EF1 tornado in Harrison County, Texas

A NWS storm survey team determined that the damage near Harleton, Texas was consistent with a short lived tornado. Two brick buildings sustained minor roof and structural damage, and a grocery store sustained some roof and awning damage. Several trees were also uprooted.

A very warm and unstable air mass developed across the region on January 20th. This air mass was accompanied by unusually high dewpoint values for late January with ambient temperatures approaching the 70 degree mark. A very strong and vigorous storm system moved out of the Great Basin and into the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley during the late afternoon and evening hours of January 20th. Wind shear throughout the atmosphere was very strong and supportive of strong to severe thunderstorms. Low level wind shear was significant enough such that super cell thunderstorms developed across the region, producing tornadoes, large hail and damaging wind gusts.