An active round of severe thunderstorms impacted the west Texas South Plains during the late afternoon and evening of the 6th and continued into the early morning of the 7th. Convection originated along a dryline near the Texas and New Mexico border, as well as near a pre-existing weak frontal boundary stretched west-to-east over the southwestern South Plains.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
An active round of severe thunderstorms impacted the west Texas South Plains during the late afternoon and evening of the 6th and continued into the early morning of the 7th.
Convection originated along a dryline near the Texas and New Mexico border, as well as near a pre-existing weak frontal boundary stretched west-to-east over the southwestern South Plains.
Many of the thunderstorms were supercellular in nature and produced a variety of severe weather hazards, however, splitting and low precipitation modes domininated. While these storm structures helped to limited the overall tornado threat, instances of large hail were widespread. A cluster of low precipitation supercells produced hail up to four and a half inches in diameter over portions of Lamb County. Reports of damage from very large hail also were received in the Lubbock vicinity (Lubbock County).
A supercell that interacted with the pre-existing surface boundary over the southwestern South Plains did produce a brief and weak tornado that was observed by a research meteorologist. The tornado remained in open country and resulted in no damage.
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 6, 2:49 PM CST, 1 hour 51 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 349 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2008 .SHORT TERM... THE PRIMARY CONCERN THROUGH THE SHORT TERM PERIOD REMAINS TONIGHT/S SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL. THE LATEST SATELLITE/RADAR IMAGERY SHOWS CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY INCREASING IN VERTICAL DEVELOPMENT AND COVERAGE...CONCENTRATED ALONG A LINE FROM NEAR CLOVIS TO HOBBS. THIS APPEARS TO BE THE CORRIDOR IN WHICH DIURNAL MIXING IS TIGHTENING A DRYLINE. AT LEAST ONE...POSSIBLY TWO...NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST ORIENTED BOUNDARIES ALSO APPEAR TO BE EVOLVING IN THE CU FIELD OVER THE WESTERN SOUTH PLAINS. THIS IS IN THE SUSPECTED VICINITY OF AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY REMNANT FROM OVERNIGHT CONVECTION AND POSSIBLY EVIDENCE OF A DIFFERENTIAL HEATING BOUNDARY RESULTANT SOUTH OF TODAY/S CENTRAL/NORTHERN SOUTH PLAINS CLOUD COVER. GENERALLY EXPECT STORMS TO DEVELOP VICINITY THE TEXAS/NEW MEXICO BORDER DURING THE NEXT 1 TO 3 HOURS. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BE SUPERCELLULAR...PLEASE REFER TO TORNADO WATCH 267. THE COVERAGE OF STORMS/RAIN SHOULD INCREASE OVER THE WESTERN/CENTRAL SOUTH PLAINS DURING THE EVENING HOURS AS A LLJ DEVELOPS AND EFFECTIVELY HELPS TO SPREAD/PROPAGATE CONVECTION EASTWARD. SUFFICIENT SHEAR/INSTABILITY WILL REMAIN IN PLACE TO JUSTIFY A CONTINUED SEVERE WEATHER THREAT...INCLUDING DAMAGING WINDS AND POSSIBLY AN ISOLATED TORNADO. THE RISK FOR CONVECTION WILL BEGIN TO TRANSLATE EASTWARD...ALTHOUGH GRADUALLY...DURING THE OVERNIGHT/EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING TIMEFRAME AS THE UA LOW PROPAGATES OVER THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES. COLD CORE ALOFT IS EXPECTED TO TRANSLATE OVER THE SOUTH PLAINS DURING THE DAY...WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS PERSISTING...ESPECIALLY OVER THE NORTHEASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. HOWEVER...RELATIVELY BREEZY WESTERLY WINDS WILL LIKELY OVERSPREAD THE WESTERN/CENTRAL ZONES AS A DRY SLOT WRAPS THROUGH THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE LOW. .LONG TERM... DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH EXTENDED PERIOD. UPPER LOW MOVING ACROSS THE REGION WEDNESDAY TO BE OVER CENTRAL OKLAHOMA BY EARLY EVENING WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME WRAP AROUND SHOWERS OVER OUR NORTHEAST ZONES WEDNESDAY EVENING. NEAR ZONAL FLOW ALOFT INTO END OF THE WEEK WITH WEAK QUASI-STATIONARY FRONT OSCILLATING BETWEEN WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND OUR NORTHEAST ZONES. DRY...DOWNSLOPE FLOW IS EXPECTED WEST OF FRONTAL BOUNDARY. ALSO WITH LITTLE IN WAY OF MOISTURE AS DRY LINE REMAINS TO OUR EAST...NO PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED. A STRONG SHORTWAVE MOVING FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS BY SATURDAY EVENING WILL DRIVE THE FRONT SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT. THUS