Tornadoes · United States · Texas · 2010
EF0 tornado, Alanreed to Laketon, Texas, April 22, 2010
From Alanreed to Laketon, this EF0 tornado ran 4.0 miles across Gray County on April 22, 2010, touching down at 6:30 PM CDT and reaching 440 yards wide. It killed nobody.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
EF065 to 85 mphthis tornado
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
EF3136 to 165 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
EF5over 200 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
The record
- Rating
- EF0
- Date
- April 22, 2010
- Touchdown
- 6:30 PM CDT (23:30 UTC)
- Lifted
- 6:52 PM CDT (23:52 UTC)
- On the ground
- 22 minutes
- Path length
- 4.0 miles (6.5 km)
- Path width
- 440 yards (402 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Gray County
- Touchdown point
- 35.260, -100.800
- Lift-off point
- 35.296, -100.648
- Record number
- 1004221730-01
What the Weather Service recorded
Severe thunderstorms producing large hail...damaging thunderstorm winds...and several tornadoes moved across parts of the eastern two-thirds of the Texas Panhandle. The thunderstorms winds knocked down a large tree and one tornado caused damage to power poles. No injuries were reported.
The tornado had a large...broad and intense rotation that produced multiple brief tornado touchdowns. The tornado began one mile north of Lake McClellan in Gray County at 1730 CST and then lifted at 1752 CST approximately five miles north northwest of McLean. The tornado was on the ground for about nine miles with a maximum circulation width of one quarter mile. No damage or injuries were reported.
The tornado touched down eleven miles east northeast of Lefors in Gray County at 1740 CST and then lifted at 1750 CST seven miles west southwest of Mobeetie. The tornado was on the ground for approximately five miles with a maximum width of one hundred yards. No damage or injuries were reported.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
51 minutes of warning. NWS AMA issued a tornado warning for this county at 22:39 UTC, 51 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 23:30 UTC.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 19:32 UTC and running to 01:34 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19:32 UTC | 01:34 UTC | Tornado Watch | AMA |
| 21:42 UTC | 23:15 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA |
| 22:09 UTC | 23:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | AMA |
| 22:39 UTC | 23:30 UTC | Tornado Warning | AMA |
| 22:58 UTC | 23:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | AMA |
| 23:02 UTC | 00:00 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA |
| 23:14 UTC | 00:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | AMA |
| 23:29 UTC | 00:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | AMA |
| 23:43 UTC | 00:45 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA |
| 23:44 UTC | 00:18 UTC | Tornado Warning | AMA |
| 23:47 UTC | 00:20 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA |
| 23:58 UTC | 00:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | AMA |
Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.
The forecast that day
The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Moderate Risk, with a 0.15 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 19:59 UTC.
SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.
The air that afternoon
The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.
Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), 12:00Z
11.5 hours before the tornado, 89 km from the path. April 22, 2010.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 33 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -291 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 2 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1875 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 36 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 15 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 87 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 284 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.0 K/km
Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), 00:00Z
0.5 hours after it, 89 km from the path. April 23, 2010.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -85048 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 683 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1589 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 53 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 16 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 23 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 57 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- -0.2
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 6.9 K/km
The surface observations
Pampa (PPA), 45 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21:07 UTC | 71.6 | 57.2 | 160° 16 kt | 23 | 1000 | |
| 21:27 UTC | 71.6 | 59 | 150° 19 kt | 23 | 999.7 | |
| 21:47 UTC | 69.8 | 59 | 160° 21 kt | 26 | 999.3 | |
| 22:07 UTC | 69.8 | 59 | 160° 19 kt | 25 | 999.3 | |
| 22:27 UTC | 68 | 59 | 150° 19 kt | 23 | 999 | |
| 22:47 UTC | 62.6 | 59 | 140° 19 kt | 31 | 999.3 | -VCTSRA |
| 23:07 UTC | 62.6 | 60.8 | 140° 18 kt | 22 | 998.6 | |
| 23:27 UTC | 62.6 | 59 | 140° 17 kt | 22 | 998 | -VCTSRA |
| 23:47 UTC | 60.8 | 57.2 | 160° 13 kt | 27 | 998 | TS |
| 00:27 UTC | 55.4 | 53.6 | 170° 8 kt | 1000.7 | VCTS | |
| 00:47 UTC | 60.8 | 55.4 | 170° 7 kt | 1000 |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 90 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 23:29 UTC.
Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track
Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.
What was reported nearby
Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Report | Where | County | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21:59 UTC | TORNADO | 5 Ne Goodnight | Armstrong, TX | ON THE THE GROUND FOR 3 MINUTES |
| 22:10 UTC | TORNADO | 8 Ese Groom | Donley, TX | TORNADO BEGAN 4 MILES SE OF GROOM AND ENDED ABOUT 2 MILES ESE OF JERICHO |
| 22:20 UTC | HAIL 2.75 | 10 N Howardwick | Donley, TX | NEAR INTERSECTION OF INTERSTATE 40 AND HWY 70 |
| 22:20 UTC | TORNADO | 3 Ne Goodnight | Armstrong, TX | TORNADO BEGAN 3 MILES S OF GOODNIGHT AND ENDED ABOUT 8 MILES NE OF GOODNIGHT. TORNADO REPORTED BY MULTIPLE SOURCES. |
| 22:29 UTC | HAIL 2.5 | 3 E Groom | Gray, TX | |
| 22:29 UTC | HAIL 2.75 | 6 E Groom | Gray, TX | |
| 22:33 UTC | HAIL 1.5 | 25 W Miami | Roberts, TX | HAIL STARTED AROUND 1633 CST AND LASTED FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES. |
| 22:38 UTC | TORNADO | 1 E Lake Mcclellan | Gray, TX | TORNADO BEGAN 1 MILE E OF LAKE MECCLELLAN AND MOVED NE FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF MILE. |
| 22:59 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | 3 E Groom | Gray, TX | GROOM FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED THE HAIL NEAR BOYDSTON ROAD AND WEST OF HIGHWAY 70. |
| 22:59 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | 3 Se Groom | Donley, TX | GROOM FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED THE HAIL NEAR BOYDSTON ROAD AND WEST OF HIGHWAY 70. |
| 23:07 UTC | TORNADO | 8 Ese Groom | Donley, TX | TORNADO BAGAN 8 MILES ESE OF GROOM AND MOVED NE FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF MILE. |
| 23:30 UTC | TORNADO | 5 Nw Alanreed | Gray, TX | LARGE INTENSE CIRCULATION... APPROXIMATELY ONE QUARTER OF A MILE WIDE... WITH SEVERAL BRIEF MULTI VORTEX STYLE TOUCHDOWNS. TORNADO BEGAN 1 MILE NORTH OF LAKE MCCLELLAN AND ENDED 4 MILES N OF ALANREED. MULTIPLE REPORTS RE |
| 23:36 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | 7 E Groom | Gray, TX | |
| 23:40 UTC | TORNADO | 13 Ene Lefors | Gray, TX | TORNADO BEGAN 11 MILES ENE OF LEFORS AND ENDED APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES WSW OF MOBEETIE. |
| 00:05 UTC | TSTM WND GST 60 | Alanreed | Gray, TX |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2010 tornado in TexasEvery tornado in Texas since 1950Warnings in force in Texas nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of April 22, 2010
41 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 22 | 1:05 PM MDT | EF0 | Bent, CO | 4.7 | 100 | |||
