A strong upper trough moved across Eastern Oklahoma and East-Central Texas during the morning hours of October 23rd, before progressing east across Southwest Arkansas and North Louisiana during the afternoon. This trough reinforced a strong cold front southeast through the region, with warm, humid air and deepening moisture spreading north into the areas ahead of the front.
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 upper trough moved across Eastern Oklahoma and East-Central Texas during the morning hours of October 23rd, before progressing east across Southwest Arkansas and North Louisiana during the afternoon. This trough reinforced a strong cold front southeast through the region, with warm, humid air and deepening moisture spreading north into the areas ahead of the front. With the increase in large scale forcing along and ahead of the front and accompanying upper trough, scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms developed over much of the region, with one of these storms briefly becoming severe during the early afternoon hours over Central Angelina County, where damaging winds downed a few trees and power lines in Downtown Lufkin. These storms diminished during the late afternoon and early evening with the departure of the front, as much cooler air drier air spilled southeast in its wake.
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 Oct 23, 12:14 PM CST, 34 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Shreveport LA 114 PM CDT Fri Oct 23 2020 .AVIATION... A line of SHRA/TSRA has developed ahead of cold front across the region. Will keep SHRA/TSRA in forecast for KLFK/KSHV/KELD/KMLU through the afternoon hours before front clears. However MVFR/IFR ceilings will continue through most of the TAF period at all sites. NW winds 10 to 15 mph, with higher gusts, will move into the TAF sites in wake of the cold front, but should diminish by daybreak Saturday. /20/ && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 1145 AM CDT Fri Oct 23 2020/ UPDATE... The previous mentioned cold front has finally made its way into the region this morning. Current location of the boundary is generally along a line from Dierks Arkansas southwestward to near Linden Texas to Rusk Texas. A few changes were made to forecast to account for timing discrepancies with the passage of the frontal boundary, mostly with POPs. Otherwise, showers and isolated thunderstorms will continue to form along the front as it slowly moves through the region today. Gusty northwest winds up to 20 mph will move into the region in wake of the boundary, but sustained winds speeds should stay just below Lake Wind Advisory around 10-15 mph. High temps in areas ahead of the front will approach the low 80s this afternoon, with areas behind the front holding in the upper 60s to low 70s. /20/ && PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 337 AM CDT Fri Oct 23 2020/ SHORT TERM.../Today through Tomorrow/ A shortwave trough is beginning to push its way into the region this morning, bringing with it a cold front, and increased chances for showers and thunderstorms. Rain chances should increase across the region by later this afternoon, as this front will slowly move through the area through tomorrow. The best rain chances will be limited to today and tonight, as dry air moves in behind the front for the remaining short-term, and briefly into the long-term. As for temperatures over this short-term, temperatures in our NW zones will be much cooler compared to the rest of the region today, as the cold front will likely split the I-30 corridor. However, once the front has made its final push through the region by Saturday, temperatures will have swung to nearly 5-10 degrees back below normal. This swing will be short lived, as temperatures return to at or above average into the start of the long-term, before the next big system moves in. /44/ LONG TERM.../Saturday Night through Thursday Night/ An potent upper trough will dig southward through the Rockies towards the Four Corners region by the end of the weekend, and this trough will come to dominate our weather through most of the long- term forecast period. In response to the digging trough, a surface low will develop in West Texas. This will result in increasing low- level southerly winds and warm air advection. Daytime high temperatures will continue to be well above normal on Sunday. Depending on the strength of the warm air advection, I would not be surprised if Sunday's highs need to be raised by a few degrees in future forecast packages. While the daytime hours of Sunday should be dry, rain chances will begin to gradually increase from north to south as the digging upper trough pushes a cold front towards the region. Most of the large scale forcing is expected to be in the post-frontal airmass, which should limit the opportunities for thunder. However, there should still be enough instability for isolated thunderstorms, particularly along and ahead of the front. The