Mid-South tornado outbreak of May 1957
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| Date of tornado outbreak: | May 24, 1957 |
| Duration1: | +7 hours |
| Maximum rated tornado2: | F4 tornado |
| Tornadoes caused: | 4 confirmed[1] |
| Damages: | Unknown (at least $650,000) |
| Fatalities: | None |
| Areas affected: | New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma |
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1Time from first tornado to last tornado |
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The Mid-South tornado outbreak occurred from eastern New Mexico to central Oklahoma on May 24, 1957. Twelve tornadoes touched down over the area, most of which took place across northern and western Texas in addition to southern Oklahoma. The strongest tornado was rated at F4 status south of Lawton. Unusually, some tornadoes touched down during the early morning hours, whereas most Plains tornadic systems are nocturnal.[2] Four deaths were attributed to the tornadic activity.
[edit] Meteorological synopsis
An upper trough moved over the central United States. Subsequently, a tornado outbreak took place over portions of Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Oklahoma on May 20. Cold upper air temperatures and marginal low level moisture produced severe weather across the southern and central Great Plains. This shortwave trough and a deep surface low produced an additional strong tornado in Minnesota, while tornadoes killed 15 people in Missouri. On May 22, another area of low pressure was centered over southwest Oklahoma in attendance with a front, which extended from central New Mexico to Missouri. A weakening Pacific cold front dissipated near Del Rio.[2]
On May 23, dewpoints rose across western Texas, and temperatures reached 77°F in the warm sector. On May 24, high moisture levels surged into southeastern New Mexico on both sides of the warm front. The first tornado formed near Melrose and moved northeast across rural Roosevelt County between 3:30 and 4:30 a.m. The F2 tornado destroyed several barns.[1] Later, fog developed northward to Amarillo, in tandem with exceptionally high dewpoints.[2] After a six-hour gap, two tornadoes developed near Bovina and Enochs. The former tornado moved northeast across Parmer County and traveled nearly 40 miles to a point west of Amarillo. It destroyed eight farms near Friona, while storm-associated funnel clouds caused injuries near Hereford. The second tornado moved east-northeast and lifted over northern Hale County. It dismantled 77 homes near Olton and caused $650,000 in damages.
