A longwave trough exited the Intermountain West into the Central and Southern Plains on April 15th, which reinforced a cold front southeast into Northeast Texas, Southeast Oklahoma, and Southwest Arkansas during the afternoon. Hot and humid air spread north across the region from the Gulf of Mexico ahead of the front with the northward advance of a warm front, with temperatures climbing into the upper 80s and lower 90s areawide. These abnormally hot and humid conditions resulted in moderate to very unstable conditions ahead of the front, as large scale ascent increased ahead of the ejecting trough along and just ahead of the approaching cold front. As a result, scattered to numerous strong to severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon and evening hours across Northeast Texas, Southwest Arkansas, and North Louisiana, and produced multiple instances of damaging winds, large hail, and even an isolated tornado over Western Bienville Parish before exiting the area during the mid-evening hours.

Hail in BOSSIER, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 16:21:00 to 15-APR-23 16:21:00 (CST-6)
Location: BODCAU
Magnitude: 1.50 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Ping pong ball size hail fell in the Eastwood community.

Hail in BOSSIER, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 16:11:00 to 15-APR-23 16:11:00 (CST-6)
Location: FERGUSON
Magnitude: 1.25 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Quarter to half dollar size hail fell in Bossier City just northeast of Barksdale Air Force Base.

Hail in BOSSIER, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 16:05:00 to 15-APR-23 16:05:00 (CST-6)
Location: (BAD)BARKSDALE AFB
Magnitude: 1.25 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Half dollar size hail fell in Bossier City.

Hail in BOSSIER, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 16:41:00 to 15-APR-23 16:41:00 (CST-6)
Location: OAKLAND
Magnitude: 1.50 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Ping pong ball size hail fell across the southern sections of Haughton.

Hail in WEBSTER, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 17:11:00 to 15-APR-23 17:11:00 (CST-6)
Location: LAKE BISTINEAU NORTH
Magnitude: 2.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Hen egg size hail fell just west of Lake Bistineau near the Webster/Bienville Parish line.

Hail in BIENVILLE, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 17:35:00 to 15-APR-23 17:35:00 (CST-6)
Location: RINGGOLD
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Broadcast Media

Golf ball size hail fell near Ringgold.

Hail in BIENVILLE, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 17:20:00 to 15-APR-23 17:20:00 (CST-6)
Location: PORT BOLIVER
Magnitude: 1.50 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Social Media

Ping pong ball size hail fell on the Bienville Parish side of Lake Bistineau northwest of Ringgold.

Hail in BIENVILLE, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 17:22:00 to 15-APR-23 17:22:00 (CST-6)
Location: PORT BOLIVER
Magnitude: 2.75 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Baseball size hail fell between Lake Bistineau and Ringgold.

Hail in WEBSTER, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 17:51:00 to 15-APR-23 17:51:00 (CST-6)
Location: HEFLIN
Magnitude: 1.50 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Social Media

A picture was posted to social media of ping pong ball size hail that fell in Heflin.

Tornado in BIENVILLE, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 17:30:00 to 15-APR-23 17:42:00 (CST-6)
Location: RINGGOLD
Tornado F-scale: EF1
Property damage: 30.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

An EF-1 tornado with estimated maximum winds near 104 mph touched down west of Zeke Road just north of the intersection of Zeke Road and Highway 154 in Western Bienville Parish just southwest of Ringgold. Shortly after crossing Zeke Road while moving in an east-northeasterly direction, the tornado reached its peak estimated wind speed near 104 mph as the NWS survey team found numerous snapped softwood trees on a heavily wooded property. The tornado continued a consistent movement to the east-northeast for another quarter mile, before turning sharply to the southeast and crossing back over Highway 154. This rather atypical tornadic movement was represented quite closely in the associated radar data. Many trees were uprooted and a few were snapped as the tornado crossed Highway 154 and the team was not able to survey more damage from the ground due to lack of road access until the tornado next crossed Highway 4 near the intersection of Highway 4 and PR 537. The tornado also uprooted numerous hardwood and softwood trees here, while also snapping a few softwoods. It is possible that the tornado continued a bit farther than the endpoint represented in the survey, but the NWS survey team could not confirm this due to the lack of ground access immediately to the southeast. An overwhelming majority of the damage in this tornado was limited to trees, although throughout the path, there were a handfull of residences and structures damaged by falling trees and downed limbs. Pictures were also submitted of a funnel cloud to the west of this surveyed tornado and east of Lake Bistineau. While it is possible there was another tornado touchdown a little west of this tornado, the survey team did not have any ground access to conduct a survey in this area.

Hail in SABINE, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 18:00:00 to 15-APR-23 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: NOBLE
Magnitude: 1.25 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Half dollar size hail fell just southwest of Noble. Report from m-PING.

Hail in BIENVILLE, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 18:03:00 to 15-APR-23 18:03:00 (CST-6)
Location: RINGGOLD
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Golfball size hail fell near Ringgold.

Thunderstorm Wind in NATCHITOCHES, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 18:35:00 to 15-APR-23 18:35:00 (CST-6)
Location: CAMPTI
Magnitude: 56.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

A few trees and power lines were blown down between Black Lake and Campti.

Thunderstorm Wind in NATCHITOCHES, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 18:55:00 to 15-APR-23 18:55:00 (CST-6)
Location: CLARENCE
Magnitude: 61.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Trees were downed on Highway 84 east of Clarence.

Hail in BOSSIER, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 19:05:00 to 15-APR-23 19:05:00 (CST-6)
Location: OAKLAND
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Nickel to quarter size hail fell at a gas station at the corner of Sligo Road and Highway 157 in the Oakland community.

Thunderstorm Wind in SABINE, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 19:01:00 to 15-APR-23 19:01:00 (CST-6)
Location: MANY
Magnitude: 56.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

A few trees and power lines were blown down in Many.

Hail in WEBSTER, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 19:10:00 to 15-APR-23 19:10:00 (CST-6)
Location: SIBLEY
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Dime to quarter size hail fell for several minutes at a store in Sibley.

Hail in CLAIBORNE, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 19:15:00 to 15-APR-23 19:15:00 (CST-6)
Location: HOMER
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Quarter size hail fell at a gas station just southwest of Homer.

Thunderstorm Wind in UNION, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 20:13:00 to 15-APR-23 20:13:00 (CST-6)
Location: MT UNION
Magnitude: 52.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

A tree was blown down at the corner of Five Oaks Road and Highway 550.

Hail in SABINE, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 17:35:00 to 15-APR-23 17:35:00 (CST-6)
Location: CONVERSE
Magnitude: 2.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Storm Chaser

Hen egg size hail fell west of Converse near the intersection of Highways 191 and 174.

Hail in BOSSIER, LOUISIANA
From 15-APR-23 16:05:00 to 15-APR-23 16:05:00 (CST-6)
Location: (BAD)BARKSDALE AFB
Magnitude: 1.50 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Broadcast Media

Ping pong ball size hail fell at Barksdale Air Force Base.