TL;DR
A tornado touched down 3 miles west of Shavano Park in south-central Texas early Thursday morning, confirmed by video showing the funnel crossing Loop 1604 with visible power flashes and debris. The tornado was one of 19 severe weather reports across seven states overnight, including 16 wind reports and 2 hail reports.
What happened near San Antonio
The National Weather Service in Austin/San Antonio (EWX) confirmed a tornado touched down at approximately 12:50 UTC (7:50 a.m. CDT) Thursday morning, 3 miles west of Shavano Park in Bexar County, Texas.
Video captured the tornado crossing Loop 1604, the outer beltway that encircles the San Antonio metro area. The footage showed visible debris circulation and power flashes as the tornado moved through the area. The time was estimated by radar, according to the local storm report filed by NWS Austin/San Antonio.
Shavano Park is a suburban city on the northwest side of San Antonio, home to roughly 3,500 residents. Loop 1604 is a major commuter route, and the tornado crossed the highway during the early morning hours when traffic was beginning to build.
No EF rating has been issued yet. NWS survey teams typically conduct damage assessments in the hours and days following a tornado to determine intensity on the Enhanced Fujita scale.
The overnight setup
The tornado developed in a very moist and weakly unstable environment across south-central Texas, aided by a 30–35 knot southerly low-level jet that transported Gulf moisture inland overnight.
The Storm Prediction Center noted in its Day 1 outlook that "low-level rotation has occasionally been noted with cells occurring early this morning across parts of south-central TX," and that "a brief tornado or two still appears possible with this activity through the morning, as low-level shear will remain sufficient for continued updraft rotation."
SPC Mesoscale Discussion 1631, referenced in the outlook, had highlighted the near-term tornado threat for the region as storms moved through the San Antonio area in the pre-dawn hours.
The low-level wind shear—the change in wind speed and direction with height in the lowest few thousand feet of the atmosphere—was strong enough to support rotating updrafts even in the absence of strong upper-level dynamics. This type of setup can produce brief, sometimes weak tornadoes that are difficult to anticipate with long lead times.
By mid-morning, the low-level jet began to weaken, reducing the tornado threat as the day progressed.
Broader severe weather picture
The San Antonio tornado was part of a larger severe weather episode that stretched from the Southwest to the Great Lakes and Northeast overnight.
In total, the Storm Prediction Center logged:
- 1 tornado report (Texas)
- 2 hail reports
- 16 wind reports
The wind reports were concentrated in multiple regions across the country overnight.
Hail was limited to two reports: 1.50-inch hail near Lehighton, Pennsylvania, and quarter-sized hail in Holly, Michigan.
Why early-morning tornadoes are especially dangerous
Tornadoes that occur overnight or in the early morning hours—like Thursday's event near San Antonio—pose heightened risks to public safety.
The primary reason people are at greater risk during nocturnal tornadoes: people are asleep and less likely to receive warnings in time to take shelter. Outdoor warning sirens, which many communities rely on, are often inaudible indoors, especially to sleeping residents. Smartphone weather apps are typically silenced by Do Not Disturb mode, though Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) for tornado warnings still break through on most phones by default.
For residents in tornado-prone areas, having a reliable way to receive warnings at night is critical. VORTEX Pro places phone calls when a tornado warning is issued for a saved location—calls can ring through Do Not Disturb once you enable Emergency Bypass for the number, unlike most third-party app notifications.
What's next for Texas
Thursday's outlook from the Storm Prediction Center includes a Slight Risk for severe thunderstorms across parts of south-central Texas, though the tornado threat has diminished as the low-level jet weakens through the day.
The focus for severe weather nationwide has shifted to other regions, including western Montana (where large hail is possible this afternoon) and northern New England (where damaging winds may occur as a shortwave trough moves through).
For San Antonio and surrounding areas, residents should monitor local NWS offices for any updates on the tornado's path, damage assessments, and EF rating once survey teams complete their work.
VORTEX is a free web app at vortexintel.app that monitors severe weather nationwide. Pro ($4.99/month) places phone calls to your phone when a tornado or flash flood warning is issued for a location you care about — calls can ring through Do Not Disturb once you enable Emergency Bypass for the number, unlike most third-party app notifications.