National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

 

Severe storms: east and northwest
27 May (Memorial Day) and 28 May 2013

View of the back side of intensifying thunderstorms to the east of Lubbock. The picture was taken at 4:42 pm on May 27th.
View of the back side of intensifying thunderstorms to the east of Lubbock. The picture was taken at 4:42 pm on May 27th.
 
Hot temperatures, in the 90s and lower triple digits, and the dryline were enough to kick off scattered thunderstorms during the late afternoon and early evening hours on May 27, 2013. Strong instability and modest wind shear allowed a few of these storms to become severe, dropping large hail and localized heavy rains. Hail as large as baseballs was reported in the community of Tell, southwest of Childress, with several other spots receiving golf ball sized hail before the storms faded by mid to late evening.
 
Regional radar animation valid from 5:28 to 6:38 pm on 27 May 2013.
Regional radar animation valid from 5:28 to 6:38 pm on 27 May 2013.
 
The above animation shows how the storms evolved during the early evening hours on Memorial Day. Below are several pictures of the impacts felt as the storms moved through.
 
Picture of hail that fell in Roaring Springs, courtesy of KCBD and Teresa Woolsey. Click on the image for a larger view.
Heavy rain that fell in Roaring Springs, courtesy of KCBD. Click on the image for a larger view.
Pictures of hail (left) and heavy rain (right) that fell in Roaring Springs on May 27th. The images are courtesy of KCBD and Teresa Woolsey. Click on the photos for a larger view.
 
Picture of hail that fell about 7 miles north of Dickens, courtesy of KCBD.
Photograph of hail that fell in Post, courtesy of KCBD. Click on the image for a larger view.
Picture of hail that fell about 7 miles north of Dickens (left) and in Post (right) on May 27th. The images are courtesy of KCBD. Click on the photo for a larger view.
 
On May 28th, the dryline retreated to near the TX-NM state line. An isolated supercell thunderstorm developed in western Parmer County. This storm produced large hail and heavy rain as it moves slowly north-northeast. The radar animation below shows the storm's track.
 
Regional radar animation valid from 5:58 to 7:08 pm on 28 May 2013.
Regional radar animation valid from 5:58 to 7:08 pm on 28 May 2013.
 
Preliminary storm reports for the 27th can be found HERE. A plot of the local storm reports from both days and 24-hour rain totals for the 27th can be found below. The rainfall reports are courtesy of the West Texas Mesonet.
 
 
Toggle Preliminary Local Storm Reports for May 27, 2013
Toggle 24 hours Rainfall Totals (inches) for May 27, 2013
Toggle Preliminary Local Storm Reports for May 28, 2013