A complex of strong to severe thunderstorms propagated eastward over the western South Plains of west Texas during the evening hours of the 26th. This activity resulted in severe wind gusts near Muleshoe in Bailey County.
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Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS LUB wrote it up.
May 26-27 Severe Thunderstorm and Heat Burst Event Summary...A complex of strong to severe thunderstorms propagated eastward over the western South Plains of west Texas during the evening hours of the 26th. This activity resulted in severe wind gusts near Muleshoe in Bailey County. The convection dissipated by late evening, leaving remnant mid level convective debris in an environment favorable for heat bursts. At least two heat bursts occurred over the South Plains and the extreme southeastern Texas Panhandle as detected by the Texas Tech West Texas Mesonet and a local television station's school net observations. The heat bursts were associated with damaging winds and significant increases in temperature. Temperatures soared into the lower 90s at Memphis shortly before 03:00 CST during one of the heat bursts.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Lubbock, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 26, 2:57 PM CST, 5 hours 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 357 PM CDT FRI MAY 26 2006 .SHORT TERM... MID AND UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE CONTINUES TO SLOWLY STREAM ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA...AS SEEN ON VIS AND WV. 12Z SFC AND 850MB ANALYSIS DEPICTED SLIGHTLY DEEPER/BETTER MOISTURE PRESENT OVER THE AREA...AS A RESULT OF STRONG LLJ EARLY IN THE DAY. ADDITIONALLY...WV IMAGERY SHOWS SOME LIFT/ENHANCEMENT WITH APPROACH OF A WEAK SHORTWAVE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL NM. HOWEVER...700MB ANALYSIS DID ALSO HAVE 14C ISOTHERM ANCHORED ACROSS WEST TEXAS...UP A DEGREE FROM YESTERDAY. 19Z SFC OBS SHOW MOISTURE HOLDING A LITTLE STRONGER THAN YESTERDAY...WITH TD/S ABOVE 50F FROM THE CENTRAL SOUTH PLAINS AND EAST...WITH 30S AND 40S ACROSS THE WESTERN CWA. SFC TROUGH STILL HANGING WEST...IN EASTERN NM...WHERE BEST CONVERGENCE EXPECTED. 19Z LAPS ANALYSIS SHOWS WEAKEST CIN NEAR TX/NM BORDER...WITH CAPE VALUES NEAR 1000 J/KG. EXPECT ISOLATED STORMS TO DEVELOP NEAR REGION OF BEST CONVERGENCE. WIND PROFILE SLIGHTLY IMPROVED OVER YESTERDAY...WITH SOME MID-LEVEL FLOW /LIKELY 15 TO 25 KTS/ NEAR THE BORDER. STILL...FEEL STORM ORGANIZATION WILL BE LIMITED...WITH STRONG WINDS THE GREATEST THREAT GIVEN DEEP WELL-MIXED CBL. RIDGE AT 500MB TO SLOWLY EASE EAST TONIGHT AND SATURDAY AS SHORTWAVE MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. THIS WILL INCREASE GRADIENT...RESULTING IN BREEZY CONDITIONS...AND INCREASED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS BEHIND THE DRYLINE. DRYLINE SHOULD PUSH FURTHER EAST TOMORROW...WITH MOISTURE LIKELY PUSHING TO THE EDGE OF THE CAPROCK...OR INTO THE ROLLING PLAINS. DRYLINE SHOULD SERVE AS FOCUS FOR POTENTIAL THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPMENT IF CIN CAN BE OVERCOME. GIVEN MODERATE INSTABILITY AND MARGINAL WIND SHEAR...STRONG WINDS AND HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH ANY STORM DEVELOPMENT. IT WILL AGAIN BE VERY WARM WITH MID AND UPPER 90S COMMON. .LONG TERM... UPPER LEVEL RIDGING TO BREAKDOWN AND TRANSLATE EAST LATE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AS UPPER LEVEL TROUGH TAKES SHAPE OVER THE WEST. SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT SHOULD PREVAIL THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND AND INTO THE EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK. DIURNAL MIXING OF THE DRYLINE LOOKS LIKELY GIVEN THE EXPECTED PATTERN RECOGNITION. IT APPEARS THE DRYLINE WILL MIX EAST OF THE CAPROCK ESCARPMENT SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY WITH VERY DRY LOW TO MID LEVELS EXPECTED OVER THE CAPROCK. DEVELOPMENT OF LEE SIDE SURFACE PRESSURE TROUGH EACH AFTERNOON SHOULD LEAD TO BREEZY CONDITIONS WITH FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS POSSIBLE ONCE AGAIN ON SUNDAY. RH VALUES SHOULD EASILY MEET CRITERIA BUT 20 FOOT WINDS STILL IN QUESTION. WILL MAINTAIN NO HAZARD GRID ON SUNDAY AND LET FUTURE SHIFTS ANALYZE THE SITUATION. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SHOULD REMAIN OVER THE ROLLING PLAINS WHERE BETTER LOW LEVEL MOISTURE MAY BE IN PLACE. THIS OF COURSE WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE EASTWARD EXTENT OF THE DRYLINE PROPAGATION. WEAK DISTURBANCES ALOFT MAY APPROACH THE REGION LATER IN THE WEEKEND AS THE SOUTHWEST FLOW INCREASES ALOFT. GFS MODEL SOUNDINGS STILL INDICATIVE OF MICROBURST POTENTIAL WITH SOUNDING SHOWING INVERTED-V STRUCTURE. KEPT POP CONFIGURATION THE SAME WITH MAINLY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED STORMS POSSIBLE. WEAK COLD FRONT MAY APPROACH THE PANHANDLE TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY PERIOD BUT NOT SEEING MUCH SOUTHWARD PUSH TO THE FRONT AT THIS TIME. IF THE BOUNDARY STALLS INSIDE THE LUB CWFA...COULD BE A FOCUS FOR STORM DEVELOPMENT SO WILL CONTINUE 20 POPS. KEPT TEMPERATURES ABOVE GUIDANCE MEMBERS THROUGH THE MEDIUM