Blog Article
April 28, 2026 Severe Weather Recap: Tornadoes & Giant Hail
A complete weather recap of the April 28, 2026 severe storms, featuring confirmed Kentucky tornadoes, 4.5-inch hail in Texas, and what is coming next.
Y'all, yesterday was a busy one. We saw two very different types of severe weather play out exactly where the data suggested they would. From early morning spin-ups in Kentucky to giant hail breaking windshields in Missouri and Texas, the atmosphere was working overtime.
Let us look at exactly what happened on April 28, 2026, and compare it to what we expected.
The Headline Moments
Get this. The National Weather Service office in Springfield, Missouri, took a direct hit from 4.00-inch hail. That is softball-sized ice falling from the sky. It damaged the NWS office itself and wrecked 25 vehicles in their parking lot.
Down in Texas, a trained spotter near Godley measured a hailstone at 4.5 inches in diameter. That firmly qualifies as giant hail.
We also saw a highly dangerous situation unfold in Arkansas. A PDS Tornado Warning was issued for Stone County, and radar confirmed a debris signature lofted all the way up to 21,000 feet near Mountain View. When debris gets thrown that high into the atmosphere, you know you are dealing with a powerful storm.
How the Day Unfolded
The day was characterized by two distinct peaks of activity.
First, an early morning squall line pushed through the Ohio Valley. This is where we saw our first confirmed tornadoes of the day. NWS storm survey teams have been out inspecting the damage, and they confirmed an EF-1 tornado near Calhoun, Kentucky, with peak winds of 95 mph. They also confirmed an EF-1 north of Hartford with 105 mph winds, plus two EF-0 tornadoes near Jewel City and Millerstown. These early morning storms also brought life-threatening flash flooding to Louisville, Kentucky, where first responders had to perform water rescues.
The second peak happened in the afternoon and evening across the Southern Plains and Ozarks. This is when the supercell outbreak took over. Parker County, Texas, saw a confirmed multi-vortex tornado that resulted in structural collapses and injuries. We also had reports of a rope tornado near Greenfield, Arkansas, and another tornado observed near Keevil.
Forecast vs. Reality
Here is the thing about yesterday. The atmosphere did exactly what the models said it would do.
In yesterday's blog, I told y'all that the Moderate Risk would verify with some truly massive hail down in Texas. That was spot on. We predicted stones over four inches, and that 4.5-inch measurement in Godley proved it.
We also talked about a Marginal Risk stretching from Houston and Dallas across the Gulf Coast states. Those areas definitely saw isolated severe impacts, including life-threatening flash flooding down in Meridian, Mississippi.
What Comes Next
The pattern is not done with us yet.
Today, the Storm Prediction Center has upgraded parts of Texas into the Lower Mississippi Valley and the Central Gulf Coast to a Slight Risk for severe thunderstorms. Cities like San Antonio, Austin, Waco, and Jackson, Mississippi, are in the crosshairs for scattered damaging winds and large hail.
Looking ahead to Thursday and Friday, the Weather Prediction Center is holding onto a Slight Risk for Excessive Rainfall in Central Texas. We are still looking at precipitable water values around 1.8 inches, which means these storms will be incredibly efficient rainmakers.
And do not forget about the Rockies. That Slight Risk for significant winter weather is still on track for Thursday into Friday. We are still talking 10 to 20 inches of heavy, wet snow for the higher elevations, and 6 to 12 inches for the lower elevations. If you are driving the I-70 mountain corridor on Thursday, expect serious delays and hazardous conditions.
Bottom Line
Yesterday was a stark reminder of how varied spring weather can be. We had morning squall-line tornadoes in Kentucky and afternoon giant hail in Texas. The warning systems worked, and the forecast verified well, but the damage in places like Parker County and Springfield is very real. As the storm system shifts east today and heavy rain sets up over Central Texas tomorrow, you need to keep your weather radios on and your apps updated.