Thunderstorm Wind in Smith County, Texas

Several large tree branches were snapped near the intersection of Highway 155 and West Grande Boulevard, causing minor damage to a nearby building.

Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms, initially elevated, developed by late morning on April 18th as a cold front rapidly undercut a moist and unstable air mass across East Texas. Mid-level lapse rates averaged near 8 degrees C/km while effective deep-layer shear was on the order of 50-60 knots. Although the risk for large hail was generally the the primary hazard with the most intense thunderstorms, a localized risk for severe wind gusts also accompanied the strongest thunderstorm cores. As a result, numerous reports were documented with large hail across parts of East Texas while a few isolated reports of damaging wind gusts were also noted later in the event as surface-based thunderstorms began to evolve within a more linear convective mode.