An isolated severe thunderstorm moved southeastward over portions of northern Swisher County during the very early morning hours of the 21st. Multiple reports indicated that large hail up to the size of pennies fell in Happy.
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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.
An isolated severe thunderstorm moved southeastward over portions of northern Swisher County during the very early morning hours of the 21st. Multiple reports indicated that large hail up to the size of pennies fell in Happy. The storm additionally produced very heavy rainfall which caused ponding of water in many city streets.
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 Jun 20, 2:25 PM CST, 10 hours 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 325 PM CDT FRI JUN 20 2008 .SHORT TERM... NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT CONTINUES OVER THE AREA TODAY AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TOMORROW. ALTHOUGH THIS UPPER AIR PATTERN LOOKS SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY WHEN WE HAD SUCH WIDESPREAD COVERAGE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...OUR LOW LEVEL WIND FLOW AND MOISTURE IS NOT NEARLY AS CONDUCIVE TO THE PRODUCTION OF THUNDERSTORMS. WHILE STORMS WERE ALREADY GOING OVER NORTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO AND EASTERN COLORADO AT 3 PM...THE ATMOSPHERE OVER THE PANHANDLE IS MUCH MORE STABLE. AS SUCH...PROPAGATION OF THE STORMS INTO THE LOCAL AREA WILL BE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT THIS EVENING AND MAY NOT HAPPEN AT ALL. IF THEY DO...THE MORE LIMITED INSTABILITY IS MUCH LESS LIKELY TO SUPPORT SEVERE WEATHER. CORRESPONDINGLY IN THE DAY ONE OUTLOOK...SPC HAS PULLED BACK THE SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE TO WHERE IT JUST TOUCHES THE EXTREME SOUTHWEST PANHANDLE. LATE TONIGHT...THE MODELS SHOW INCREASED SOUTHEASTERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW ALONG WITH A COMPLEX OF STORMS DEVELOPING OVER EASTERN COLORADO DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THOSE THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST TO MOVE SOUTH SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE PANHANDLE INTO SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS DURING THE DAY SATURDAY. AT PRESENT WE ARE LEADING TO ACCEPT THIS SOLUTION AND AS SUCH REDUCE RAIN CHANCES THIS EVENING...BUT THEN INCREASE THEM SOME TOMORROW. .LONG TERM... ONLY MINOR LONG TERM GRID/FORECAST CHANGES WERE REQUIRED FOR THIS UPDATE. THE CURRENT SYNOPTIC PATTERN WILL REMAIN SUPPORTIVE OF INTERMITTENT RAIN/STORM CHANCES...PRIMARILY NOCTURNAL...AS WELL AS NEAR/JUST ABOVE SEASONAL AVERAGE TEMPERATURES. BY SATURDAY EVENING...GUIDANCE MODELS SUGGEST THAT ONGOING CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY MAY BE TRANSITIONING SOUTH/WEST OF THE SOUTH PLAINS ALONG AN EFFECTIVE FRONTAL BOUNDARY/OUTFLOW. CURRENT PROGS ACTUALLY LOOK AS IF THE BETTER RAIN CHANCES WILL BE BEFORE 00Z 6/22...BUT GIVEN THE PATTERN...WILL NOT DEVIATE FROM GOING SLIGHT CHANCE/CHANCE GRIDDED POPS. ADDITIONAL MINOR WAVES EMBEDDED WITHIN THE PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE APPEAR TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT/COMPLEXES PROPAGATING SOUTHEASTWARD FROM THE HIGHER TERRAIN SUNDAY...MONDAY...AND TUESDAY NIGHTS. GENERALLY EXPECT RAIN/STORM CHANCES WILL REMAIN VALID GIVEN THE PROGGED PERSISTENCE OF THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE ALOFT OVER NORTHWEST MEXICO/DESERT SOUTHWEST AND ASSOCIATED MODERATE NORTHWESTERLY FLOW OVER THE ROCKIES/SOUTHERN PLAINS THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE UPCOMING WORK WEEK. ATTM...SOLUTIONS SUGGEST THE RIDGE MAY FINALLY BUILD NORTHEASTWARD OVER NEW MEXICO...REDUCING THE NORTHWESTERLY FLOW OVER THE REGION AND HENCE LIMITING THE LIKELIHOOD OF SOUTHWARD MOVING NIGHTTIME MCS/S. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 61 86 62 90 63 / 40 30 30 10 20 TULIA 64 86 61 89 64 / 50 30 20 10 20 PLAINVIEW 65 86 62 89 64 / 40 30 20 10 20 LEVELLAND 64 87 65 90 64 / 40 30 30 10 20 LUBBOCK 65 86 65 90 67 / 40 30 20 10 10 DENVER CITY 64 89 65 91 65 / 40 30 30 10 20 BROWNFIELD 66 88 66 91 65 / 40 30 30 10 20 CHILDRESS 66 88 65 95 67 / 50 30 20 10 10 SPUR 67 90 67 93 67 / 40 30 20 10 10 ASPERMONT 68 90 66 95 68 / 40 30 30 10 10 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 04/20
