A complex of severe thunderstorms shifted southeast out of Oklahoma and into portions of North and East Texas during the evening hours of May 15th, ahead of a weak cold front and associated shortwave trough that dove southeast through the Southern Plains. Ample shear and strong instability characteristic with steep lapse rates maintained the intensity of these storms as they entered Northeast…
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 complex of severe thunderstorms shifted southeast out of Oklahoma and into portions of North and East Texas during the evening hours of May 15th, ahead of a weak cold front and associated shortwave trough that dove southeast through the Southern Plains. Ample shear and strong instability characteristic with steep lapse rates maintained the intensity of these storms as they entered Northeast Texas during the late evening, resulting in multiple reports of damaging winds over Franklin and Upshur Counties before the storms became more outflow dominant and quickly weakened as they shifted farther east into a more unfavorable environment.
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 May 15, 8:30 PM CST, 1 hour 44 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Shreveport LA 930 PM CDT Sun May 15 2022 .UPDATE... Thunderstorm activity has for the most part avoided our area to the east and west this evening. A large cluster of storms moved through Arkansas this afternoon/evening but managed to stay just to the east of our CWA line. Meanwhile, another cluster developed over Oklahoma and managed to stay just to the west of our CWA line. Storms that looked like they would move into our northern zones managed to dissipate before doing so. We are thankful for this as they were dropping widespread 2+ inch hail stones. We could still see some activity across our northern zones later this evening and into the overnight hours but confidence is lowering. Severe Thunderstorm Watch 223 was allowed to expire earlier than the 11 PM set time and we expired it shortly after 9 PM after Watch 220 expired. Main thing to the forecast for tonight was to adjust PoPs based off current trends along with sky cover based on current trends. Temperatures could suffer tonight as we did not get the rain to move through really any parts of the area. That being said I decided not to touch the inherited temperatures for tonight. /33/ && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 631 PM CDT Sun May 15 2022/ AVIATION... For the 16/00z TAFs...Satellite imagery from this evening is showing an increase in cloud cover across southwest Arkansas along with northern Louisiana. This cloud cover is in association with a complex line of strong to severe thunderstorms moving across southeastern Arkansas. Radar imagery is showing additional severe thunderstorms moving through southeastern Oklahoma. This activity should continue to work into our region over the next few hours and should reach KTXK first. VFR conditions should prevail for all terminals through the majority of this TAF period, however, we could see some MVFR at times should any thunderstorms impact any terminals directly. /33/ PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 257 PM CDT Sun May 15 2022/ SHORT TERM.../Tonight through Monday Night/ On northwesterly flow on the leading side of a building upper level ridge , a late season cold front will press south into the Four State Region tonight and into early Monday morning. Short term model guidance including the NAM12 and RAP13 resolve what looks to be a fairly potent MCS-style system arriving in our northern zones after sunset and propagating south through the evening hours. This solution of such a system is consistent with the convection already in progress this afternoon across southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. Due to this advancing threat, the Storm Prediction Center has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch which will include all of our Arkansas counties, as well as McCurtain County in Oklahoma and Red River and Bowie Counties in Texas until 9:00 PM CDT. The advancing front will interact with an unstable environment across the ArkLaTex, especially along and north of the I-30 corridor, where lapse rates as steep as 8 to 9 degrees Celsius will remain in play as late as 03Z. Surface-based CAPE will peak around 00Z to 03Z, as high as 3000 to 4000 J/kg, particularly across our northwesternmost zones. Coinciding with little to no CIN throughout the region, little to no resistance to convective development will inhibit storms as the forcing mechanism pushes south. With LCL heights between 500 and 1000 m and surface to 500 mb shear in the 40 to 50 kts range areawide and generally low storm relative helicity, the tornado potential looks relatively low, though a spin up or two is not entirely out of the question. The more pressing concerns with this storm system will be hail of up to golf ball size, and damaging winds in particular, with straightline gusts of 70 to 80 mph, which would be capable of downing trees, doing minor damage to roofs and fences, and turning lawn furniture into projectiles. Securing loose outdoor items would be a wise precautionary action to take. Rainfall will linger through the overnight hours, clearing