A windy day followed by a wintry one (26-28 November 2019)

A Windy day followed by a Wintry one 26-28 November 2019

Satellite image captured at 4:17 pm on Tuesday, 26 November 2019. Blowing dust is apparent across much of the South Plains region.

A powerful winter storm tracking out of the central Rockies brought strong westerly winds to the South Plains region on Tuesday (26 November 2019). While this system dumped heavy snow from northern Colorado through parts of the Upper Midwest, it only contributions to West Texas were wind and dust.


Dusty conditions affecting Interstate 27 near Plainview around 1 pm on 26 November 2019. The picture is courtesy of Alex Schueth.

The dust did reduce the visibility for a time from late Tuesday morning through the afternoon hours. In addition, the strong winds, mild temperatures and dry conditions fanned several wildfires across the southern High Plains. The largest wildfires were confined to parts of the Texas Panhandle into western Oklahoma.


Peak wind gusts recorded by the West Texas Mesonet on Tuesday, 26 November 2019. The maximum sustained wind speeds on the 26th can be VIEWED HERE.

The strongest winds affected two corridors, one across the southern South Plains and another centered over the Texas Panhandle. Wind gusts as high as 60-65+ mph were common in the two corridors, with slightly weaker winds found between. The winds finally fell off Tuesday evening, but much colder air spilled in from the north behind a late evening cold front.


Regional radar animation valid from 5:48 pm to 6:58 pm on 27 November 2019. Additional regional radar animations can be viewed at: 7:58 pm to 9:08 pm on 27 November 2019; and 5:28 am to 6:38 pm on 28 November 2019.

Another upper level disturbance followed quickly on the heels of the wind maker. This system had its source region in the subtropical eastern Pacific and carried abundant middle and upper level moisture with it. As this moisture spread in from the southwest, a large shield of precipitation overspread West Texas.


Temperatures observed by the West Texas Mesonet at 9:15 pm on Wednesday, 27 November 2019.

Temperatures quickly fell to around the freezing mark on the Caprock, resulting in areas of freezing rain and a very cold rain. A little sleet and snow even mixed in across parts of the western South Plains into the southwest Texas Panhandle for a time Wednesday evening. The snow and sleet accumulations were light, but Friona did pick up about 0.3 inches of snow. A thin glaze of ice was also observed in several spots, including Tulia.


Light snow falling in Friona (left) and a thin glaze of ice in Tulia (right) Wednesday evening, 27 November 2019. The left image is courtesy of Steve Cobb and the right image is courtesy of Storm Search 7.

Thankfully, since the temperatures were so close to the freezing mark, most roadways stayed wet (as opposed to turning icy), so travel impacts on this day before Thanksgiving were relatively minimal.


Liquid totals (from rain and melted sleet, ice and snow) observed by the West Texas Mesonet from 27-28 November 2019.

The cold rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow resulted in widespread moisture. All melted down, precipitation totals of a quarter to half inch were common, with a few locations picking up even a little more. The steady precipitation shutoff on Thanksgiving Day, but clouds, drizzle and fog, along with temperatures stuck in the 30s resulted in a gloomy holiday.