So far there have been two tornadoes known to occur within the Metroplex. One in Irving, rated an EF-1 which damaged houses and an apartment building. The second at Dallas Love field, but no damage occurred.

This is a radar snapshot from 01:25 Z / 8:25 pm CDT 5/24/11. Top left corner is standard reflectivity, top right is velocity, bottom left is maximum estimated hail size, bottom right is the altitude of the storm tops. Hail size estimates show 3.32 inch according to radar, with hail everywhere from 2 to 4.25 inches actually falling. The EF-1 tornado in Irving hit during the time of this radar snapshot, the small red square in the middle indicates the location of the tornado damage.

Below is the statement from the National Weather Service.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
317 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

...PRELIMINARY WIND DAMAGE ASSESSMENT FROM MAY 24TH...

A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM CONTINUES TO ASSESS
WIND DAMAGE FROM THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING
OF MAY 24TH 2011. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION FROM DALLAS COUNTY
INDICATES THAT TREE DAMAGE AT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX IN THE OAK LAWN
AREA OF DALLAS WAS DUE TO STRAIGHT-LINE THUNDERSTORM WINDS. ONE
FATALITY WAS REPORTED AT THIS LOCATION DUE TO ELECTROCUTION WHERE
POWER LINES WERE DOWNED BY FALLING TREES.

A BRIEF TORNADO REPORTED AT DALLAS LOVE FIELD AIRPORT WAS VERY
LOCALIZED AND NO APPRECIABLE WIND DAMAGE HAS BEEN FOUND.

THE TEAM FOUND EVIDENCE OF AN EF-1 TORNADO IN IRVING BETWEEN 820
PM AND 840 PM CDT. THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION
OF BELTLINE AND CONFLANS AND TRAVELED ONE-HALF MILE TO NEAR THE
INTERSECTION OF STORY ROAD AND ROCK ISLAND. THE PATH WIDTH
AVERAGED 150 YARDS. MAXIMUM WINDS WERE BETWEEN 95 AND 105 MPH.
FOUR HOMES SUFFERED ROOF DAMAGE AND A NEARBY APARTMENT COMPLEX
LOST A PORTION OF ITS ROOF.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTINUES TO BE GATHERED FROM THE
WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS THAT OCCURRED TUESDAY. UPDATED
INFORMATION STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS NEEDED.

Other high wind and storm damage reports came in from Argyle and Corinth, just north of DFW. Houses were damaged in Saginaw and trees down near Wilmer.

I will try to update this post with more storm damage reports as they come in.

Additionally, I was able to capture a few pictures from the severe storms that rolled through here in Plano, TX. Unfortunately these pictures aren’t terribly remarkable in any way. Gallery available for viewing here.

24-May-2011 19:32PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K10D , 5.0, 18.0mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 400

Preliminary tornado reports from around the Metroplex:

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
   TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 356
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   1250 PM CDT TUE MAY 24 2011

   THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
   TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 

          WESTERN AND CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
          NORTHWEST AND NORTH-CENTRAL TEXAS

   EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 1250 PM UNTIL
   1000 PM CDT.

   ...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...

   DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...
   THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE
   POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

   THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 85 STATUTE
   MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF
   PONCA CITY OKLAHOMA TO 25 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF FORT WORTH
   TEXAS.  FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED
   WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).

   REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
   TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
   AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
   THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
   AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

   OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 352...WW 354...WW 355...

   DISCUSSION...TSTM INITIATION IS ANTICIPATED WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR OR
   TWO ALONG THE DRYLINE FROM WRN OK INTO W-CNTRL TX.  STRONG HEIGHT
   FALLS/DYNAMIC FORCING FOR ASCENT ASSOCIATED WITH NEGATIVELY TILTED
   MIDLEVEL TROUGH EMERGING INTO THE PLAINS SHOULD SUPPORT A RAPID
   INCREASE IN STORM COVERAGE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.  WARM SECTOR AIR
   MASS IS CHARACTERIZED BY A VERY MOIST BOUNDARY LAYER WITH DEWPOINTS
   IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S.  WHEN COUPLED WITH STEEP MIDLEVEL
   LAPSE RATES...ENVIRONMENT IS MODERATELY TO STRONGLY UNSTABLE WITH
   MLCAPE VALUES OF 2500-4000 J/KG.  DEEP-LAYER SHEAR STRENGTHENING TO
   40-50 KT WILL PROMOTE RAPID SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT WITH THE INITIAL
   HAZARD BEING VERY LARGE HAIL.  INITIAL VEER-BACK WIND PROFILE
   OBSERVED IN CURRENT VADS/PROFILERS IS EXPECTED TO TRANSITION TO
   LARGE CLOCKWISE CURVED HODOGRAPHS BY 00Z WHERE 0-1 KM SRH WILL
   APPROACH 400-500 M2/S2.  AS SUCH...EXPECT A RAPID INCREASE IN THE
   THREAT FOR TORNADOES THIS AFTERNOON INTO EVENING...SOME OF WHICH
   COULD BE LONG-TRACKED AND STRONG TO VIOLENT.

   AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
   SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
   WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
   550. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23035.

