Wichita Falls tornado: April 10, 1979

April 10, 1979 stands out in Texas weather records as the day with the most destructive tornado in the history of the Lone Star State. Thanks to excellent warnings, it was not the deadliest twister for Texas, but it made one huge mess for the city of Wichita Falls.

The EF-4 which hit the city was a truly mammoth tornado about a mile wide. It was part of a larger event known as the “Red River Outbreak”.

In many ways it was a “textbook” setup for tornado-producing storms. Deep surface low pressure winding up over southeastern Colorado brought gusty southerly winds and very moist air northward into what would be the storm zone. A dry line, a boundary between extremely dry air and moist air,was developing to the west of Wichita Falls during the early afternoon, providing a focal point to spawn thunderstorms. Upper level analysis indicated a fast jet stream five miles above ground level, which provides further lift and offers a tilting factor which aids severe storm formation.

A Tornado Watch was posted by 2:30p.m., as it was becoming dangerously unstable in southwestern Oklahoma and northern Texas.

The first tornado dropped to the ground at 3:05p.m., at Crowell, TX. A killer tornado went through Vernon, TX about a half hour later, killing 11 and wiping out a good portion of the town.

The super-cell thunderstorm which would become the Wichita Falls event formed north of Abilene, TX. It then moved generally northeast towards its target.

The actual tornado took form several miles southwest of