A complex of thunderstorms, which developed over the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles the afternoon of February 26, produced isolated severe wind gusts as it entered North Texas that night. These storms were in the process of weakening as they arrived.
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 FWD wrote it up.
A complex of thunderstorms, which developed over the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles the afternoon of February 26, produced isolated severe wind gusts as it entered North Texas that night. These storms were in the process of weakening as they arrived.
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 Feb 26, 6:49 PM CST, 4 hours 41 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 649 PM CST Sun Feb 26 2023 ...New Short Term, Aviation... .SHORT TERM... /NEW/ /Tonight through Monday Night/ A powerful storm system is ejecting into the Plains this evening with widespread severe weather ongoing across parts of the Texas Panhandle into western Oklahoma along a cold front. A rapidly deepening surface cyclone across southwest Kansas is being aided by intense wind fields above the surface. This has led to a full on dust storm across parts of West Texas where visibilities are zero and winds have gusted to near 80 mph. A recent gust to 76 mph was reported at Lubbock with 0 SM visibility. While these intense winds will generally stay well to our west, we will see an uptick in wind speeds through the late evening as the surface low spreads eastward. Gusts have been a little intermittent across North Texas this evening, but should become more common ahead of the approaching cold front. Wind gusts to 50 mph will be possible ahead of the front through at least midnight. The cold front should enter our western counties between 9-10 pm with a broken line of thunderstorms extending southward into the area. The 00Z Fort Worth sounding is strongly capped, although it does feature modest instability and steep lapse rates. Given the strength of the capping, we won't see any thunderstorm development in the open warm sector ahead of the front. Latest runs of the WoFS high resolution guidance have several members highlighting an area of potential robust convective development in the vicinity of Abilene in the 9-10 pm timeframe. This is a little farther south than other guidance (HRRR/3kmNAM) has shown, but is likely due to the frontal boundary tailing back off to the west as the main shortwave lifts off to the northeast. This would allow the frontal boundary to be oriented in a way that maintains strong low level convergence for a period of time longer than areas farther north and should help reduce capping in that area. We'll see if that actually comes to fruition, but in the meantime, we've nudged PoPs up a bit across our southwest counties to account for this potential. Otherwise, no significant changes were made to the PoP forecast through late evening. Areas will have about an hour to 90 minutes of rain/storm chances as the front moves through, then strong subsidence will quickly spread in from the west behind the front, ending rain chances. Gusty westerly winds will continue for a few hours behind the front before diminishing prior to sunrise. Monday will be a nice day with plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures in the mid 70s. West winds 10-15 mph during the day will become light in the evening with temperatures falling into the 40s Monday night. Dunn && .LONG TERM... /Issued 232 PM CST Sun Feb 26 2023/ /Monday Night Onward/ The start of the long term period will feature above normal temperatures across North and Central Texas as the region remains beneath zonal flow aloft. Southwest winds will yield a warm afternoon on Tuesday with highs mostly in the 80s. By Tuesday night, low level moisture will gradually increase as the Pacific front retreats northward as a warm front. The boundary will likely bisect the region from northeast to southwest on Wednesday, and should be most notable in dew point observations as values range from the low 30s across the Big Country to mid 60s across Central and East Texas. Meanwhile, the upper level pattern will shift as a trough digs into the western US, placing our region beneath southwesterly flow. Weak forcing for ascent will overspread the region on Wednesday, and in combination with rich moisture content, should result in the development of scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms along and south of the boundary. The aforementioned trough will dig into the Desert Southwest Wednesday night before moving toward the Plains on Thursday as a closed upper low and attendant surface low, resulting in another round of showers and thunderstorms across most of North and Central Texas. There is still uncertainty among guidance on the strength and track of the upper low, but the latest guidance continues to highlight the highest PoPs across Central and East Texas on Thursday. We'll also have to keep an eye on the potential for severe weather as the presence of shear and instability would support severe thunderstorms across the eastern half of the region as the system translates east. Deterministic and ensemble guidance also indicate a potential for strong non-convective winds Thursday afternoon and evening, particularly across our far southwestern counties. It will already be breezy region wide on Thursday with sustained winds around 15-20 mph and gusts around 30 mph in response to the developing surface low, but winds are expected to increase to 25-35 mph with higher gusts across the Big Country and Hill Country by the evening hours. Taking a look at