AUSTIN (KXAN) — Central Texas is known for its severe weather, particularly during the spring months. Supercell thunderstorms can bring large hail, damaging winds, and destructive tornadoes. It’s important to understand the types of severe weather that affect our area and start preparing for the active weather season.
Meteorologist Tommy House recently sat down with Meteorologist Paul Yura, the Warning Coordinator at the National Weather Service in San Antonio/Austin, to discuss the severe weather risks that Texas faces.
Meteorologist Tommy House: What are the most common types of severe weather events that Central Texas can experience during the spring months?
Meteorologist Paul Yura: We experience a wide variety of severe weather events in Central Texas. The most common event is the microburst, which involves strong, severe winds descending from a thunderstorm and blowing outward in a straight line. This can cause significant damage, such as downed trees, broken tree branches, and power lines, especially during strong to severe thunderstorms in the Austin area.
Hail is another frequent occurrence, with events ranging from smaller sizes to larger ones. While we do see some larger hail, such as hail up to 2 or 3 inches in diameter (like the event in September 2023), more commonly, we experience quarter-sized or golf ball-sized hail.
Tornadoes, though less frequent, do occur from time to time. While we don’t experience tornadoes every year, there are typically small ones in the Austin area every couple of years. Fortunately, this region of Texas generally avoids the large, widespread tornado outbreaks.
House: What kind of resources does the National Weather Service offer to keep viewers informed and safe during the severe weather season?
Yura: The most important thing to understand is that, as a federal agency, the National Weather Service operates with your taxpayer dollars—about $4 per year from each taxpayer. In return, we provide services such as our website, weather.gov, where you can access all of our forecast information. We also have NOAA Weather Radio, which has been around for decades. It broadcasts our daily forecasts 24/7, as well as weather advisories, watches, and warnings—critical alerts that we issue.
These important products can be found not only on our website and NOAA Weather Radio, but also through our media partners, who serve as the megaphone to broadcast this information. This is why it’s essential to follow trusted weather sources, especially on social media, and stay as informed as possible.