A strong negatively tilted upper level trough, accompanied by cold mid and upper level temperatures as well as strong upper level diffluence, approached from the Big Bend and northern Mexico during the late night and early morning hours of the 23rd and 24th.  This led to the development of scattered showers and thunderstorms across the Rio Grande Plains early on the morning of the 24th.  The showers and thunderstorms organized into a squall line around 930 a.m. across Duval and McMullen counties, in response to the powerful upper level disturbance out of Mexico and increasing easterly low level inflow off the Gulf of Mexico.  A bow echo formed around 10 a.m. across eastern Duval county and raced quickly east into Jim Wells county, intensifying as it moved into a more unstable airmass across the Coastal Bend.  The bow echo was accompanied by winds of 50 to 60 mph across eastern Duval, Jim Wells and far western Nueces and San Patricio counties with hail ranging from penny to quarter-size.  The squall line continued through the southern Coastal Bend between 11 a.m. and noon and weakened as it moved off the coast after noon.  Winds of 40 to 50 mph and pea to quarter-size hail were reported across the eastern half of Nueces and San Patricio counties, including metro Corpus Christi.  An isolated severe thunderstorm ahead of the squall line produced golfball-size hail across Refugio county, covering State Highway 35.  In addition to hail and strong to severe winds, the squall line dumped heavy rainfall across the area which produced minor stream flooding.  Doppler Radar estimated as much as two inches of rain fell across the Coastal Bend, with a daily record of 1.37 inches being established at the Corpus Christi International Airport.

Hail in NUECES, TEXAS
From 24-FEB-04 11:04:00 to 24-FEB-04 11:04:00 (CST)
Location: AGUA DULCE
Magnitude: 1.00 
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Quarter-size hail reported by law enforcement along Highway 44 between Agua Dulce and Banquete.

Hail in NUECES, TEXAS
From 24-FEB-04 11:25:00 to 24-FEB-04 11:25:00 (CST)
Location: ROBSTOWN
Magnitude: 1.00 
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Hail in JIM WELLS, TEXAS
From 24-FEB-04 10:55:00 to 24-FEB-04 10:55:00 (CST)
Location: ORANGE GROVE
Magnitude: 0.75 
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Thunderstorm Wind in NUECES, TEXAS
From 24-FEB-04 11:15:00 to 24-FEB-04 11:15:00 (CST)
Location: SAN PEDRO
Magnitude: 52 EG
Property damage: 100K
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY

Winds blew off roof of one wing of the San Pedro Elementary School.

Hail in REFUGIO, TEXAS
From 24-FEB-04 11:30:00 to 24-FEB-04 11:30:00 (CST)
Location: TIVOLI
Magnitude: 1.75 
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

Video from public of golfball-size hail along Highway 35 South of Tivoli.

Thunderstorm Wind in DUVAL, TEXAS
From 24-FEB-04 10:15:00 to 24-FEB-04 10:15:00 (CST)
Location: RIOS
Magnitude: 50 EG
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

Roof blown off barn in Rios.  Power lines also reported down around Rios.

Hail in NUECES, TEXAS
From 24-FEB-04 11:50:00 to 24-FEB-04 11:50:00 (CST)
Location: CORPUS CHRISTI
Magnitude: 1.00 
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Quarter-size hail reported by trained spotter at Alameda and Robert Drive.  Numerous other reports throughout Corpus Christi of hail ranging from pea to penny-size from 1130 to 1200 CST.

Hail in SAN PATRICIO, TEXAS
From 24-FEB-04 12:20:00 to 24-FEB-04 12:20:00 (CST)
Location: ARANSAS PASS
Magnitude: 0.88 
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC