Intense winds, suffocating blowing dust and severe thunderstorms (26 February 2023)

Non-convective peak gusts on February 26, 2023

Public Information Statement National Weather Service Lubbock TX 622 AM CST Mon Feb 27 2023 ...PEAK NON-CONVECTIVE WIND GUSTS FROM 26 FEBRUARY 2023... Location Speed Time/Date Provider ...Texas... ...Bailey County... 1 SSW Muleshoe 73 MPH 0452 PM 02/26 Mesonet ...Briscoe County... 7 ESE Silverton 73 MPH 0800 PM 02/26 Mesonet 3 S Caprock Canyon SP 69 MPH 0700 PM 02/26 Mesonet ...Castro County... 2 N Hart 82 MPH 0514 PM 02/26 Mesonet 2 NE Dimmitt 77 MPH 0500 PM 02/26 Mesonet ...Childress County... 2 WNW Childress 78 MPH 1015 PM 02/26 ASOS 4 NE Childress 70 MPH 1021 PM 02/26 Mesonet ...Cochran County... 1 ENE Morton 72 MPH 0500 PM 02/26 Mesonet 8 SW Sundown 71 MPH 0523 PM 02/26 Mesonet ...Cottle County... 10 SW Paducah 84 MPH 1056 PM 02/26 Mesonet 2 SSE Hackberry 71 MPH 1123 PM 02/26 Mesonet ...Crosby County... 5 NW White River Lake 82 MPH 1033 PM 02/26 Mesonet 1 SSE Ralls 73 MPH 0807 PM 02/26 Mesonet ...Dickens County... 3 NNW Mcadoo 77 MPH 1009 PM 02/26 Mesonet 1 W Spur 69 MPH 0658 PM 02/26 Mesonet ...Floyd County... 1 NNE Floydada 75 MPH 0742 PM 02/26 Mesonet 3 ENE South Plains 71 MPH 0807 PM 02/26 Mesonet ...Garza County... 6 SSW Graham 75 MPH 1128 PM 02/26 Mesonet 1 NNW Lake Alan Henry 58 MPH 0719 PM 02/26 Mesonet ...Hale County... 1 SE Plainview 78 MPH 0721 PM 02/26 Mesonet 3 WSW Aiken 74 MPH 0738 PM 02/26 Mesonet 6 ENE Abernathy 72 MPH 0723 PM 02/26 Mesonet 2 S Plainview 63 MPH 0603 PM 02/26 AWOS ...Hall County... 2 WSW Turkey 67 MPH 0919 PM 02/26 Mesonet 6 SE Brice 66 MPH 0815 PM 02/26 Mesonet 3 SSE Estelline 60 MPH 0944 PM 02/26 Mesonet ...Hockley County... 6 SSW Anton 77 MPH 0616 PM 02/26 Mesonet 3 S Levelland 75 MPH 0529 PM 02/26 Mesonet 1 SSW Levelland 70 MPH 0515 PM 02/26 AWOS ...King County... 10 WSW Guthrie 69 MPH 1158 PM 02/26 Mesonet ...Lamb County... 1 ENE Amherst 78 MPH 0509 PM 02/26 Mesonet 6 S Olton 75 MPH 0520 PM 02/26 Mesonet 9 NNW Sudan 73 MPH 0459 PM 02/26 Mesonet ...Lubbock County... 1 NNW Lubbock Int. Airport 77 MPH 0720 PM 02/26 ASOS 4 E Lubbock 77 MPH 0726 PM 02/26 Mesonet 2 NW Reese Center 72 MPH 0544 PM 02/26 Mesonet 6 E Ropesville 72 MPH 0547 PM 02/26 Mesonet 3 WNW Lubbock 71 MPH 0553 PM 02/26 Mesonet 5 E Wolfforth 70 MPH 0715 PM 02/26 Mesonet 5 NNW Idalou 70 MPH 0723 PM 02/26 Mesonet 4 SSE Lubbock 64 MPH 0620 PM 02/26 Mesonet ...Lynn County... 1 WNW ODonnell 68 MPH 0608 PM 02/26 Mesonet ...Motley County... 3 N Roaring Springs 76 MPH 0719 PM 02/26 Mesonet 1 S Northfield 72 MPH 0803 PM 02/26 Mesonet ...Parmer County... 2 ENE Friona 79 MPH 0440 PM 02/26 Mesonet ...Swisher County... 2 E Tulia 73 MPH 0631 PM 02/26 Mesonet 8 NNW Mackenzie Reservoir 72 MPH 0711 PM 02/26 Mesonet 1 E Happy 69 MPH 0635 PM 02/26 Mesonet ...Terry County... 2 S Brownfield 67 MPH 0530 PM 02/26 Mesonet ...Yoakum County... 6 WNW Denver City 75 MPH 0451 PM 02/26 Mesonet 3 NNW Plains 75 MPH 0444 PM 02/26 Mesonet Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying equipment and exposures. We thank all volunteer weather observers for their dedication. Not all data listed are considered official.

