Tornadoes · United States · Texas · 2015

EF0 tornado, Throckmorton, Texas, May 6, 2015

This EF0 tornado ran 1.2 miles across Throckmorton County on May 6, 2015, touching down at 10:00 PM CDT and reaching 100 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.

  1. EF065 to 85 mphthis tornado

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mph

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. 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.

  7. 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
May 6, 2015
Touchdown
10:00 PM CDT (03:00 UTC)
Lifted
10:05 PM CDT (03:05 UTC)
On the ground
5 minutes
Path length
1.2 miles (1.9 km)
Path width
100 yards (91 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
County
Throckmorton County
Touchdown point
33.250, -99.340
Lift-off point
33.254, -99.320
Record number
1505062100-01

What the Weather Service recorded

Strong upper level disturbances, emanating from an upper low in the Rockies, interacted with a very warm, moist atmosphere and strong upper level winds over West Central Texas to produce severe weather over a three day period. There were many reports of large hail and damaging winds, and several reports of tornadoes. Although a few of these storms were large supercells, thankfully, the tornadoes remained over rural areas.

This was a large tornado reported by multiple storm chasers near the intersection of U.S. Highway 380 and Texas Highway 222 or about 6 to 8 miles west northwest of Throckmorton. The tornado became rain wrapped as it moved across an open field northeast of the intersection.

Storm chasers provide multiple reports of a cone shaped tornado approximately 8 miles northwest of Throckmorton. The path length and width of the tornado were estimated.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

29 minutes of warning. NWS SJT issued a tornado warning for this county at 02:31 UTC, 29 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 03:15 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 01:52 UTC and running to 06:01 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
18:25 UTC01:52 UTCTornado WatchSJT
22:22 UTC23:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJT
22:34 UTC23:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJT
23:49 UTC00:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJT
00:29 UTC01:15 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJT
01:10 UTC02:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJT
01:17 UTC02:00 UTCTornado WarningSJT
01:36 UTC03:30 UTCFlood AdvisorySJT
01:52 UTC06:01 UTCTornado WatchSJT
01:53 UTC02:45 UTCTornado WarningSJT
01:56 UTC03:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJT
02:05 UTC05:00 UTCFlash Flood WarningSJT
02:31 UTC03:15 UTCTornado WarningSJT
02:54 UTC04:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJT
03:08 UTC04:00 UTCTornado WarningSJT
03:53 UTC04:29 UTCTornado WarningSJT
03:58 UTC04:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJT

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 Slight Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 01:01 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.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, 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 tornado touched down at May 6, 6:15 PM CDT, 3 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 6, 6:15 PM CDT, 3 hours 45 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
615 PM CDT Wed May 6 2015

.AVIATION...
/00Z TAFS/
Currently severe storms across the Big Country north of the KABI
terminal. Going with a VCTS at the KABI terminal and an hour tempo
group between 03-04Z. New storms developing out into the eastern
Permian Basin and may make it east into the Concho Valley and
possibly the KSJT terminal after 01Z. Otherwise, at least isolated
thunderstorms after midnight. Widespread stratus will develop
after 06Z across West Central Texas with mainly IFR ceilings
through Thursday morning. The winds will be south with gusts to
near 25 knots.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 408 PM CDT Wed May 6 2015/

SHORT TERM...
There is currently a severe weather threat on going across West
Central Texas, with Tornado Watches in effect until 9 PM. The main
reasons for the severe weather is strong instability and bulk effective
shear of 40 to 45 knots. Have one isolated severe storm just west
of Coleman and a few showers and storms over the western Big
Country. The best potential for severe storms will be this evening
anywhere across the area. The main hazards will be isolated
tornadoes, very large hail and damaging winds. Have likely Pops
across the Big Country to chance Pops further south.

For Thursday, there will a another chance of thunderstorms. The
best threat for a few severe storms will be across north of the
I-20 corridor, where the instability and shear will be more
favorable. The main hazards will be large hail and damaging winds.
the best chance for severe weather will be during the afternoon
and evening.

LONG TERM...
(Thursday Night through Sunday)

There will be a chance of thunderstorms through much of the extended
period, with severe weather possible through this weekend. Upper
level southwest flow will continue on Friday across the southern
Plains with a dryline which will push into the western 1/3 of the
area during the afternoon. the combination of strong instability and
good deep layer shear will lead to scattered thunderstorms mainly
during the afternoon and evening across much of the area. A few
storms may be severe, with large hail and damaging winds being the
main threats. For Saturday, a strong upper level short wave will
rotate northeast across Texas and Oklahoma with increasing mid and
upper level ascent. At the surface, low pressure will be located
across western Kansas by Saturday afternoon with a dryline extending
south across western Texas. Thunderstorms will fire once again
across the eastern 2/3 of our area. The combination of good
instability and 0-6km shear will probably lead some storms being
severe. Also, the strong upper level forcing, along with a fast mid
level jet, may result in more significant severe weather, at least
across the eastern 1/3 of the area. This is something we will have
to watch at we get closer to the event. For Sunday, the combination
of a cold front and continue upper level southwest flow will lead to
another round of convection and the possibility for some heavy
rainfall as the deep layer flow will be unidirectional with the
possibility of training cells.

