a brief landspout tornado just northeast of Roby.
The public reported golf ball size hail at the intersection of Texas Highway 239 and U.S. Highway 70. In addition, the public reported a possible wall cloud.
The Fort Chadbourne Mesonet recorded a wind gust to 68 mph.
A trained spotter reported 45 to 50 mph wind driven hail, mostly the size of quarters.
A trained spotter estimated winds gusting to near 60 mph.
A video on Twitter showed swift moving water of an unknown depth covering a road near Rock Ranch Road and FM 89, near Tuscola.
The Novice VFD reported quarter size hail.
The Novice Volunteer Fire Department estimated winds gusting to 60 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 2019Warnings in Texas, April 2019
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: 820067, 819789, 819790, 819791, 819795, 819798, 819797, 819800, 819842, 819802, 819805, 819804, 819806.