Severe thunderstorm reports on February 26, 2023

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 603 AM CST MON FEB 27 2023 ...SUMMARY OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM REPORTS FROM 26 FEBRUARY 2023... ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 0645 PM HAIL MEMPHIS 34.73N 100.54W 02/26/2023 E1.75 INCH HALL TX EMERGENCY MNGR WIND DRIVEN HAIL HAS KNOCKED OUT WINDOWS IN TOWN. 0605 PM TSTM WND GST 7 ESE SILVERTON 34.45N 101.19W 02/26/2023 M77 MPH BRISCOE TX MESONET MEASURED BY THE WEST TEXAS MESONET AS A THIN LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH. 0614 PM TSTM WND GST CAPROCK CANYON SP 34.41N 101.06W 02/26/2023 M71 MPH BRISCOE TX MESONET 0623 PM TSTM WND GST 2 S LESLEY 34.65N 100.81W 02/26/2023 M74 MPH HALL TX MESONET MEASURED BY THE WEST TEXAS MESONET AS A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH. FIRST SEVERE GUST AT 6:22PM. 0625 PM TSTM WND GST 2 WSW TURKEY 34.38N 100.93W 02/26/2023 M59 MPH HALL TX MESONET MEASURED BY THE WEST TEXAS MESONET AS A QUICK-MOVING THUNDERSTORM WENT THROUGH. 0637 PM TSTM WND GST 1 NE MEMPHIS 34.73N 100.53W 02/26/2023 M114 MPH HALL TX MESONET MEASURED BY THE WEST TEXAS MESONET AS A QUICK-MOVING THUNDERSTORM WENT THROUGH. 0650 PM TSTM WND GST 3 SSE ESTELLINE 34.50N 100.42W 02/26/2023 M62 MPH HALL TX MESONET 0659 PM TSTM WND GST 2 W CHILDRESS 34.43N 100.28W 02/26/2023 M71 MPH CHILDRESS TX ASOS 0703 PM TSTM WND GST 2 NNE CHILDRESS 34.46N 100.20W 02/26/2023 M62 MPH CHILDRESS TX MESONET MEASURED BY THE WEST TEXAS MESONET AS A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH. 0717 PM TSTM WND GST 10 SW PADUCAH 33.89N 100.40W 02/26/2023 M59 MPH COTTLE TX MESONET MEASURED BY THE WEST TEXAS MESONET AS A BROKEN LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH. 0722 PM TSTM WND GST 10 WSW GUTHRIE 33.57N 100.48W 02/26/2023 M77 MPH KING TX MESONET MEASURED BY THE WEST TEXAS MESONET AS A BROKEN LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH. 0724 PM TSTM WND GST 1 SSE JAYTON 33.23N 100.57W 02/26/2023 M64 MPH KENT TX MESONET MEASURED BY THE WEST TEXAS MESONET AS A BROKEN LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WENT THROUGH. 0733 PM TSTM WND GST 2 SSE HACKBERRY 33.90N 100.13W 02/26/2023 M59 MPH COTTLE TX MESONET MEASURED BY THE WEST TEXAS MESONET AS A BROKEN LINE OF THUNDERSTORM MOVED THROUGH.

