S. on the 5th.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
A potent storm system translated eastward over the Southern Plains of the U.S. on the 5th. This system helped to push a dryline east across the west Texas South Plains, and tightening surface pressure fields contributed to strong southwesterly winds that were generally blowing at speeds between 25 and 35 mph west of the dryline. Localized and short-lived stronger gusts were observed, including a 59 mph gust near Silverton (Briscoe County) and a damaging wind gust at Brownfield (Terry County).
During the evening hours, a broken line of severe thunderstorms initiated along the dryline over the southern Rolling Plains. These storms resulted in damaging winds over portions of King and Stonewall Counties. The hardest hit area was the Aspermont vicinity (Stonewall County), where some lightweight structures were damaged. In addition, more than fifty utility poles were reportedly downed by the winds across the two counties. Damage estimates total $250,000. No injuries were reported.
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 5, 2:37 AM CST, 8 hours 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 337 AM CDT THU JUN 5 2008 .SHORT TERM... VIGOROUS UPPER LOW ACROSS SRN UTAH EARLY THIS MORNING WILL MOVE ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SRN ROCKIES TODAY AND THEN OUT INTO THE PLAINS TONIGHT. A STRONG JETMAX WILL ROTATE AROUND THE BASE OF THE LOW/TROUGH WITH ALMOST 100+ KT AT H5 TRANSLATING ACROSS THE NW SOUTH PLAINS AND PANHANDLE. AT THE SFC...LOW PRESSURE CENTER IN SE COLORADO WILL BEGIN TO MOVE EAST ACROSS KS TODAY...AND DRAG A SFC TROUGH ACROSS THE PANHANDLES AND SPLNS. FCST WIND SPEEDS ARE A MAIN CONCERN AND A BIT PROBLEMATIC ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. AS OF 3 AM...WIND SPEEDS HAVE REMAINED AT JUST BELOW ADVISORY LEVELS FOR MANY LOCATIONS MOST OF THE NIGHT...ALTHOUGH WE EXPECT SPEEDS TO DIMINISH SOMEWHAT TOWARD SUNRISE. MODEL GUIDANCE INDICATES THAT THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL THEN SHIFT EASTWARD FROM THE SPLNS INTO THE ROLLING PLAINS TODAY. SUSTAINED 30 KTS SHOULD BE MET AT LEAST IN THE EASTERN 2/3RDS OF THE CWA TODAY...IN FACT WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE SOME MORE ISOLD SEVERE WIND GUSTS. FARTHER WEST WE MAY SEE A DECREASING TREND IN WIND SPEEDS THROUGH THE AFTN AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT RELAXES IN THE SFC TROUGH. HOWEVER...GIVEN THE SW-NE ORIENTATION OF THE JETMAX...AND THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE WEST...HAVE OPTED TO INCLUDE ALL COUNTIES IN THE WIND ADVISORY...ALTHOUGH WE EXPECT THE WINDS TO DECREASE OUT WEST IN THE AFTN AND THUS THE ADVISORY MAY BE ABLE TO TRIMMED WITH TIME. AREAS OF BLOWING DUST AND DANGEROUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL ALSO CONTINUE...SEE FIRE WX SECTION BELOW. FINALLY...HIGH TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT 5-10 DEGREES COOLER TODAY WITH THE INCOMING SYSTEM BUT DOWNSLOPE WARMING WILL COUNTERACT THE LOWER HEIGHTS TO A DEGREE. DRYLINE ONCE AGAIN EXPECTED TO MIX INTO THE EASTERN ROLLING PLAINS...HANGING BACK TO FARTHER WEST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN ZONES. LATER THIS EVENING...HEIGHT FALLS AND STRONG LARGE SCALE ASCENT WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE REGION. H7 TEMPS ARE FCST TO DROP FROM ABOUT 16 C TO ABOUT 12 C. TSTM DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED ALONG THE DRYLINE ACROSS SRN KS/NRN OK. DEVELOPMENT FARTHER SOUTH IS MORE UNCERTAIN...BUT SEVERAL VERSIONS OF THE WRF/NAM DEVELOP SHOW TSTMS CONTINUING TO DEVELOP SWD ALONG THE DL BETWEEN ABOUT 3Z AND 6Z. WITH THIS IN MIND WILL MAINTAIN SLGT CHC IN THIS AREA TONIGHT. AS TROUGH AXIS PASSES EAST THE WINDS WILL REMAIN VEERED WITH THE DL REMAINING IN THE EAST. SLIGHTLY COOLER OVERNIGHT TEMPS EXPECTED ON THE CAPROCK. A VERY WEAK NORTHERLY WIND SHIFT MAY WORK INTO THE NRN SECTIONS AFTER MIDNIGHT. .LONG TERM... THE STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM RESPONSIBLE FOR THURSDAYS STRONG WINDS WILL LIFT QUICKLY NORTH AND EAST INTO THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS/UPR MIDWEST ON FRIDAY. ALTHOUGH A VERY WEAK WIND SHIFT TO THE NORTH MAY OCCUR EARLY FRIDAY...SFC WINDS WILL QUICKLY SHIFT BACK TO THE SOUTH DURING THE DAY AS A LEE TROUGH DEEPENS OVER EASTERN COLORADO AND NEW MEXICO. WINDS WILL BECOME BREEZY AGAIN BY 00Z...BUT NOTHING LIKE IN RECENT DAYS. FOR THE WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK...WILL SEE MORE TYPICAL EARLY SUMMER WEATHER FOR THE REGION WITH THE DRYLINE GENERALLY REMAINING OVER EASTERN NEW MEXICO. ALTHOUGH WINDS WILL REMAIN BREEZY...FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL FINALLY EASE WITH MUCH HIGHER DEWPOINTS IN THE 50S AND 60S. MAY EVEN SEE SOME EARLY MORNING STRATUS OVER MUCH OF THE AREA WITH THE INCREASED LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. WILL HAVE TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON ANY STORM INITIATION INVOF THE DRYLINE DURG THE LATE AFTN/EARLY EVENING HRS SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY WITH INCREASED SFC CONVERGENCE AND POSSIBLE WEAK DISTURBANCES IN SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. TOO EARLY TO ADD MENTIONABLE POPS RIGHT NOW. && .FIRE WEATHER... ONCE AGAIN WE WILL HAVE TO CONTEND WITH DANGEROUS FIRE WX CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. DESPITE SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPS...RH VALUES SHOULD EASILY DROP BELOW 15 PERCENT WEST OF THE DRYLINE WHICH SHOULD BE LOCATED FROM NEAR CHILDRESS SWWD INTO KENT COUNTY BY MID AFTERNOON. AND WIND SPEEDS AT THE 20-FT LEVEL ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE 20 TO 30 MPH RANGE WITH STRONGER GUSTS. THE FIRE WX WATCH HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO A RED FLAG WARNING FOR ALL BUT THE EASTERN ROLLING PLAINS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 90 52 90 62 93 / 0 0 0 0 0 TULIA 93 58 93 65 94 / 10 10 0 0 0 PLAINVIEW 92 60 93 65 93 / 0 10 0 0 0 LEVELLAND 94 58 93 65 93 / 0 0 0 0 0 LUBBOCK 95 62 95 69 94 / 0 10 0 0 0 DENVER CITY 94 60 94 65 94 / 0 0 0 0 0 BROWNFIELD 95 61 94 65 94 / 0 10 0 0 0 CHILDRESS 100 65 96 71 97 / 10 20 10 10 0 SPUR 99 66 95 67 94 / 10 20 10 10 0 ASPERMONT 100 71 96 71 96 / 10 20 10 10 0 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: TXZ021>031-033>037-039>043. WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: TXZ021>044. && 33/21
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 1141 AM CDT THU JUN 5 2008 TXZ021>044-061645- PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE- FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL- 1141 AM CDT THU JUN 5 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 ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT ACROSS THE EASTERN ROLLING PLAINS...GENERALLY EAST OF A LINE FROM CHILDRESS TO JAYTON. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP. FIRE WEATHER THE COMBINATION OF HOT...DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS ALONG WITH A VERY HIGH TO EXTREME FIRE DANGER WILL RESULT IN CRITICAL TO EXTREMELY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER ALL AREAS BUT THE EASTERN ROLLING PLAINS. A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING. NON PRECIPITATION WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA TODAY. SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE INTO THE 30 TO 40 MPH RANGE TODAY... WITH A FEW GUSTS TO NEAR 55 MPH POSSIBLE. STRONG CROSSWINDS ARE EXPECTED ON NORTH SOUTH ROADS...AND AREAS OF BLOWING DUST MAY CAUSE LOCAL REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THIS AFTERNOON OR TONIGHT.
The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 91 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:55 UTC.
2 high wind, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site near Silverton measured a severe gradient wind gust of 59 mph. No damage was reported.
A localized and brief enhancement of strong ambient winds resulted in minor damage in Brownfield. Witnesses reported hearing a short-lived roaring sound and pebbles that were lofted by the winds hitting glass. Windows were broken out of two vehicles and a door was blown out of a local hotel. A nearby mesonet station recorded sustained winds in the 30 mph range with gusts near 40 mph, therefore it is believed the damaging gusts occurred on a small spatial and temporal scale. Skies were clear and no cumuliform clouds were present. No injuries were reported.
A local utility company reported the loss of numerous wooden utility poles as severe thunderstorms produced damaging wind gusts along swath over southeastern King County. More than fifty poles were destroyed across King and neighboring Stonewall County, but the exact number damaged in King County is unknown. In addition, a National Weather Service cooperative observer sustained damage to his home and a large metal storage barn near U.S. Highway 82 and Texas Highways 114 and 222 in eastern King County.
Damaging thunderstorm winds impacted the Aspermont vicinity around 19:30 CST on the 5th. The winds caused widespread tree damage and tore tin off of several lightweight structures. Some large trees that were more than thirty years old were reportedly split and uprooted from the storm. A brick store-front was blown off of a Main Street building that dated back to the 1920s. The Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site northeast of Aspermont recorded a peak gust of 70 mph at 19:40 CST. A local utility company reported the loss of more than fifty wooden power poles across portions of Stonewall County and neighboring King County during the storms. No injuries were reported.
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: 92722, 92723, 100420, 92724.