National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Powerful Storms to Impact the Western U.S. and Northern Plains

A strong, long-duration atmospheric river will bring excessive rainfall, flash flooding, and very strong winds to southwest Oregon and northwest California through Thursday. A High Risk (level 4 of 4) of Excessive Rainfall has been issued. A storm system over the northern Plains will produce locally heavy snow in North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. Read More >

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
533 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2008

...TEMPERATURES AVERAGED ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS
IN APRIL...

PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH VARIED WIDELY ACROSS THE REGION...
FROM WELL BELOW TO WELL ABOVE NORMAL. THE GREATEST MONTHLY
TOTALS (IN THE RANGE OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER
AMOUNTS) OCCURRED ACROSS AREAS OF THE BIG COUNTRY...AND FROM
THE NORTHERN CONCHO VALLEY SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS SAN SABA AND
MCCULLOCH COUNTIES. THE LOWEST MONTHLY AMOUNTS (UNDER ONE HALF
INCH) OCCURRED ACROSS AREAS GENERALLY SOUTHWEST OF A LINE FROM
STERLING CITY TO SAN ANGELO TO SONORA...AND TO THE SOUTH OF
INTERSTATE 10 BETWEEN SONORA AND JUNCTION. THESE LOW AMOUNTS
WERE MOSTLY LESS THAN 50 PERCENT OF THE NORMAL PRECIPITATION FOR
THE MONTH.

AT ABILENE REGIONAL AIRPORT...THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR APRIL
WAS 64.8 DEGREES. THIS WAS 0.2 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE OF 64.6 DEGREES. THIS  TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR APRIL
WAS 2.44 INCHES. THIS WAS 0.77 INCHES ABOVE THE MONTHLY NORMAL OF
1.67 INCHES.

AT SAN ANGELO REGIONAL AIRPORT...THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR
APRIL WAS 66.4 DEGREES. THIS WAS 1.4 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF 65.0 DEGREES. TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR
APRIL WAS 0.62 INCHES. THIS WAS 0.98 INCHES BELOW THE MONTHLY
NORMAL OF 1.60 INCHES.


APRIL 2008 WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS...

THE WEATHER PATTERN WAS RATHER ACTIVE IN APRIL.

* 9TH AND 10TH *

A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EVENT OCCURRED EARLY IN THE MONTH
(9TH AND 10TH)...AS A POTENT UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM MOVED
ACROSS THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES TOWARD THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. AS THIS
SYSTEM APPROACHED...A WARM FRONT WAS LOCATED OVER THE BIG COUNTRY
WHILE A COLD FRONT ADVANCED EAST ACROSS THE REGION DURING THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS OF THE 9TH AND 10TH. ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE 9TH...
A SUPERCELL STORM PRODUCED A COUPLE OF TORNADOES NEAR TYE (TAYLOR
COUNTY). LARGE HAIL OF QUARTER TO GOLFBALL SIZE ALSO OCCURRED AT
SEVERAL LOCATIONS ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY. THE LARGEST HAIL
(BASEBALL SIZE) WAS REPORTED 7 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF HAMBY IN
SHACKELFORD COUNTY. THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE ALSO OCCURRED A FEW
MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF NOLAN.

ADDITIONAL STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS DEVELOPED ALONG A COLD FRONT
IN FAR WEST TEXAS BEFORE MIDNIGHT. AN INTENSE SQUALL LINE MOVED
RAPIDLY EAST ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.
SEVERAL EMBEDDED TORNADOES OCCURRED WITHIN THIS SQUALL LINE. FOUR
TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS OCCURRED IN TOM GREEN COUNTY...AND ONE WAS
REPORTED IN BROWN COUNTY. IN TOM GREEN COUNTY...ONE OF THE
TORNADOES TOUCHED DOWN IN SAN ANGELO...ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE
CITY. THIS TORNADO CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO A LARGE DISTRIBUTION
WAREHOUSE...AND OVERTURNED A TRAILER AND A TRACTOR TRAILER. THE
TORNADO ALSO KNOCKED DOWN POWER LINES AND UTILITY POLES...FLIPPED
CARS...AND DAMAGED ROOFTOPS AND ROAD SIGNS AS IT CONTINUED TO THE
NORTHEAST FOR ABOUT 2 MILES. THIS TORNADO WAS RATED EF1 ON THE
ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE (WINDS IN THE RANGE OF 86 TO 110 MPH).

