EF1 Tornado — Wise, Texas

2025-03-04 · near Cottondale, Wise, Texas

Event narrative

Widespread damaging straight-line winds occurred across much of Wise County during the predawn hours of March 4th, 2025. Within this broad wind field, a NWS WFO Fort Worth survey team identified a relatively short track tornado north of the Cottondale community. This tornado formed near the intersection of FM 2123 and FM 3552, where a wood frame residence lost much of its roof and internal rafters. The peak intensity of the tornado was determined from the damage at this residence, with EF-1 intensity winds estimated around 110 mph. The tornado impacted two outbuildings nearby, producing EF-0 roof damage. The tornado moved eastward, roughly paralleling County Road 3470 for at least two miles. Along this path, many larger hardwood trees exhibited limb damage, and a few outbuildings, frame residences, and manufactured homes also exhibited mostly high end EF-0 and low end EF-1 roof and fascia damage. The tornado dissipated near the intersection of County Road 3470 and School House Road.

Wider weather episode

A deep upper trough moving east through the Plains was accompanied by a Pacific cold front, along which a line of strong to severe thunderstorms developed early in the morning of March 4. This line of storms produced damaging winds in the 80-100 mph at times, a few hail reports, and two tornadoes as it pushed east through North and Central Texas the morning of March 4. The damaging thunderstorm winds left notable widespread damage across mostly North Texas. In the afternoon hours following this system, a High Wind Warning was in effect for some of the western half of the region for strong gradient winds and wind gusts behind the front. Gusts over 60 mph were observed.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (33.1057, -97.7517)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1248204. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.