probabilistic guidance, the better potential (greater than 30%) for sustained winds greater than 30-40 mph and wind gusts upwards of 50 mph resides just southwest of our CWA. Even if the strong winds remain southwest, the combination of breezy winds and low afternoon humidity may result in fire weather concerns west of US-281, especially if little to no rain is received. As the upper low departs Thursday night, wrap around moisture and colder temperature profiles may support very light snow across our far northwestern counties, but this potential is low (less than 10%). Otherwise, expect below normal temperatures on Friday with highs in the 50s, gradually warming into the 60s this weekend. Garcia && .AVIATION... /NEW/ /00Z TAFs/ Low clouds have scattered out this afternoon with VFR prevailing areawide this evening. Gusty southerly winds will continue ahead of an approaching cold front. The front will enter the D10 airspace by around 10 pm and should move through the TAF sites between 11 pm and 1 am. A line of showers and thunderstorms will accompany the front along with a wind shift to the west during FROPA. Wind gusts could approach 45 kt with any convective activity but these strong winds will only last a few hours before subsiding prior to sunrise. A brief period of MVFR cigs are expected to develop ahead of the front and will continue until FROPA. VFR will prevail on Monday with west-southwest winds around 15 kt. Dunn && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Dallas-Ft. Worth 50 76 47 81 57 / 100 0 0 0 5 Waco 51 78 47 83 63 / 80 0 0 0 10 Paris 49 73 44 75 58 / 100 0 0 0 0 Denton 45 75 42 80 51 / 90 0 0 0 5 McKinney 48 73 44 78 56 / 100 0 0 0 0 Dallas 51 75 47 81 59 / 100 0 0 0 5 Terrell 50 75 45 80 60 / 100 0 0 0 5 Corsicana 53 75 49 83 64 / 90 0 0 0 5 Temple 51 78 47 86 61 / 50 0 0 0 10 Mineral Wells 45 76 44 83 51 / 100 0 0 0 5 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 2 AM CST Monday for TXZ091>095-100>107- 115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 229 PM CST Sun Feb 26 2023 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-271200- 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- 229 PM CST Sun Feb 26 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for North and Central Texas. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight. There is a chance of thunderstorms across much of the region tonight. A few storms may be severe, primarily west of I-35/35W and north of I- 20. Damaging wind gusts is the primary threat. Sustained winds of 20 to 30 MPH can be expected this afternoon and tonight with gusts occasionally between 40 and 50 MPH. Winds will be initially out of the south, but will shift to the west as a front passes through. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. There is a slight chance of storms again on Wednesday and Thursday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Limited spotter activation may be requested this evening for areas west of I-35/35W.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Fort Worth TX
1045 PM CST Sun Feb 26 2023
TXZ092-093-270515-
Grayson TX-Cooke TX-
1045 PM CST Sun Feb 26 2023
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of Cooke and western
Grayson Counties through 1115 PM CST...
At 1045 PM CST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Thackerville, or 10 miles south of Marietta, moving east at 55 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Gainesville, Whitesboro, Pilot Point, Collinsville, Muenster, Gunter,
Lindsay, Callisburg, Hubert H Moss Lake, Lake Kiowa, Ray Roberts Park
Johnson Branch, Lake Muenster, Lake Texoma, Southmayd, Tioga, Road
Runner, Valley View, Sadler, Walnut Bend and Leo.
This includes Interstate 35 between mile markers 482 and 503.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3396 9691 3387 9688 3387 9680 3382 9676
3340 9676 3343 9743 3382 9743 3382 9737
3388 9733 3386 9726 3392 9721 3386 9717
3376 9719 3372 9711 3381 9709 3382 9705
3385 9709 3384 9703 3389 9698 3395 9700
TIME...MOT...LOC 0445Z 259DEG 49KT 3380 9719
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH
30Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Fort Worth TX
1130 PM CST Sun Feb 26 2023
TXZ103-104-117>119-270630-
Parker TX-Collin TX-Denton TX-Tarrant TX-Dallas TX-
1130 PM CST Sun Feb 26 2023
...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of southeastern Denton,
southeastern Parker, Tarrant, central Collin and Dallas Counties
through 1230 AM CST...
At 1129 PM CST, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Denton to 9 miles northwest of Godley.
Movement was east at 35 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano, Garland, Irving, Grand Prairie,
Mesquite, McKinney, Carrollton, Frisco, Denton, Richardson,
Lewisville, Allen, Flower Mound, Mansfield, Rowlett, Euless and
Desoto.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3328 9630 3255 9684 3256 9768 3329 9709
TIME...MOT...LOC 0529Z 275DEG 31KT 3323 9708 3252 9766
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH
30The Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 145 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:30 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A public report indicated that the top part of a cedar tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds. Two other large cedar trees were also knocked down. A shed was lifted and moved 20 feet.
A 58 MPH wind gust was measured by the Automated Surface Observation System at McKinney National Airport.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, February 2023
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: 1082236, 1082237.