Strong wind shear and lift from a surface cold front resulted in elevated severe thunderstorms across the Big Country. A few of these storms produced large hail and damaging winds across the area along and north of Interstate 20.
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.
Strong wind shear and lift from a surface cold front resulted in elevated severe thunderstorms across the Big Country. A few of these storms produced large hail and damaging winds across the area along and north of Interstate 20.
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 May 3, 4:40 PM CST, 1 hour 40 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service San Angelo TX 540 PM CDT Mon May 3 2021 ...New AVIATION... .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Tuesday) Issued at 153 PM CDT Mon May 3 2021 Cold front has sagged into the Big Country and northern Permian Basin late this afternoon, with satellite showing a little agitated Cu development from Snyder and Big Spring west into New Mexico just north of the front. High-res models continue to produce convection along this boundary across the northern Permian basin late this afternoon, tracking into the Big Country this evening. The HRRR has consistently shown a possible supercell moving across Haskell and Throckmorton after 00Z. Have added POPs across all of the Big Country this evening, boosted POPs slightly across Haskell and Throckmorton and added a mention of severe. Speaking of severe, main threat tonight for the Big Country looks to be very large hail. Farther southeast, the front is very near Brownwood and the dryline is near San Saba, but both of those locations remain in the moist air mass. Models have shown almost all of the convection developing just east of their locations this evening as well, pushing quickly northeast. Still will need to monitor though in case the cap breaks quicker and storms can develop a little faster than anticipated. Decently colder air mass behind the front, with temperatures in the 70s this afternoon. This air mass will settle south overnight and help make for a cooler day tomorrow, aided by some low cloudiness for at least the morning hours. Highs on Tuesday will mainly stay in the 70s. && .LONG TERM... (Tuesday night through next Monday) Issued at 131 PM CDT Mon May 3 2021 A cool morning is forecast across West Central Texas on Wednesday. Expect low temperatures in the mid 40s to lower 50s. High temperatures will be in the upper 70s to mid 80s. A weak cold front is forecast to move through the area Thursday, keeping temperatures close to seasonal normals. Highs on Thursday and Friday will generally be in the 80s. Models are indicating the development of showers and thunderstorms Friday evening to our west, as an upper level disturbance tracks across the region. Although an isolated storm could approach Crockett County, most of this activity should remain to our west. Zonal flow is forecast to develop this weekend, with the dryline advancing well into West Central Texas both Saturday and Sunday afternoon. This will allow for hot and dry conditions this weekend, with highs generally in the low to mid 90s. The next cold front will move across the region on Monday. Temperatures for the start of next week will be slightly cooler, with highs generally in the 80s. Isolated showers and thunderstorms will be possible along the front Monday, mainly across our southeast counties. For now, have kept PoPs in the slight chance category, given the uncertainty this far out. && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 530 PM CDT Mon May 3 2021 Hi Res models are indicating isolated to widely scattered storms moving east across the Big Country through 06Z. Looks like this activity will remain north of the KABI terminal, but will watch radar trends for possible amendments this evening. Otherwise, cold front will move to the south of the area by 07Z. The winds will be from the north with gusts to 25 knots behind the front. Also, MVFR ceilings will develop at the terminals, by 05Z at the KABI site to 12-13Z at the KSOA/KJCT sites. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Abilene 56 71 47 77 / 20 0 0 0 San Angelo 57 77 49 83 / 5 0 0 0 Junction 57 79 49 82 / 5 0 0 0 Brownwood 57 72 47 76 / 5 5 0 0 Sweetwater 55 71 49 80 / 20 0 0 0 Ozona 57 79 51 83 / 5 0 0 0 && .SJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SHORT TERM...07 LONG TERM....Daniels AVIATION...21
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service San Angelo TX 233 PM CDT Mon May 3 2021 TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139- 140-154-155-168>170-041945- 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- 233 PM CDT Mon May 3 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of west central Texas. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight A few isolated thunderstorms are possible this evening across he Big Country, mainly north of a Sweetwater to Abilene line. The highest threat will be across Haskell and Throckmorton counties. Any storm that does develop will have the potential to reach severe levels, with very large hail larger than golf balls the main concern. Damaging winds and dangerous lightning will also be possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday The threat for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be requested this evening across the Big Country.
The San Angelo radar (KSJT), 120 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:17 UTC.
8 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Roscoe Fire Department reported a mix of pea size to quarter size hail. The time of this report was estimated using radar.
The Texas Tech West Texas Mesonet Station located 5 miles west of Rotan measured a 64 MPH wind gust from the west.
The Rotan Fire Department reported golf ball to baseball size hail.
The Texas Tech West Texas Mesonet located 5 miles east southeast of Stamford measured an 84 MPH wind gust from the northwest.
The public using Mping reported 0.75 inch hail just southeast of Stamford.
The time of this hail report was estimated by radar.
A National Weather Service Cooperative Observer located at Fort Griffin State Park reported a telephone pole was snapped and several large picnic tables and signs at the campgrounds were flipped or blown over.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2021
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: 956887, 956890, 956891, 956893, 956894, 956895, 956896, 956897, 956899, 956900, 956901.