ANOTHER TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN WESTERN TOM GREN COUNTY AND CAUSED
MAJOR DAMAGE TO A HOME. THIS TORNADO WAS RATED AN EF1. OTHER
TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS IN TOM GREEN COUNTY OCCURRED NEAR THE TWIN
BUTTES RESERVOIR EQUALIZATION CHANNEL...AND 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
VANCOURT. THE TORNADO NEAR THE TWIN BUTTES EQUALIZATION CHANNEL
DOWNED UTILITY POLES...AND WAS RATED AN EF0 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA
SCALE (WINDS IN THE RANGE OF 65 TO 85 MPH). THE TORNADO SOUTHEAST
OF VANCOURT DAMAGED AN IRRIGATION PIVOT...OVERTURNED AND DESTROYED
A SMALL TRAVEL TRAILER...AND REMOVED TIN FROM A LARGE OUTBUILDING.
THE TORNADO ALSO DESTROYED 20 SHEEP SHELTERS. THIS TORNADO WAS
RATED AN EF1.

STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS OF 60 TO 75 MPH WERE ALSO REPORTED IN THE SAN
ANGELO AREA...ALONG WITH HAIL UP TO HALF DOLLAR AND GOLFBALL SIZE.
IN BROWN COUNTY...A TORNADO WAS REPORTED 2 MILES SOUTH OF BANGS.

WIND DAMAGE FROM THE SQUALL LINE WAS ALSO REPORTED IN TAYLOR...
COLEMAN...BROWN...AND MCCULLOCH COUNTIES. IN ALL...A TOTAL OF 28
SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS WERE RECEIVED FOR THIS EVENT.

HEAVY RAIN ACCOMPANIED THE THUNDERSTORMS ON THE 9TH AND 10TH. A
FEW LOCATIONS ACROSS THE BIG COUNTRY RECEIVED OVER AN INCH OF
RAIN. ONE HALF TO ONE INCH OCCURRED ACROSS MOST OF THE REST OF
THE BIG COUNTRY...NORTHERN CONCHO VALLEY...HEARTLAND...AND ACROSS
A PORTION OF THE NORTHERN EDWARDS PLATEAU.

AS THIS SYTEM DEPARTED THE REGION ON THE 10TH...STRONG GUSTY WEST
WINDS OCCURRED ACROSS MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. PEAK WIND GUSTS
INCLUDED 49 MPH AT SAN ANGELO AND 44 MPH AT ABILENE.

HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEMS WITH COOL AIR MOVED DOWN INTO TEXAS FROM THE
12TH TO 14TH. TEMPERATURES DIPPED INTO THE 30S FOR LOWS ACROSS THE
REGION SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20 ON THE 13TH AND 14TH. A FEW LOCATIONS
ACROSS SOUTHERN PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS EXPERIENCED A LIGHT
FREEZE.

A STORM SYSTEM FROM THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES APPROACHED TEXAS AND THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS ON THE 17TH. IN WEST CENTRAL TEXAS...VERY DRY AIR
INVADED THE WESTERN HALF OF THE AREA WITH THE ADVANCE OF A DRYLINE.
GUSTY SOUTH WINDS OCCURRED ON THE 17TH WELL OUT AHEAD OF THIS
APPROACHING SYSTEM...AND BEHIND THE COLD FRONT FRONT LATER THAT DAY.
ABILENE RECORDED A PEAK WIND GUST OF 40 MPH FROM THE SOUTHWEST
DURING THE HOURS JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT OF THE 17TH...WHILE SAN ANGELO
RECORDED A PEAK WIND GUST OF 41 MPH FROM THE NORTHWEST AFTER 10 PM
ON THE 17TH (BEHIND THE COLD FRONT).

FROM THE LATE AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY NIGHTTIME HOURS...A LINE OF
STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED ACROSS EASTERN AND
SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS...AS A COLD FRONT MOVED
DOWN ACROSS THE REGION. HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS ACCOMPANIED THE
STRONGER STORMS. QUARTER SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED IN ALGERITA (SAN
SABA COUNTY)...AND IN BROWNWOOD. A PEAK WIND OF 49 MPH OCCURRED AT
JUNCTION. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WITH THIS LINE OF STORMS (ONE HALF
TO ONE INCH) OCCURRED IN THE EASTERN BIG COUNTRY...AND AT SOME
LOCATIONS SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM RICHLAND SPRINGS TO JUNCTION.

A HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVED DOWN INTO TEXAS BEHIND THIS SYSTEM AND
BROUGHT ANOTHER SHOT OF COOL AIR TO THE REGION. TEMPERATURES DIPPED
INTO THE 30S FOR LOWS AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS ON THE 19TH.