   ...MEAD

A similar feature is observed with the northeast Ellis/southeast Dallas counties tornado. A noteworthy hook echo and velocity couplet are observed by radar.

…PRELIMINARY DAMAGE REPORT…

A TOTAL OF SIX TORNADOES OCCURRED ON WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 8TH. FOUR
TORNADOES WERE RATED EF0 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE. ONE TORNADO
WAS RATED EF1…AND ONE TORNADO WAS PRELIMINARILY RATED EF2. ONLY
TWO MINOR INJURIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED FROM ALL OF THESE STORMS.

THE EF2 TORNADO DAMAGE WAS LOCATED IN THE CITY OF DALLAS NEAR THE
INTERSECTION OF MOCKINGBIRD LANE AND IRVING BOULEVARD. THIS
TORNADO CAUSED MINOR ROOF DAMAGE TO SEVERAL BUILDINGS AND CAUSED
MORE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO A WAREHOUSE. AN EXTERIOR NON LOAD BEARING
WALL COLLAPSED…LEADING TO A PARTIAL COLLAPSE OF THE ROOF. THIS
DAMAGE WAS RATED EF2 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE WITH WIND SPEEDS
OF APPROXIMATELY 115 MPH. THE LAST TIME THE CITY OF DALLAS HAD A
TORNADO RATED AT F2/EF2 OR HIGHER WAS F2 TORNADO DAMAGE ON APRIL
11 1974. THE LANCASTER TORNADO OF APRIL 25 1994 PRODUCED F4 DAMAGE
IN THE CITY OF LANCASTER BEFORE DISSIPATING WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS
OF DALLAS.

THE EF1 TORNADO DAMAGE WAS LOCATED IN THE CITY OF SEAGOVILLE JUST
EAST OF HIGHWAY 175. AT LEAST THREE APARTMENT BUILDINGS SUFFERED
SIGNIFICANT ROOF DAMAGE. WIND SPEEDS IN THIS TORNADO ARE ESTIMATED
TO BE NEAR 90 MPH.

THE REMAINING TORNADO DAMAGE WAS GIVEN A PRELIMINARY RATING OF
EF0. THESE TORNADOES OCCURRED NEAR LINDSAY IN COOKE COUNTY…NEAR
FERRIS IN ELLIS COUNTY…IN HEATH IN ROCKWALL COUNTY…AND NEAR
BLOSSOM IN LAMAR COUNTY.

THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE RATES TORNADO DAMAGE.

ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE APPROXIMATE WIND SPEED RANGE

EF0 65-85 MPH
EF1 86-110 MPH
EF2 111-135 MPH
EF3 136-165 MPH
EF4 166-200 MPH
EF5 200 MPH OR GREATER

As if the flooding rainfalls weren’t enough, Hermine brought the risk of tornadoes to the region with several damage reports in Dallas, Highland Park, Seagoville, Ferris and Trumbull. Tornadoes embedded within the outer rain bands of tropical systems aren’t uncommon to coastal regions in the Gulf, but it is fairly unusual to get those type of tornadic storms this far away from the Gulf. Tornadoes in this type of environment tend to develop without warning and are difficult to detect with current radar technology, but are very brief and usually weak. The Dallas Morning News reported ripped up roofs in Cockrell Hill, Oak Cliff, West Dallas, and the Love Field areas. (source: Dallas Morning News) A Tornado Warning was also issued for a storm 4 miles south of Hebron at 5:37pm. The warned area included Frisco, Plano, and The Colony. The storm showed rotation on radar, and storm spotters observed a rotating wall cloud within the storm. Thankfully no tornado damage has been reported with this storm. Its center of circulation traveled north along the Denton/Collin county line, passing over Highway 121 and Plano Parkway, then dissipating. I got the pleasure of evacuating to our work’s ‘shelter’ area which amasses to little more than an open hallway, without access to my computer with accurate radar data.

A Tornado Watch still remains in effect for the entire DFW Metroplex, southeastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas until 1am. Another rain band is approaching from the west, with an approximate ETA of around 11pm to midnight tonight to Frisco/Plano/The Colony. Rain chances will continue Thursday, however nowhere near the levels observed the past two days. Hot and humid conditions should be expected the remainder of the week and weekend as the sun comes out and starts evaporating the abundance of water on the ground.

Lastly ill end with a quote from the local weather forecast office regarding the heavy rains the last two days…

DFW AND WACO HAVE BOTH SET CALENDAR-DAY PRECIPITATION RECORDS TODAY (SEPT 8). FOR BOTH SITES…THE 24-HR TOTALS (SEPT 7-8) WILL RANK AMONG THE TOP 10 ALL-TIME. PRECISE NUMBERS WILL BE AVAILABLE THURSDAY MORNING.

AT THE PRESENT TIME…THIS MONTH WILL RANK AS THE 4TH WETTEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD FOR BOTH DALLAS/FORT WORTH AND WACO.

URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 34
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
320 PM CDT WED MAR 24 2010

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

PART OF WEST CENTRAL  AND NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS

EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 320 PM UNTIL
1000 PM CDT.

HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER…THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
MPH…AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 60
STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES SOUTH
SOUTHWEST OF SAN ANGELO TEXAS TO 65 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF
DALLAS TEXAS.  FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE
ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU4).

REMEMBER…A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY
DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.

DISCUSSION…STORMS ARE DEVELOPING ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT
MOVING EWD ACROSS NWRN TX.  AIR MASS HAS SUFFICIENTLY DESTABILIZED
WITH HEATING TO SUPPORT STRONG UPDRAFTS. WITH THE 40-50KT OF DEEP
LAYER SHEAR AND STEEP MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES A FEW OF THE STORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE AS THEY CONTINUE E/NE INTO THE EVENING
HOURS.  PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL…HOWEVER THERE IS THE
POSSIBILITY OF A COUPLE OF SUPERCELLS GIVEN THE IMPROVING LOW LEVEL
SHEAR LATER THIS AFTERNOON…ACCOMPANIED BY A DAMAGING WIND THREAT
AS WELL AS LARGE HAIL.

AVIATION…A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 24030.

[nggallery id=87]

Thursday’s snowfall has brought our seasonal snowfall total to 14.4 inches, the 3rd snowiest winter on record for DFW. Had there been no other snowfall events this entire season, our winter would have still made the top five snowiest, wow! Below are snowfall totals reported as of 11:30pm 2/11/10.

The impacts from this snowfall will be felt quite heavily the morning of Friday February 12th with heavy snowfall accumulations on area roads, plus icing on roadways and bridges. Afternoon temperatures for Friday have been revised downward to 38 degrees. This means snow will melt significantly but not all of it will melt before re-freezing overnight through Saturday. Expect icing conditions Saturday morning as well. Saturday high temps will reach the 50s and any remaining snow will melt off.

Additionally, I walked around and snapped some great pictures with my camera this evening. I have attached the updated gallery below.

[nggallery id=84]

Public Information Statement issued by the National Weather Service as of Midnight 2/12/10:

...Snow event one for the record books...

At midnight...dfw Airport had recorded 11.2 inches of snow today.
This breaks the previous daily record for February 11 of 1.4 inches
set in 1988. This also breaks the previous 24-hour record for
February...7.5 inches on February 17, 1978 and February 25, 1924.

This is the greatest calendar-day snowfall total on record for
Dallas/Fort Worth. The previous record was 7.8 inches on January 15,
1964 and January 14, 1917.

This brings the seasonal snowfall total to 14.4 inches...which is
the 3rd highest seasonal total on record for Dallas/Fort Worth. This
is the snowiest winter in 32 seasons (since 1977-1978).

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Dallas/Fort Worth - snowiest seasons

   1   17.6   1977-78
   2   15.3   1963-64
   3   14.4   2009-10*
   4   13.5   1923-24
   5   10.4   1976-77
   6    9.5   1909-10
   7    9.2   1916-17
   8    8.8   1947-48
   9    8.1   1937-38
  10    7.3   1965-66
        7.3   1941-42

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Dallas/Fort Worth - most snow in February

   1   13.5   1978
   2   11.2   2010*
   3    7.5   1924

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Dallas/Fort Worth - greatest 24-hour snowfall totals

   1   12.1   January 15-16, 1964
   2   11.2   February 12, 2010*
   3    8.2   January 14-15, 1917
   4    7.5   February 17, 1978
        7.5   February 25, 1924
   6    6.0   March 13, 1924
   7    5.5   December 9, 1898
   8    5.0   November 22, 1937
        5.0   January 5, 1910
  10    4.7   November 13, 1976

--------------------------------------------------------------------

...Snow event one for the record books...

At 7 PM...dfw Airport had recorded 7.9 inches of snow today. This
breaks the previous daily record for February 11 of 1.4 inches set
in 1988. This also breaks the previous 24-hour record for
February...7.5 inches on February 17, 1978 and February 25, 1924.

This is the greatest calendar-day snowfall total on record for
Dallas/Fort Worth. The previous record was 7.8 inches on January 15,
1964 and January 14, 1917.

This brings the seasonal snowfall total to 11.1 inches...which is
the 4th highest seasonal total on record for Dallas/Fort Worth. This
is the snowiest winter in 32 seasons (since 1977-1978).

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Dallas/Fort Worth - snowiest seasons

   1   17.6   1977-78
   2   15.3   1963-64
   3   13.5   1923-24
   4   11.1   2009-10*
   5   10.4   1976-77
   6    9.5   1909-10
   7    9.2   1916-17
   8    8.8   1947-48
   9    8.1   1937-38
  10    7.3   1965-66
        7.3   1941-42

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Dallas/Fort Worth - most snow in February

   1   13.5   1978
   2    7.9   2010*
   3    7.5   1924

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Dallas/Fort Worth - greatest 24-hour snowfall totals

   1   12.1   January 15-16, 1964
   2    8.2   January 14-15, 1917
   3    7.9   February 11, 2010*
   4    7.5   February 17, 1978
        7.5   February 25, 1924
   6    6.0   March 13, 1924
   7    5.5   December 9, 1898
   8    5.0   November 22, 1937
        5.0   January 5, 1910
  10    4.7   November 13, 1976

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