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 510 PM CDT FRI JUN 20 2008 TXZ021>044-212215- PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE- FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL- 510 PM CDT FRI JUN 20 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT CONVECTIVE THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT OVER THE NORTHERN SOUTH PLAINS AND THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE. THE GREATEST THREAT IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE FAVORED FORMATION AREA FOR STORMS THIS AFTERNOON IS LIKELY SIGNIFICANTLY OUT OF OUR LOCAL AREA...OVER EASTERN COLORADO OR POSSIBLY NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO. STEEP MID LEVEL TEMPERATURE LAPSE RATES...AND STRONG WIND SHEAR ARE EXPECTED TO HELP MAINTAIN THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AS IT MOVES SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST INTO THE PANHANDLE TONIGHT. VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM STORMS WHICH MOVE INTO THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE AND NORTHERN SOUTH PLAINS. IF STORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTH INTO THE SOUTHERN SOUTH PLAINS OVERNIGHT...DECREASING AMOUNTS OF INSTABILITY SHOULD REDUCE THE THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY ANOTHER CONVECTIVE COMPLEX WITH SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED SATURDAY OR SATURDAY NIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE WESTERN SOUTH PLAINS AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST PANHANDLE...MAINLY WEST OF THE I-27 AND US 87 CORRIDOR. LOOK OUT FOR LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS FROM THESE STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TONIGHT...OR POSSIBLY LATE THIS EVENING OVER THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE AND NORTHERN SOUTH PLAINS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 115 AM CDT SAT JUN 21 2008 TXZ022>024-210645- CASTRO TX-SWISHER TX-BRISCOE TX- 115 AM CDT SAT JUN 21 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM APPROACHING NORTHERN PARTS OF SWISHER... CASTRO...AND BRISCOE COUNTIES... AT 112 AM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 27 MILES NORTH OF TULIA...OR ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF HAPPY...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. HAIL AND BRIEF...STRONG WIND GUSTS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER MEDIA FOR OTHER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...RESENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 118 AM CDT SAT JUN 21 2008 TXZ022>024-210645- CASTRO TX-SWISHER TX-BRISCOE TX- 118 AM CDT SAT JUN 21 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM APPROACHING NORTHERN PARTS OF SWISHER... CASTRO...AND BRISCOE COUNTIES... AT 112 AM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 27 MILES NORTH OF TULIA...OR ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF HAPPY...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. HAIL AND BRIEF...STRONG WIND GUSTS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER MEDIA FOR OTHER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.
The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 57 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:43 UTC.
1 heavy rain, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained storm spotter reported up to two and a half inches of rainfall in association with a severe thunderstorm over Happy during the very early morning hours of the 21st. Many city streets were reported to be flooded with ponding water. No damage was reported.
Penny size hail was reported in Happy by local law enforcement officials and the public.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, June 2008
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: 100423, 100422.