cold front should move across the area during the day Monday, leading to an interesting forecast. For roughly the northwest half of the forecast area, high temperatures on Monday will be reached between sunrise and noon with falling temps after the frontal passage. In the southeast half of the area, especially North Central Louisiana, compressional warming could lead to temps in the lower 80s in the warm sector. The upper trough will continue to dig and strengthen across the Desert Southwest early next week before cutting off over the Southern High Plains by Wednesday. The cold air behind the front will be shallow, and warm air will remain in place at 850 hPa and 700 hPa. Strong southwesterly flow ahead of the upper trough will provide a steady supply of moisture Pacific moisture into the region. Widespread rain is expected to persist through most of the remainder of the week. The rainfall could be locally heavy at times along and north of the Interstate 30 corridor Wednesday evening through Thursday morning. Rain chances will finally diminish during the day Thursday as the upper trough slowly moves east and an associated surface low over Southern Louisiana ejects northeast and away from the forecast area. CN && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... SHV 80 54 65 58 / 70 10 10 0 MLU 81 56 68 56 / 70 40 0 0 DEQ 74 48 61 52 / 50 10 10 0 TXK 79 51 60 53 / 50 10 10 0 ELD 79 49 61 51 / 70 30 0 0 TYR 74 50 66 57 / 80 10 10 0 GGG 78 50 66 56 / 60 10 10 0 LFK 81 53 72 60 / 70 10 0 0 && .SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...None. LA...None. OK...None. TX...None. && 20
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Shreveport LA 1138 AM CDT Fri Oct 23 2020 ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073-LAZ001>006-010>014-017>022-OKZ077- TXZ096-097-108>112-124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167-241645- Sevier-Howard-Little River-Hempstead-Nevada-Miller-Lafayette- Columbia-Union-Caddo-Bossier-Webster-Claiborne-Lincoln-De Soto- Red River-Bienville-Jackson-Ouachita-Sabine-Natchitoches-Winn- Grant-Caldwell-La Salle-McCurtain-Bowie-Franklin-Titus-Camp- Morris-Cass-Wood-Upshur-Marion-Smith-Gregg-Harrison-Cherokee-Rusk- Panola-Nacogdoches-Shelby-Angelina-San Augustine- 1138 AM CDT Fri Oct 23 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of south central Arkansas, southwest Arkansas, north central Louisiana, northwest Louisiana, southeast Oklahoma, east Texas and northeast Texas. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight... Thunderstorms will spread east and southeast across the region today. The strongest storms may produce gusty winds, brief heavy rainfall, and dangerous cloud to ground lighting. However, severe weather is not anticipated at this time. Most of the thunderstorms should exit the area tonight, but a few lingering storms may persist over portions of extreme Southwest Arkansas and extreme Northeast Texas through early Saturday morning. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday... Isolated to scattered thunderstorms will be possible overnight Sunday through Monday afternoon as a strong upper level trough slowly moves towards the region. Severe weather is not anticipated at the time. While the threat for thunderstorms will diminish, widespread rain will persist through much of the week. Locally heavy rainfall will be possible Wednesday afternoon through early Thursday morning along and north of the Interstate 30 corridor. This may lead to a threat for isolated flooding. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Activation of emergency management personnel...amateur radio operators...and storm spotters is not anticipated through tonight.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
1030 AM CDT Fri Oct 23 2020
TXZ136-149-231615-
Cherokee TX-Smith TX-
1030 AM CDT Fri Oct 23 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SMITH AND NORTHWESTERN CHEROKEE
COUNTIES UNTIL 1115 AM CDT...
At 1030 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Tyler, moving east at 45 mph.
Pea size hail and winds in excess of 30 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Tyler, Jacksonville, Whitehouse, Lindale, Bullard, Troup, Arp, Mount
Selman, Mixon, Reese, New Summerfield, Noonday, New Chapel Hill,
Winona, Cuney and Teaselville.
LAT...LON 3254 9542 3247 9501 3190 9508 3204 9543
3205 9542 3205 9543 3208 9542 3215 9548
3218 9546 3223 9549 3230 9545 3231 9546
3236 9545 3240 9550
TIME...MOT...LOC 1530Z 285DEG 38KT 3235 9533
05Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
1112 AM CDT Fri Oct 23 2020
TXZ136-149-150-231645-
Cherokee TX-Smith TX-Rusk TX-
1112 AM CDT Fri Oct 23 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN SMITH...RUSK AND
CHEROKEE COUNTIES UNTIL 1145 AM CDT...
At 1110 AM CDT, the public reported thunderstorms blowing over small
objects and small limbs along a line extending from near Overton to
9 miles west of Maydelle including Jacksonville. Movement was
southeast at 30 mph.
