May of 2024 will be most remembered for the relentless storms as well as the costly and deadly tornado outbreak that struck Denton County during Memorial Day weekend.
The average high was 85, three degrees warmer than normal. The average low of 65 was 5 degrees warmer than normal. The hottest temperature was 97 on the 26th. The coolest was 56 on the 10th.
Denton Enterprise Airport recorded 6.4 inches of rain as of press time (with more on the way), 2.5” wetter than May’s average rainfall of 3.75 inches. Through May 27th, Denton had recorded 22+ inches of rain this year, 7 inches above normal.
Denton County reported 1” hail on the 22nd with another outbreak of strong storms in the area on the 24th and 27th, while May 25th saw the deadliest tornado outbreak in North Texas since December 26th, 2015.
After highs in the 90’s three days in a row, the warm humid airmass across the region was primed for strong storms. An upper-level disturbance, propelled deep into Texas by a strong cyclonic circulation in Canada, touched off a couple ordinary thunderstorms southwest of Fort Worth early Saturday evening. Later that night, a new storm popped up near Bowie in Montague County.
Warm-season thunderstorms often weaken with the loss of daytime heating. But in this case, a “low-level jet” of exceptionally warm Gulf moisture around 2500 feet, reached the storm complex between Bowie and Gainesville, turning the ordinary thunderstorm into a monster. The supercell, 35 miles long by 25 miles wide, covered an area of around 900 square miles. Tops of the storm exceeded 56,000 feet, 20,000 feet higher than most airlines fly.
An EF-3 tornado struck a community of mostly manufactured homes in Valley View, just north of Sanger, where it demolished multiple homes and a gas station. The tornado lifted briefly around Pilot Point, then came back down with winds estimated at 165 mph in Celina.
Preliminary reports indicated seven fatalities, over 100 injuries and over 300 homes and other structures damaged or destroyed. It will be weeks before the full extent of damage is known, years before everything is rebuilt, while the cost in human lives is immeasurable.
While WBAP (820 AM/93.3 FM) is the primary Emergency Alert System outlet, your radio cannot turn itself on. Neither can your TV. Streaming services and satellite TV don’t always rebroadcast local weather warnings. Weather apps can fail if cell towers lose power. Outdoor warning sirens don’t cover every area.
The absolute best way to make sure you never miss a weather warning is a NOAA Weather-Alert radio. They’re not expensive, and they’re widely available online and in many hardware and big-box stores. Do you have a smoke detector? Sure, but how many times does your home catch fire? And how often does severe weather strike North Texas?
Meteorological spring ends today, and it’s obviously been an active one! We will finish this spring as the 8th wettest on record with just under 20″ of rain. #wfaaweather pic.twitter.com/sJOXXIjTHv
— Pete Delkus (@wfaaweather) May 31, 2024
Brad Barton is Chief Meteorologist of WBAP 820 AM/93.3 FM and 570 KLIF. You can follow Brad on Twitter @BradBartonDFW / @WBAP 24/7 News.
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