Dust storm reports on February 26, 2023

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 614 AM CST MON FEB 27 2023 ...SUMMARY OF DUST STORM REPORTS FROM 26 FEBRUARY 2023... ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 0426 PM DUST STORM FRIONA 34.64N 102.72W 02/26/2023 PARMER TX PUBLIC PHOTO SHOWS ZERO VISIBILITY. 0500 PM DUST STORM MORTON 33.73N 102.76W 02/26/2023 COCHRAN TX LAW ENFORCEMENT NEAR-ZERO VISIBILITY FROM DENSE BLOWING DUST. 0515 PM DUST STORM 1 SSW LEVELLAND 33.56N 102.37W 02/26/2023 HOCKLEY TX AWOS THICK BLOWING DUST REDUCED VISIBILITY TO 1/4 MILE OR LOWER FROM 515 PM TO 615 PM. VISIBILITY DID NOT RISE ABOVE 1/2 MILE UNTIL 715 PM. 0521 PM DUST STORM AMHERST 34.01N 102.41W 02/26/2023 LAMB TX PUBLIC WEBCAM SHOWS VISIBILITY LESS THAN 1/4 MILE FROM DENSE BLOWING DUST. 0530 PM DUST STORM 7 W BROWNFIELD 33.18N 102.40W 02/26/2023 TERRY TX PUBLIC PHOTO SHOWS NEAR-ZERO VISIBILITY ON HIGHWAY 380 WEST OF BROWNFIELD. TIME ESTIMATED FROM NEARBY OBSERVATIONS. 0545 PM DUST STORM 7 N DIMMITT 34.64N 102.31W 02/26/2023 CASTRO TX LAW ENFORCEMENT NEAR-ZERO VISIBILITY FROM DENSE BLOWING DUST RESULTED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT AT THE INTERSECTION OF US-385 AND FM 2397. 0551 PM DUST STORM MULESHOE 34.23N 102.72W 02/26/2023 BAILEY TX PUBLIC PHOTO SHOWS NEAR-ZERO VISIBILITY IN DOWNTOWN MULESHOE. 0553 PM DUST STORM 1 NNW LUBBOCK INT. AIRP 33.67N 101.82W 02/26/2023 LUBBOCK TX ASOS VISIBILITY WAS AT OR BELOW 1/4 MILE FROM 553 PM UNTIL 714 PM, WITH ZERO VISIBILITY FROM 557 PM UNTIL 610 PM. VISIBILITY DID NOT RECOVER ABOVE 1 MILE UNTIL 804 PM. 0605 PM DUST STORM TAHOKA 33.17N 101.80W 02/26/2023 LYNN TX LAW ENFORCEMENT NEAR-ZERO VISIBILITY FROM DENSE BLOWING DUST. 0610 PM DUST STORM 1 SE PLAINVIEW 34.18N 101.72W 02/26/2023 HALE TX PUBLIC VIDEO SHOWS NEAR-ZERO VISIBILITY WITH SKY ALMOST COMPLETELY DARKENED BY BLOWING DUST. TIME ESTIMATED FROM NEARBY OBSERVATIONS. 0612 PM DUST STORM 3 N FLOYDADA 34.03N 101.33W 02/26/2023 FLOYD TX NEWSPAPER PHOTOS SHOW THICK BLOWING DUST WITH NEAR-ZERO VISIBILITY IN CENTRAL FLOYD COUNTY. 0637 PM DUST STORM POST 33.19N 101.38W 02/26/2023 GARZA TX LAW ENFORCEMENT THICK BLOWING DUST REDUCED VISIBILITY TO LESS THAN 1/4 MILE. 0645 PM DUST STORM 1 SE PLAINS 33.18N 102.82W 02/26/2023 YOAKUM TX LAW ENFORCEMENT YOAKUM COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTS VISIBILITY 1/8 MILE OR LESS WITHIN DENSE BLOWING DUST. A SMALL CAR WAS ALSO BLOWN OFF THE ROAD AND ROLLED OVER. 0650 PM DUST STORM MATADOR 34.01N 100.83W 02/26/2023 MOTLEY TX LAW ENFORCEMENT NEAR-ZERO VISIBILITY FROM DENSE BLOWING DUST. 0700 PM DUST STORM MEMPHIS 34.72N 100.53W 02/26/2023 HALL TX PUBLIC NEAR-ZERO VISIBILITY FROM DENSE BLOWING DUST. 0705 PM DUST STORM TULIA 34.54N 101.77W 02/26/2023 SWISHER TX EMERGENCY MNGR HIGH WINDS AND THICK BLOWING DUST. PORTIONS OF INTERSTATE 27 CLOSED NEAR TULIA WITH TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS REPORTED.

Intense winds, suffocating blowing dust and severe thunderstorms 26 February 2023

Thick blowing dust blowing approaching Lake Alan Henry Sunday evening (26 February 2023). The image is courtesy Lake Alan Henry Weather via Twitter.

The second powerful winter storm to affect the region, and the country, in less than a week, brought another round of highly impactful weather to West Texas. Sunday (26 February) started off mild, cloudy (and foggy in spots) and moist as breezy southerly winds carried Gulf of Mexico moisture into the southern High Plains. This rare moist start to a West Texas winter day even provided pockets of drizzle, a few light showers and a brief isolated thunderstorm through the morning hours. However, this was only a subtle taste of what was to unfold through the afternoon and evening hours.


Water vapor satellite loop valid from 1:51 pm to 11:46 pm on Sunday (26 February 2023).

