Hail in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana

Quarter size hail reported on Lake Claiborne.

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, numerous reports of large hail and a few isolated damaging wind gusts were received throughout the late afternoon and evening hours across North Louisiana on March 23rd.