(Monday through Wednesday)

Looks like a potential wet pattern will continue across West
Central through early next week. The combination of warm air
advection above a shallow cool airmass and upper level disturbance
moving by will continue to bring a chance of showers and
thunderstorms.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Abilene 	 66  82  67  84  67 /  60  50  30  50  40
San Angelo 	 68  86  69  87  68 /  40  30  20  30  30
Junction 	 68  82  69  83  68 /  30  20  20  40  30

&&

.SJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

21
Hazardous weather outlook, May 6, 1:59 PM CDT, 8 hours 1 minute before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
159 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139-
140-154-155-168>170-071900-
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-
159 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL
TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING ACROSS MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT
SEVERE WEATHER THREAT AREA...INCLUDING A FEW TORNADOES...HAIL
LARGER THAN BASEBALL BALL SIZE...DAMAGING WINDS...WILL BE ALONG
AND NORTH OF A SWEETWATER TO BALLINGER TO BROWNWOOD LINE. IN
ADDITION...STORMS WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND THE
POTENTIAL FOR LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.
WHILE ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE EACH DAY...THERE
IS THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER ON SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

24

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 6, 6:30 PM CDT, 3 hours 30 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
630 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0515 PM     HAIL             ALBANY                  32.73N  99.30W
05/06/2015  E2.25 INCH       SHACKELFORD        TX   PUBLIC

&&

EVENT NUMBER SJT1500266

JOHNSON
Local storm report, May 6, 7:06 PM CDT, 2 hours 54 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
706 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0706 PM     HAIL             SAGERTON                33.08N  99.96W
05/06/2015  E1.00 INCH       HASKELL            TX   PUBLIC

&&

EVENT NUMBER SJT1500267

PM
Local storm report, May 6, 7:30 PM CDT, 2 hours 30 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
730 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0729 PM     HAIL             HASKELL                 33.16N  99.73W
05/06/2015  E1.00 INCH       HASKELL            TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

EVENT NUMBER SJT1500268

PM
Local storm report, May 6, 7:36 PM CDT, 2 hours 24 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
736 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0725 PM     HAIL             4 S HASKELL             33.10N  99.73W
05/06/2015  E2.75 INCH       HASKELL            TX   PUBLIC

&&

EVENT NUMBER SJT1500269

PM
Local storm report, May 6, 8:24 PM CDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
824 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0738 PM     HAIL             RULE                    33.18N  99.89W
05/06/2015  M1.25 INCH       HASKELL            TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

EVENT NUMBER SJT1500270

JOHNSON
Local storm report, May 6, 9:53 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
953 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0937 PM     TORNADO          8 W THROCKMORTON        33.19N  99.32W
05/06/2015                   THROCKMORTON       TX   STORM CHASER

            LARGE TORNADO REPORTED BY MULTIPLE STORM CHASERS NEAR
            THE INTERSECTION OF US 380 AND TX 222. TORNADO HAS SINCE
            BECOME RAIN WRAPPED.

&&

EVENT NUMBER SJT1500271

JOHNSON

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.

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), 00:00Z

3.0 hours before the tornado, 196 km from the path. May 7, 2015.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Fort Worth, TX at 00:00Z on 2015-05-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 1584 joules per kilogram, CIN -18, lifted condensation level 1221 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Fort Worth, TX at 00:00Z on 2015-05-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 115 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 30 knots.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
1584 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-18 J/kg
Surface CAPE
2882 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1221 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
115 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
147 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.7
Supercell composite
7.7
0-3 km lapse rate
6.7 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), 12:00Z

9.0 hours after it, 196 km from the path. May 7, 2015.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Fort Worth, TX at 12:00Z on 2015-05-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 656 joules per kilogram, CIN -15, lifted condensation level 632 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Fort Worth, TX at 12:00Z on 2015-05-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 191 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 39 knots.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
656 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-15 J/kg
Surface CAPE
242 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
632 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
191 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
284 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.6
Supercell composite
5.2
0-3 km lapse rate
5.3 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Breckenridge (BKD), 72 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
01:15 UTC81.8661.7150° 12 kt1008.1TS
01:35 UTC80.7862140° 7 kt1008.5
01:55 UTC80.2463.32140° 12 kt1008.1
02:15 UTC79.763.86140° 12 kt161008.5
02:35 UTC79.5263.86140° 13 kt211008.8
02:55 UTC79.1664140° 15 kt201008.8
03:15 UTC78.864.4140° 14 kt211009.1
03:35 UTC78.2664.4150° 13 kt241008.8
03:55 UTC7864.4160° 15 kt201009.1
04:15 UTC7864.4160° 14 kt221009.5
04:35 UTC77.1864.4160° 9 kt201009.8
04:55 UTC7764.4160° 11 kt191009.8