TO LONG RANGE PERIOD. EVEN THOUGH THE RIDGE BREAKS DOWN AND TRANSLATES EAST SUNDAY...WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW SHOULD ALLOW AMPLE DOWNSLOPE ADIABATIC WARMING FOR TEMPS WELL UP INTO THE 90S. UPPER RIDGING TO DOMINATE THE LATTER HALF OF NEXT WEEK WITH HEIGHTS AND THICKNESSES INCREASING OVER THE REGION. DEEP RIDGING INTO NEXT WEEK WILL HOLD HOT AND MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND. FORECAST THINKING ESSENTIALLY UNCHANGED TODAY. KW && .FIRE WEATHER... FIRE WEATHER WATCH ISSUED THIS MORNING FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOON WAS LEFT INTACT FOR THE WESTERN HALF OF THE AREA. WINDS WILL INCREASE TO NEAR 20 MPH AT 20 FT AS SURFACE LEE-SIDE TROUGH DEEPENS AND SPREADS VERY DRY AIR ACROSS THE AREA. 15 PERCENT RH CRITERIA ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION WEST OF THE DRYLINE LOOKS LIKE A SURE BET...HOWEVER WIND CRITERIA STILL MARGINAL. THUS...HAVE OPTED TO ALLOW LATER SHIFTS DECIDE ON POSSIBLE UPGRADE TO RED FLAG. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 63 97 55 95 / 20 10 10 10 TULIA 64 98 61 95 / 20 10 10 10 PLAINVIEW 64 97 62 95 / 20 10 10 20 LEVELLAND 64 98 62 95 / 20 10 10 10 LUBBOCK 68 98 68 96 / 20 10 10 20 BROWNFIELD 65 99 64 96 / 20 10 10 10 CHILDRESS 71 98 70 97 / 10 20 20 20 SPUR 67 98 68 95 / 10 20 20 20 ASPERMONT 70 98 72 98 / 10 20 20 20 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM 1 PM SATURDAY TO 8 PM SATURDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: BAILEY...BRISCOE...CASTRO...COCHRAN...HALE... HOCKLEY...LAMB...LUBBOCK...LYNN...PARMER...SWISHER...TERRY...AND YOAKUM. && 23/17
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 1100 AM CDT FRI MAY 26 2006 TXZ021>044-271600- PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE- FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL- 1100 AM CDT FRI MAY 26 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT CONVECTIVE THUNDERSTORMS ARE AGAIN EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING NEAR THE SURFACE TROF/DRY LINE NEAR THE TEXAS NEW MEXICO BORDER. THE DRY LINE WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL SOUTH PLAINS DURING THE DAY. ALTHOUGH THE PROBABILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER WITH THESE STORMS IS EXPECTED TO BE LOW...DUE TO THE VERY DRY LOWER ATMOSPHERE ISOLATED WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH MAY OCCUR WITH A FEW OF THESE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY CONVECTIVE ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP ALONG THE DRY-LINE MAINLY OVER THE EASTERN SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS ON SATURDAY. WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH COULD OCCUR FROM THE STRONGEST STORMS. FIRE WEATHER A FIRE WEATHER WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL COUNTIES OF THE SOUTH PLAINS AND SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. GUSTY WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH VERY LOW HUMIDITY AND ELEVATED FIRE DANGER TO CAUSE THIS CONCERN. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND AGAIN ON SATURDAY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 801 PM CDT FRI MAY 26 2006 TXZ033-270145- COCHRAN TX- 801 PM CDT FRI MAY 26 2006 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ACROSS COCHRAN COUNTY... AT 758 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF BLEDSOE...OR ABOUT 14 MILES WEST OF MORTON...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. BRIEF...STRONG WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH ARE POSSIBLE NEAR THUNDERSTORMS. MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
The Cannon AFB radar (KFDX), 95 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:59 UTC.
2 high wind, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The West Texas Mesonet station south of Muleshoe recorded several severe wind gusts as thunderstorms moved over the area during the late evening hours of the 26th. A maximum wind gust of 77 MPH was measured at 20:00 CST. No damage was reported.
A heat burst was recorded by the West Texas Mesonet near Amherst shortly after 23:00 CST on the 26th. Severe wind gusts up to 61 MPH were measured in association with a 13 degree rise in temperature. The heat burst occurred in association with dissipating convection over Lamb County.
A heat burst was recorded by the West Texas Mesonet near Amherst shortly after 23:00 CST on the 26th. Severe wind gusts up to 61 MPH were measured in association with a 13 degree rise in temperature. The heat burst occurred in association with dissipating convection over Lamb County. A second heat burst was observed in data from the West Texas Mesonet and the KVII-TV School net near Memphis. Instruments from both remote weather stations sampled a heat burst during the very early hours of the 27th. A peak wind gust of 76 MPH was recorded during the heat burst. The severe winds were associated with a 13 degree rise in temperature. The Hall County Sheriff's Office reported several downed power lines in Memphis. No structural damage was reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2006
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5505020, 5505021, 5505022.