out after daybreak Monday, before a reinforcing surge of energy aims to kick up another round of afternoon thunderstorms, primarily in our easternmost counties and parishes, including El Dorado, Monroe and communities due south. Any activity which does manage to develop will quickly dissipate after sunset. Overnight lows will fall into the mid to upper 60s by daybreak, rebounding into the upper 80s to low 90s Monday afternoon. Based on recent NBM performance with a warm bias and available soil moisture which will be reinforced by tonight's rainfall, elected to trend 2-3 degrees cooler than guidance for tomorrow's highs. Tuesday morning will see another round of low temperatures in the mid 60s to low 70s across the Four State Region. /26/ LONG TERM.../Tuesday through Sunday/ As the long-term period begins on Tuesday, look for the upper-level ridge to our W/SW to reassert its dominance across our region and effectively shut off any rain chances through this upcoming week. As a result, temperatures will gradually begin to tick back up higher into the lower and mid 90s once again each afternoon. In addition, overnight lows will also creep back up into the lower 70s for most areas and possibly mid 70s in our urban locations with a summer-like feel to the air mass through much of next week. The good news if you're not quite ready for summer to set in just yet is that a bonafide cold front appears progged to make its way in our direction by early next weekend. The medium-range progs are all in general agreement with the described scenario along with another chance of showers and thunderstorms by late Friday/Friday night and through next weekend as the cold front slowly advances through the region. This will allow for a welcome reprieve from the early onset of summer heat which has plagued the region for much of this month. /19/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... SHV 69 89 70 94 / 10 10 0 0 MLU 69 87 68 92 / 20 20 0 0 DEQ 66 85 65 90 / 40 10 0 0 TXK 68 88 68 91 / 20 10 0 0 ELD 66 86 64 90 / 20 20 0 0 TYR 69 90 71 93 / 20 10 0 0 GGG 69 90 69 94 / 20 10 0 0 LFK 69 94 69 94 / 10 10 0 0 && .SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...None. LA...None. OK...None. TX...None. && 26/19
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Shreveport LA 923 PM CDT Sun May 15 2022 ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073-LAZ001>006-010>014-017>022-OKZ077-TXZ096- 097-108>112-124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167-161100- 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- 923 PM CDT Sun May 15 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for south central Arkansas, southwest Arkansas, north central Louisiana, northwest Louisiana, southeast Oklahoma, east Texas and northeast Texas. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Scattered thunderstorms will be possible tonight and into the early morning hours, mainly north of a line from Jacksonville, Texas, to Columbia, Louisiana. portions of the Four State Region. Some storms could be severe, mainly along and north of Interstate 20. Damaging winds and large hail will be the primary threats. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. No hazardous weather will is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Activation of emergency management personnel, amateur radio operators, and storm spotters may be needed tonight. 09
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
1112 PM CDT Sun May 15 2022
TXZ124-125-136-137-160515-
Upshur TX-Gregg TX-Smith TX-Wood TX-
1112 PM CDT Sun May 15 2022
...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of Smith, Wood,
southwestern Upshur and northwestern Gregg Counties through 1215 AM
CDT...
At 1112 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Winnsboro to near Quitman to near Mineola
to near Grand Saline to near Canton. Movement was east at 35 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Tyler, Longview, White Oak, Gladewater, Gilmer, Mineola, Winnsboro,
Lindale, Quitman, Big Sandy, Hawkins, Clarksville City, East
Mountain, Pleasant Grove, Hainesville, Golden, Rosewood, Hoard,
Liberty City and West Mountain.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
These storms 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 9533 3272 9484 3259 9474 3251 9481
3230 9513 3223 9549 3225 9547 3230 9545
3232 9546 3236 9545 3248 9559 3269 9559
3271 9563 3274 9564 3296 9567
TIME...MOT...LOC 0412Z 287DEG 30KT 3301 9535 3280 9538 3273 9547 3264
9563 3257 9589
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
09The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 152 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:15 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees and tree limbs were downed all over Franklin County.
Multiple trees were downed across Naus Drive along the north shore of Lake Cypress Springs.
A roof was partially removed from a home near the intersection of Highway 37 and County Road 3330.
A tree was blown down on FM 1002.
A tree was blown down at the intersection of Highway 271 and FM 726 in the West Mountain community.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2022
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: 1023757, 1023761, 1023762, 1023764, 1023766.