The powerful winter storm system, the same one that brought heavy snow and blizzard conditions to very low elevations in southern California, accelerated through the Four Corners and emerged across the central and southern High Plains Sunday afternoon and evening. As this occurred, rapidly deepening low pressure, in cahoots with a dryline and Pacific cold front, turned up the wind dramatically across the entire region. Initially gusty southerly winds not only transported moisture northward, but began to loft enough blowing dust to turn the sky an eerie red/brown by early to mid-afternoon.


View of thick blowing dust in Lazbuddie late Sunday afternoon (26 February). The image is courtesy of Five Area Telephone West Plains.

Then, as the Pacific front raced out of eastern New Mexico, the wind and dust levels went from unpleasant to downright disgusting and dangerous. Widespread severe (58+ mph) wind gusts lofted copious amounts of dust, dropping the visibility to and below 1/4 mile in most locations on the Caprock through the late afternoon hours.


"RGB-True Color" satellite animation valid from 7:56 am to 5:56 pm on Sunday (26 February). This animation contains 30-minute time steps. A similar animation from mid-afternoon through early evening, with 5-minute time steps, can be VIEWED HERE.

The dust didn't stop at the edge of the Caprock, but instead swept through the Rolling Plains during the evening, eventually moving on into Oklahoma and North and East Texas. The thick dust persisted for quite some time, and aside from the color and feel, had the appearance of fog given the persistent low visibility. Unfortunately, the thick dust make travel difficult to impossible and contributed to several accidents around the region.


Pictures of thick dust in Muleshoe (left) and Lubbock (right) late Sunday afternoon. The pictures are courtesy of Judd Baker and @ttuninteytwo via Twitter, respectively.

When the cold front overtook the dryline, widespread showers and thunderstorms filled in over the southeast Texas Panhandle into the Rolling Plains. The storms did provide a little rain in spots as a quick-moving line raced eastward, but they also enhanced the wind and a few locations even experience hail, as large as golf balls in Memphis.


Lubbock WSR-88D radar animation valid from 4:42 to 8:14 pm Sunday evening (26 February)

Wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph were common with the strongest thunderstorm activity, but the West Texas Mesonet site one mile northeast of Memphis recorded an impressive 114 mph gust. Thankfully, this magnitude of wind appeared quite localized, though the town of Memphis did have some damage, both from the wind and wind-driven hail. Several windows were broken, roofs were damaged and carports were destroyed.


Roof blown off the old American Legion building in Friona. The image is courtesy of @bwhite70 on Twitter.

The damaging winds weren't confined to locations where the thunderstorms moved through. Instead, wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph were common across the Caprock from the late afternoon through the evening hours before gradually dropping to breezy levels by early Monday.


Peak wind gusts measured on Sunday (26 February). The data are courtesy of the West Texas Mesonet (WTM). A color coded map of the peak wind gusts measured over most of the WTM domain can be VIEWED HERE. The highest sustained wind speeds measured by the WTM on the 26th can be FOUND HERE.

The Lubbock Airport officially measured a peak wind gust of 77 mph at 7:20 pm. The resulting thick blowing dust dropped Lubbock's visibility to at or below 1/4 mile from 5:53 pm to 7:14 pm, with zero visibility observed from 5:57 pm to 6:10 pm. The visibility finally recovered above 1 mile at 8:04 pm, but didn't improve above 6 miles until 4 am on Monday.


Tree damage (left) and an escaped Porta Potty in Lubbock Sunday evening (26 February 2023). The images are courtesy of Tim Merritt and Todd Turnbow via Twitter.

Behind the dryline, the intense winds and warm and much drier air created a period of critical fire weather. These conditions supported the ignition and spread of several wildfires on the South Plains, including one west of Levelland and a second in northwest Lamb County (west of Springlake). Smoke plumes from both of the fire listed can be seen clearly in the radar animation located several images above.



Roof damage to the First Methodist Church in Turkey (above - top image) and the Huckabee College of Architecture building on the Texas Tech campus (above - bottom image), taken on 27 February. The damage pictures are courtesy of John Lipe and Chris Weiss, respectively.

On the positive side, the thunderstorms did bring a little rain to the region, primarily the southern Texas Panhandle and eastern Rolling Plains. Even where the storms raced through, rain totals generally ranged from a few hundredths to a quarter inch. Childress officially record 0.18 inches of rain, while Lubbock only had a trace.


24-hour radar-estimated and bias-correct rainfall ending at 6 am on Thursday (27 February). Exact rainfall totals measured by the WTM can be VIEWED HERE.

Preliminary weather (wind, dust and hail) and damage reports collected on February 26th can be found below: