Thunderstorms developed along a cold front as it pushed south of the Red River the evening of Monday, May 4. A few storms became severe, primarily along and north of the Highway 380 corridor, with hail being the main severe weather occurrence.
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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.
Thunderstorms developed along a cold front as it pushed south of the Red River the evening of Monday, May 4. A few storms became severe, primarily along and north of the Highway 380 corridor, with hail being the main severe weather occurrence.
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 4, 6:48 PM CST, 1 hour 7 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 748 PM CDT Mon May 4 2020 .SHORT TERM... /NEW/ /Tonight - Tuesday Evening/ Only minor tweaks to the earlier forecast(and discussion) below. A cold front continues to surge southeast across Southwest and Central Oklahoma, with scattered severe storms continuing to build upshear(on the west side). In addition, they are becoming more linear versus discrete/supercellular in nature, likely due to high instability helping to develop increasing strong rear inflow jet (RIJ) signatures. As these storms move toward stronger convective inhibition (CINH), there is still very steep lapse rates > 8 Deg C/km aloft for large hail potential along/south of the Red River. In addition, MLCAPE/MUCAPE values of 2000-3000 J/KG will help to keep a balance between the UDCZ along the leading edge and RIJ to drive a high potential for damaging winds as well into the Red River Valley and possibly as far south as HWY 380 from Wise Co east toward Sulphur Springs and Cooper. Though a brief spin up tornado can't be ruled out, the main hazards will be large hail and damaging winds for areas along and north of Highway 380 and mostly east of Lake Bridgeport. After nightfall, CINH should continue to increase farther south and west toward I-20 and the immediate DFW area and points south, though locally strong to isolated downbursts may continue briefly after midnight into the DFW Metro and points to the east where moisture is more abundant. Otherwise, minor adjustments were made to high and low temperatures, as well as cold frontal timing, associated gusty north winds, and a more than welcome cool down from the recent toasty high temperatures that were 10-15 degrees above normal for early May. Highs in the upper 70s/lower 80s are expected moving into Tuesday with lows Tuesday morning in the 60s, with clear skies and light winds allow for lows in the 50s Wednesday morning. 05/ && .LONG TERM... /Issued 234 PM CDT Mon May 4 2020/ /Tuesday night through Monday/ The start of the long term portion of the forecast (Tuesday night/Wednesday) will feature dry northwest flow aloft and cool, dry air near the surface. Temperatures Tuesday night will be below normal for the first time in several days with lows generally in the 50s. Wednesday will be a very pleasant day with plenty of sun, a light wind and highs in the upper 70s and lower 80s. Low level moisture will steadily return Wednesday night and Thursday once surface high pressure builds to the east and lee cyclogenesis begins across the Central and Southern High Plains. As a result, it will be warmer, breezy and more humid Thursday with highs in the middle and upper 80s across all but the northeast zones where abundant cloud cover associated with an approaching shortwave will keep highs closer to 80. The passage of the shortwave Thursday night will be followed by the arrival of a cold front. Thunderstorms will accompany the cold front as it moves southward through North and Central Texas through Friday. The best storm chances will likely reside north of the I-20 corridor where large scale lift will be the most favorable. Storms will end from north to south through the day Friday with increasing large scale subsidence and dry/cold air advection. Highs Friday will be generally in the 70s to around 80 and a breezy north wind will make it feel even cooler. Dry northwest flow aloft and slowly decreasing low level cold air advection will keep the weekend rain-free and a little cool with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s. Another cold front is progged to move across the region Sunday/Sunday night, but it will not have much moisture to work with so will likely come through dry. Highs Monday will remain below normal and generally in the 70s. 79 && .AVIATION... /NEW/ /00z TAFs/ Concerns and Challenge: Convective potential at D10 terminals after 05z, then ACT after 09z. Timing cold FROPA and gusty N winds overnight and Tuesday morning and post-FROPA MVFR cigs and westward extent before 12z. Only minor adjustments made to convective timing, as well as arrival of a cold FROPA across all D10 terminals were made from the previous 18z TAFs. I have maintained VCTS 3 hours for eastern DFW Metro Airports, including DFW 05z-08z, but if storms across S OK increase in forward motion, adjustments will be made via AMDs either at or before the stand 03z TAFs. Immediately behind the cold front, gusty north winds 10-15 knots will increase to 15-20 knots a few hours after FROPA with potential gusts to 25 to 30 knots. If storms are nearby, these gusts could be higher and possible TEMPO groups may be needed for TSRA and the gusts. These same trends will be 2-3 hours delayed across ACT and Central TX. Otherwise, cigs should gradually rise into low VFR by 15z Tuesday as the frontal inversion increases, before drier air intrudes into the region by 18z Tuesday/after with low clouds scattering out with SKC conditions by late in the day and Tuesday evening. The gusty N winds should settle down to 10-15 knots after 21z Tuesday, with decoupling of the cool/dry airmass bringing speeds down to 5-10 knots soon after 00z Wednesday. 05/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Dallas-Ft. Worth 64 78 54 84 61 / 30 10 0 0 5 Waco 67 79 52 83 60 / 20 20 5 0 0 Paris 63 75 50 77 55 / 50 10 0 0 0 Denton 62 77 50 82 57 / 20 5 0 0 5 McKinney 63 77 50 82 57 / 30 10 0 0 5 Dallas 66 80 56 84 60 / 30 10 0 0 5 Terrell 64 78 51 81 57 / 40 10 5 0 0 Corsicana 67 77 54 81 59 / 30 20 5 0 0 Temple 69 79 55 83 60 / 20 20 5 0 0 Mineral Wells 64 78 50 82 57 / 10 5 0 0 5 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && 05/24
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 807 PM CDT Mon May 4 2020 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-060115- 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- 807 PM CDT Mon May 4 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for North and Central Texas. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Thunderstorms are expected to move into North Texas along a cold front tonight. A few storms could be severe with hail and damaging winds, with the greatest threat near and north of US Highway 380. The most likely time for strong/severe storms will be between 8 pm and 11 pm. Any storms should gradually diminish as they move towards the I- 20 corridor late tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Isolated storms are possible Tuesday over Central Texas with the passage of a cold front. While severe weather is not expected, a few storms could contain small hail. Additional thunderstorms are possible Thursday night and Friday with the arrival of another cold front. Though some of these storms may be strong, severe weather is unlikely at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Limited spotter activation may be requested north of the I- 20 corridor this evening. Bain
The Altus AFB radar (KFDR), 135 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:54 UTC.
15 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Emergency management reported quarter-sized hail approximately 6 miles northeast of the city of Nocona, TX.
Emergency management reported golf ball sized hail in the city of Muenster, TX.
A 60 MPH wind gust was measured by the Gainesville Municipal Airport Automated Surface Observation System.
A trained spotter estimated a 70 MPH wind gust near the intersection of Lone Oak Road and Interstate 35, approximately 4 miles north of the city of Sanger, TX.
A trained spotter reported dime sized hail in the city of Sanger, TX.
A trained spotter reported quarter sized hail approximately 3 miles south of the city of Sanger, TX.
A trained spotter reported quarter sized hail approximately 1 mile west of the city of Denton, TX.
A public report indicated nickel to quarter sized hail approximately 2 miles east of the city of Denton, TX.
An MPING report indicated quarter sized hail approximately 2 miles northwest of the city of Shady Shores, TX.
A trained spotter reported dime sized hail in the city of Flower Mound, TX.
A public report indicated half-dollar sized hail approximately 2 miles south of the city of Hackberry, TX.
A National Weather Service employee reported nickel sized hail approximately 3 miles east of the city of Haslet, TX.
A social media report indicated quarter sized hail approximately 4 miles northeast of the town of Pantego, TX.
A social media report indicated nickel sized hail approximately 1 mile north of the town of Pantego, TX.
Quarter sized hail was measured at a CoCoRaHS station approximately 3 miles south-southwest of the city of Red Oak, TX.
An MPING report indicated dime sized hail approximately 2 miles south of the city of Red Oak, TX.
A social media report indicated quarter sized hail in the city of Red Oak, TX.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2020
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: 891383, 891384, 891398, 891399, 891385, 891386, 891387, 891388, 891389, 891390, 891391, 891392, 891393, 891394, 891395, 891396, 891397.