EF1 tornado in Smith County, Texas

An EF1 tornado briefly touched down near the intersection of Oscar Burkett Road and Joye Lane (CR 2192). A small metal garage was damaged where a couple of the walls were blown out. A large pine was snapped along CR 2192 close to the ground. Several large limbs were snapped out of a cedar tree as well as other trees around the area. Further northeast on the north side of CR 2192, a small barn was completely destroyed and tin roof panels were peeled from another outbuilding. Maximum winds are estimated at 80-85 mph.

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.