MUCH WARMER TEMPERATURES WERE EXPERIENCED FROM THE 20TH TO 22ND.
HIGHS REACHED INTO THE 90 TO 95 DEGREE RANGE ACROSS MUCH OF WEST
CENTRAL TEXAS.

* 23RD *

A SEVERE WEATHER EVENT OCCURRED ON THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING OF THE
23RD. WITH THE APPROACH OF AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE INTO AN UNSTABLE
ENVIRONMENT...NUMEROUS STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTED THE
BIG COUNTRY. A TORNADO 5 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF AVOCA (JONES
COUNTY) CAUSED ROOF DAMAGE TO A HOME...DOWNED TREE LIMBS AND SNAPPED
MANY UTILITY POLES ALONG HIGHWAY 277. TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS WERE ALSO
REPORTED IN FISHER COUNTY (4 MILES SOUTH OF ROTAN AND 5 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF ROBY)...IN JONES COUNTY (4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ANSON...8 MILES WEST-
SOUTHWEST OF HAWLEY AND 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LEUDERS)...AND IN
SHACKELFORD COUNTY (4 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF ALBANY). IN ADDITION...
OTHER WIND DAMAGE WAS REPORTED AROUND ANSON AND 5 MILES SOUTH OF
STAMFORD. VERY LARGE HAIL OF BASEBALL SIZE WAS REPORTED IN CALLAHAN
COUNTY (3 MILES SOUTH OF PUTNAM). GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED 7
MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF EULA (CALLAHAN COUNTY)...AT ALBANY
(SHACKELFORD COUNTY)...AT HODGES (JONES COUNTY)...AND IN FISHER
COUNTY (AT ROTAN AND HOBBS). IN ALL...A TOTAL OF 25 SEVERE WEATHER
REPORTS WERE RECEIVED FOR THIS EVENT.

HEAVY RAIN ALSO ACCOMPANIED THE THUNDERSTORMS...AND RAINFALL
AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES OCCURRED ACROSS AREAS OF THE BIG COUNTRY.
FLASH FLOODING WAS REPORTED IN LEUDERS.

A SCATTERED LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACCOMPANIED A SOUTHWARD MOVING
COLD FRONT ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HEARTLAND AND NORTHWEST HILL
COUNTRY ON THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING OF THE 25TH. NICKEL
SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED FROM ONE OF THE STORMS IN MASON COUNTY
(1 MILE NORTHWEST OF FREDONIA).

* 26TH AND 27TH *

ANOTHER SEVERE WEATHER EVENT OCCURRED FROM THE EVENING OF THE 26TH
INTO THE POST-MIDNIGHT HOURS OF THE 27TH. SCATTERED STRONG TO
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED ACROSS MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS.
A SUPERCELL STORM TRACKED FROM NEAR WATER VALLEY SOUTHEASTWARD
ACROSS THE NORTHERN EDGE OF SAN ANGELO TO EDEN...AND EVENTUALLY
INTO MASON COUNTY. THIS STORM PRODUCED LARGE HAIL OF QUARTER TO
GOLFBALL SIZE ALONG ITS TRACK. ANOTHER SEVERE STORM PRODUCED
HAIL TO GOLFBALL SIZE AT MORAN. THIS HAIL BROKE THE WINDOWS IN
A HOME AND BROKE THE WINDSHIELD OF A VEHICLE. GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL
WAS ALSO REPORTED FROM A SEVERE STORM AT MELVIN (MCCULLOCH COUNTY).
IN ALL...A TOTAL OF 23 SEVERE WEATHER (LARGE HAIL) REPORTS WERE
RECEIVED FOR THIS EVENT.

ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED ALONG AND BEHIND
A STRONG COLD FRONT...WHICH DROPPED SOUTH ACROSS WEST CENTRAL
TEXAS DURING THE POST-MIDNIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS OF THE
27TH. SOME LOCATIONS RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES OF
RAINFALL.

TEMPERATURES WERE MUCH COOLER ON THE 27TH...AND ONLY RECOVERED
INTO THE LOWER 60S FOR HIGHS ACROSS WEST-CENTRAL TEXAS AS CLOUD
COVER LINGERED ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION. A HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM
SETTLED ACROSS THE REGION THE FOLLOWING NIGHT. WITH CLEAR SKIES
AND LIGHT WINDS...TEMPERATURES DIPPED INTO THE 30S FOR LOWS
ACROSS MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES WERE
REACHED AT ABILENE AND SAN ANGELO. A FEW LOCATIONS ACROSS
SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS EVEN RECORDED AN UNUSUAL
LATE SEASON FREEZE (WITH LOWS IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S).

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