Hail in Cherokee County, Texas

Quarter size hail reported at the dam at Lake Palestine.

Relatively strong instability developed ahead of an advancing cold front during the mid to late afternoon hours on March 23rd, owing to strong heating, steep lapse rates aloft and dew points in the 60s. Deeper analysis indicated MLCAPE values of 2000-3000 J/kg, which easily supported robust updrafts. Effective deep-layer shear averaged around 40 knots, with a slightly weaker flow over parts of Texas. However, as thunderstorms developed, they quickly propagated eastward, resulting in clusters of severe storms. As a result, multiple reports of large hail were received throughout the late afternoon and evening hours across parts of East Texas on March 23rd.