Wind gusts in excess of 30 mph can be expected to continue with
these storms.
Locations impacted include...
Jacksonville, Henderson, Rusk, Overton, Troup, Alto, New London, Arp,
Ponta, New Salem, Mount Selman, Joinerville, Mixon, Turnertown,
Minden, Maydelle, Pinehill, New Summerfield, Gallatin and Reklaw.
LAT...LON 3193 9543 3239 9499 3237 9498 3223 9456
3211 9459 3184 9486 3184 9494 3179 9498
3177 9493 3155 9514 3159 9517 3157 9523
3160 9527 3168 9529 3174 9533 3173 9537
3175 9536 3176 9540 3182 9540 3185 9544
TIME...MOT...LOC 1610Z 301DEG 28KT 3231 9501 3185 9546
05Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
103 PM CDT Fri Oct 23 2020
TXZ152-153-165-166-231845-
Angelina TX-Nacogdoches TX-San Augustine TX-Shelby TX-
103 PM CDT Fri Oct 23 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN NACOGDOCHES...SHELBY...
ANGELINA AND SAN AUGUSTINE COUNTIES UNTIL 145 PM CDT...
At 103 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Timpson to near Corrigan. Movement was
east at 30 mph.
Penny size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
these storms.
Locations impacted include...
Lufkin, Center, Diboll, Huntington, San Augustine, Timpson, Melrose,
Patroon, Martinsville, Bland Lake, Neuville, Woden, Macune, Etoile,
Shelbyville, Zavalla, Chireno, Huxley, Broaddus and Jericho.
LAT...LON 3110 9465 3109 9467 3113 9481 3192 9439
3188 9390 3187 9388 3181 9387 3178 9383
3159 9393 3157 9398 3148 9398 3141 9404
3139 9403 3109 9419 3103 9447
TIME...MOT...LOC 1803Z 283DEG 24KT 3185 9436 3106 9477
50Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Shreveport LA 119 PM CDT Fri Oct 23 2020 LAZ001-002-TXZ126-138-231900- Bossier LA-Caddo LA-Harrison TX-Marion TX- 119 PM CDT Fri Oct 23 2020 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN CADDO AND NORTHWESTERN BOSSIER PARISHES...SOUTHEASTERN MARION AND NORTHEASTERN HARRISON COUNTIES UNTIL 200 PM CDT... At 118 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along a line extending from near Karnack to near Waskom. Movement was east at 20 mph. Pea size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with these storms. Locations impacted include... Shreveport, Bossier City, Blanchard, Benton, Oil City, Mooringsport, Hosston, Belcher, Gilliam, Gray, Uncertain, Dixie, Caddo Lake, Cross Lake, Cavett and Bethany. LAT...LON 3293 9378 3254 9368 3246 9403 3273 9417 TIME...MOT...LOC 1818Z 250DEG 19KT 3272 9412 3251 9403 50
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
144 PM CDT Fri Oct 23 2020
LAZ010-017-TXZ153-165>167-231930-
De Soto LA-Sabine LA-Sabine TX-Angelina TX-San Augustine TX-
Shelby TX-
144 PM CDT Fri Oct 23 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN DE SOTO AND SABINE
PARISHES...EASTERN SHELBY...SOUTHEASTERN ANGELINA...EASTERN SAN
AUGUSTINE AND SABINE COUNTIES UNTIL 230 PM CDT...
At 144 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Logansport to near San Augustine to near
Ebenezer. Movement was east at 30 mph.
Half inch hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
these storms.
Locations impacted include...
Milam, Many, San Augustine, Zwolle, Logansport, Hemphill, Pineland,
Joaquin, Converse, Browndell, Patroon, Rosevine, Oak Grove, Pleasant
Hill, Florien, Huxley, Noble, Fisher, Stanley and Belmont.
LAT...LON 3153 9409 3198 9404 3198 9402 3200 9404
3199 9341 3196 9337 3192 9338 3193 9342
3191 9344 3172 9344 3171 9340 3145 9343
3128 9350 3128 9353 3124 9356 3119 9355
3117 9358 3116 9391 3107 9426
TIME...MOT...LOC 1844Z 277DEG 30KT 3193 9399 3152 9404 3108 9421
50The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 150 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:48 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A few trees and power lines were blown down in Downtown Lufkin.
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, October 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: 919997.