Widespread cold rain falls on the Rolling Plains and South Plains, April 13, 2019

National Weather Service Lubbock Significant Weather Events

April 12-13, 2019: Widespread cold rain falls on the Rolling Plains and South Plains

GOES 16 Infrared satellite loop valid from 8:06 am to 9:11 am on 13 April 2019. 

A powerful and strengthening upper level storm brought a widespread cold rain to the South Plains region from Friday night through much of Saturday (12-13 April 2019). Initially, moisture and instability were meager in advance of the system, so rainfall coverage and intensity were limited Friday evening. However, that changed by early Saturday as lift and moisture increased and a broad shield of moderate to heavy rain, with some embedded thunderstorms, spread from south-to-north across the region. Further south, where moisture and temperatures, and thus instability, were higher, severe storms generated large hail, damaging winds and even several tornadoes in Central and East Texas.

Lubbock radar animation valid from 6:48 am to 9:14 am on 13 April 2019. Regional radar animations can be viewed at: 8:08 pm to 9:18 pm on 12 April; 4:38 am to 5:48 am on 13 April; 6:28 am to 7:38 am on 13 April; and 9:48 am to 10:58 am on 13 April.

Thankfully, meager instability and cool temperatures only in the upper 30s and lower 40s kept the shower and thunderstorm intensity in check in West Texas. Even so, a prolonged period of moderate to heavy rain did set up across the eastern South Plains and much of the Rolling Plains Saturday morning. Rain rates of 1/3 to 1/2 inch per hour were common within this band, and over the course of several hours the rain really added up. The duration of the rain did create some minor flooding of low lying and poor drainage areas, but overall it was a very beneficial rain.

Regional radar animation valid from 11:28 am to 12:38 pm on 13 April 2019.

Lighter rain showers lingered through much of the afternoon as the storm system and the heavier precipitation shifted off to the east. Eventually the showers diminished and the sun even made a brief appearance in places before setting Saturday evening.

Looking west from the Overton, in Lubbock, Saturday evening (13 April 2019). The image is courtesy of KAMC.

As the below map illustrates, the heaviest rain fell generally along and east of a Brownfield to Lubbock to Childress line. Rain totals of 2 to 3+ inches were common over the southeast South Plains and much of the Rolling Plains. Unfortunately, further west, the rain totals quickly decreased with several hundredths to a quarter inch common from the southwest Texas Panhandle into the western South Plains. 

24-hour rainfall totals ending at 7 pm on 13 April 2019. Rain totals are courtesy of the West Texas Mesonet and the NWS. A plot of all the rain amounts measured by the West Texas Mesonet sites can also be viewed at: Regional View  and South Plains View.

Officially the Lubbock Airport recorded 0.76 inches of rain on Saturday, setting a new daily rainfall record for April 13th (the previous record was 0.42 inches, set in 2015). This also boosted the annual rain tally to 2.19 inches, or 0.85 inches below the normal amount of 3.04 inches.  Even heavier rain fell south of the Airport over much of the city. Rain totals near 1 inch were common inside Loop 289, increase to 1.25 to 1.50 inches on the south and southwest side of town. During this same event, Childress officially recorded 1.68 inches. Although this did not set a daily record for the day (3.19 inches, set in 1894), it did raise their annual rainfall to 3.87 inches, which is just 0.22 inches below the normal of 4.09 inches.

A plot of the level of Lake Alan Henry in early to mid-April 2019. A trace of the Brazos River just upstream of the lake, near Justiceburg, can be VIEWED HERE.

The heavy rain, from 2 to 3 inches, again fell in the Lake Alan Henry watershed, very similar to a week earlier. Runoff from the rain caused the Brazos River at Justiceburg to jump just above its action stage of 10 feet for a brief period Saturday afternoon. All of this water poured into Lake Alan Henry, causing it to rise about another 2 feet over the course of about 24 hours. This brings the lake to within 2.5 feet of its full conservation level.