| April 22 | 1:08 PM MDT | EF0 | Bent, CO | 2.5 | 50 | |||
| April 22 | 1:35 PM MDT | EF0 | Bent, CO | 0.6 | 50 | |||
| April 22 | 1:48 PM MDT | EF0 | Bent, CO | 1.9 | 150 | |||
| April 22 | 1:57 PM MDT | EF0 | Bent, CO | 0.6 | 50 | |||
| April 22 | 2:22 PM MDT | EF0 | Kiowa, CO | 3.4 | 50 | |||
| April 22 | 2:29 PM MDT | EF1 | Kiowa, CO | 7.2 | 200 | $1,000 | ||
| April 22 | 2:36 PM MDT | EF0 | Kiowa, CO | 0.4 | 50 | |||
| April 22 | 2:45 PM MDT | EF0 | Kiowa, CO | 2.6 | 50 | |||
| April 22 | 2:55 PM MDT | EF0 | Kiowa, CO | 0.7 | 25 | |||
| April 22 | 2:56 PM MDT | EF0 | Kiowa, CO | 1.4 | 50 | |||
| April 22 | 3:00 PM MDT | EF0 | Kiowa, CO | 1.2 | 75 | |||
| April 22 | 3:12 PM MDT | EF0 | Kiowa, CO | 1.2 | 50 | |||
| April 22 | 3:28 PM MDT | EF0 | Elbert, CO | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| April 22 | 3:38 PM MDT | EF0 | Adams, CO | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| April 22 | 4:48 PM CDT | EF1 | Kearny, KS | 9.4 | 1,760 | $180,000 | ||
| April 22 | 4:59 PM CDT | EF0 | Armstrong, TX | 1.8 | 50 | |||
| April 22 | 5:04 PM CDT | EF0 | Kearny, KS | 4.9 | 440 | |||
| April 22 | 5:10 PM CDT | EF0 | Donley, TX | 5.2 | 100 | |||
| April 22 | 5:20 PM CDT | EF1 | Armstrong, TX | 10.3 | 100 | $3,000 | ||
| April 22 | 4:24 PM MDT | EF0 | Cheyenne, CO | 2.3 | 75 | |||
| April 22 | 5:32 PM CDT | EF0 | Kearny, KS | 2.6 | 150 | |||
| April 22 | 5:38 PM CDT | EF0 | Gray, TX | 0.5 | 25 | |||
| April 22 | 4:40 PM MDT | EF0 | Cheyenne, CO | 1.4 | 50 | |||
| April 22 | 5:51 PM CDT | EF0 | Beaver, OK | 0.2 | 25 | |||
| April 22 | 6:07 PM CDT | EF0 | Donley, TX | 0.6 | 25 | |||
| April 22 | 6:10 PM CDT | EF1 | Finney, KS | 2.7 | 880 | $800 | ||
| April 22 | 5:12 PM MDT | EF0 | Cheyenne, CO | 2.6 | 75 | |||
| April 22 | 6:17 PM CDT | EF0 | Finney, KS | 0.9 | 75 | |||
| April 22 | 6:27 PM CDT | EF0 | Scott, KS | 3.3 | 440 | |||
| April 22 | 6:39 PM CDT | EF0 | Kearny, KS | 2.7 | 200 | |||
| April 22 | 6:40 PM CDT | EF0 | Gray, TX | 4.5 | 100 | |||
| April 22 | 5:52 PM MDT | EF0 | Cheyenne, CO | 1.1 | 25 | |||
| April 22 | 6:05 PM MDT | EF0 | Cheyenne, CO | 1.4 | 25 | |||
| April 22 | 7:06 PM CDT | EF1 | Scott, KS | 7.2 | 440 | $210,000 | ||
| April 22 | 7:20 PM CDT | EF2 | Motley, TX | 9.0 | 1,300 | $100,000 | ||
| April 22 | 7:40 PM CDT | EF0 | Scott, KS | 1.4 | 150 | |||
| April 22 | 7:46 PM CDT | EF3 | Cottle, TX | 12.3 | 975 | $300,000 | ||
| April 22 | 7:57 PM CDT | EF0 | Lane, KS | 3.7 | 150 | |||
| April 22 | 9:05 PM CDT | EF0 | Cottle, TX | 5.0 | 150 | |||
| April 22 | 9:21 PM CDT | EF0 | Gove, KS | 0.5 | 10 |
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.