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Dyess AFB radar (KDYX), 80 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 02:58 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)ReportWhereCountyRemark
00:25 UTCHAIL 2.754 S HaskellHaskell, TX
00:29 UTCHAIL 1HaskellHaskell, TX
00:38 UTCHAIL 1.25RuleHaskell, TX
01:25 UTCHAIL 2.56 Se HaskellHaskell, TXHEN EGG TO TENNIS BALL SIZE HAIL REPORTED ALONG FM 618
01:40 UTCFUNNEL CLOUDIrbyHaskell, TXFUNNEL CLOUD OBSERVED NEAR THE HASKELL AND THROCKMORTON COUNTY LINE.
02:37 UTCTORNADO8 W ThrockmortonThrockmorton, TXLARGE TORNADO REPORTED BY MULTIPLE STORM CHASERS NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF US 380 AND TX 222. TORNADO HAS SINCE BECOME RAIN WRAPPED.
02:42 UTCHAIL 1WeinertHaskell, TXNICKEL TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL
02:57 UTCFLASH FLOOD2 W IrbyHaskell, TXONE FOOT OF FAST FLOWING WATER OVER US 380. FLOODED AREA IS APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS WIDE. ROAD IS IMPASSIBLE.
03:00 UTCTORNADO8 Nw ThrockmortonThrockmorton, TXMULTIPLE REPORTS OF A CONE TORNADO APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF THROCKMORTON.
03:32 UTCFUNNEL CLOUD8 N ThrockmortonThrockmorton, TXFUNNEL CLOUD JUST CROSSED HIGHWAY 183 APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES NORTH OF THROCKMORTON.
04:00 UTCTORNADO4 Wnw ElbertThrockmorton, TXTORNADO OBSERVED CROSSING THE FIELD NORTH OF HWY 79 NEAR FM 2459.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2015 tornado in TexasEvery tornado in Texas since 1950Warnings in force in Texas nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of May 6, 2015

47 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 62:58 AM CDTEF0Creek, OK1.5100
May 62:24 PM CDTEF0Lincoln, KS10.7100$25,000
May 62:45 PM CDTEF0Caddo, OK2.050
May 62:53 PM CDTEF0Caddo, OK0.550
May 63:31 PM CDTEF0Jewell, KS1.025
May 63:55 PM CDTEF2Jewell, KS12.63501$1.5 million
May 64:18 PM CDTEF1Adams, NE3.9300$1.5 million
May 64:33 PM CDTEF3Grady, OK10.31,500
May 64:37 PM CDTEF0Major, OK0.120
May 64:38 PM CDTEF1Nuckolls, NE9.5200$250,000
May 64:48 PM CDTEF0Grady, OK to KS, NE0.350
May 64:48 PM CDTEF2Nuckolls, KS to NE20.1400$4.3 million
May 64:49 PM CDTEF3Sedgwick, KS16.53001$630,000
May 64:54 PM CDTEF1Jewell, KS4.3250$250,000
May 65:04 PM CDTEF1Jewell, KS3.160$5,000
May 65:08 PM CDTEF1Republic, KS2.175
May 65:10 PM CDTEF0Republic, KS3.150
May 65:15 PM CDTEF0Garfield, OK0.110
May 65:20 PM CDTEF2Republic, KS to NE36.2800$1.0 million
May 65:26 PM CDTEF0Thayer, NE1.8100$500,000
May 65:28 PM CDTEF0Thayer, NE1.030
May 65:33 PM CDTEF1McClain, OK1.0200
May 65:38 PM CDTEF0Sedgwick, KS0.350
May 65:45 PM CDTEF0Hall, NE0.025
May 65:46 PM CDTEF0Cleveland, OK0.525
May 65:53 PM CDTEF1Cleveland, OK3.31,000
May 66:33 PM CDTEF0Dewey, OK0.330
May 66:41 PM CDTEF0Caddo, OK3.5200
May 66:56 PM CDTEF0Grant, OK0.320
May 67:14 PM CDTEF3Republic, KS1.9100
May 67:28 PM CDTEF0Republic, KS0.050
May 67:35 PM CDTEF0Harper, KS0.350
May 67:38 PM CDTEF1Republic, KS2.475
May 67:49 PM CDTEF0Grady, OK0.540
May 68:11 PM CDTEF0Grady, OK3.5200
May 68:33 PM CDTEF0Cloud, KS0.375
May 68:38 PM CDTEF0Ottawa, KS0.050
May 68:41 PM CDTEF3Oklahoma, OK2.070012
May 68:49 PM CDTEF2Archer, TX12.0400
May 68:55 PM CDTEF0Ottawa, KS0.350
May 69:10 PM CDTEF0Washington, KS6.050
May 69:27 PM CDTEF0Cloud, KS8.875
May 69:37 PM CDTEF0Throckmorton, TX3.4440
May 69:56 PM CDTEF1Washington, KS4.075
May 610:36 PM CDTEF0Washington, KS0.375
May 610:49 PM CDTEF1Gage, NE7.7500
May 611:00 PM CDTEF0Throckmorton, TX0.050

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.