AFTER ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES THURSDAY INTO SATURDAY...SUNDAY TO BE SLIGHTLY COOLER...WITH TEMPERATURES DROPPING BACK INTO THE UPPER 70S TO LOWER 80S. TEMPERATURES TO QUICKLY REBOUND ON MONDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE MOVES TOWARD EAST TEXAS...WITH FLOW ALOFT BECOMING SOUTHWEST AS ANOTHER SHORTWAVE DIVES DOWN INTO THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 56 75 50 85 51 / 60 20 10 0 0 TULIA 58 76 50 84 53 / 60 20 10 0 0 PLAINVIEW 58 78 51 87 53 / 60 20 10 0 0 LEVELLAND 58 80 53 90 54 / 60 20 10 0 0 LUBBOCK 58 77 54 90 56 / 60 20 10 0 0 DENVER CITY 58 86 54 92 56 / 60 10 10 0 0 BROWNFIELD 58 85 55 92 55 / 60 20 10 0 0 CHILDRESS 65 76 54 87 60 / 60 50 20 0 0 SPUR 64 79 53 90 58 / 50 30 10 0 0 ASPERMONT 67 88 56 90 63 / 50 40 10 0 0 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 20/08
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 248 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2008 TXZ021>044-072000- PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE- FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL- 248 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 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 ALL OF THE WEST TEXAS SOUTH PLAINS REGION. ISOLATED STORMS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON WITHIN THE CORRIDOR ROUGHLY BETWEEN THE NEW MEXICO STATE LINE AND THE INTERSTATE 27 AND HIGHWAY 87. STORMS WILL LIKELY BECOME MORE SCATTERED DURING THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR SUPERCELLS. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS... AND PERHAPS A FEW TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE AS THUNDERSTORMS MOVE NORTHEASTWARD OVER THE SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS TONIGHT. IF THUNDERSTORMS IMPACT AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS MORNING/S HEAVY RAINFALL...SOME ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING MAY OCCUR. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 517 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2008 TXZ040-041-062245- LYNN TX-TERRY TX- 517 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS TERRY AND LYNN COUNTIES... AT 514 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF UNION...OR ABOUT 9 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BROWNFIELD...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER LYNN COUNTY...NORTH OF NEW MOORE. BRIEF...STRONG WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH AND HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. STORM INTENSITY IS INCREASING AND SEVERE WEATHER MAY DEVELOP RAPIDLY. BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. KW
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 538 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2008 TXZ027-028-062315- BAILEY TX-LAMB TX- 538 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ACROSS BAILEY COUNTY... AT 534 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER ENOCHS...OR ABOUT 9 MILES NORTH OF MORTON... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. STORM INTENSITY IS INCREASING AND SEVERE WEATHER MAY DEVELOP RAPIDLY. BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.
The Lubbock radar (KLBB), 93 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:39 UTC.
18 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, 2 heavy rain, 1 tornado, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Storm chasers reported penny size hail north of Enochs along Texas Highway 214 near the Muleshoe Wildlife Refuge.
Numerous reports, including multiple reports from National Weather Service meteorologists, indicated that large hail up to the size of quarters accompanied a splitting supercell storm from the intersection of U.S. Highway 87 and Farm to Market Road 1585 just north of Woodrow northeastward over southeastern portions of Lubbock. Nickel size hail also was observed falling along south Loop 289 at the Science Spectrum. At least two additional reports of very large hail were observed within this storm's hail swath.
Local law enforcement officials and Skywarn spotters reported large hail up to the size of half dollars along a swath from Brownfield to near Meadow. At 17:20 CST nickel size hail was reported in Brownfield. By 17:25 CST, half dollar size hail was reported just west of Meadow along Farm to Market Road 211.
Local broadcast media meteorologists reported baseball size hail near the intersection of South Loop 289 and U.S. Highway 87 in south Lubbock. Some vehicles were reportedly damaged.
The public reported that tennis ball size hail damaged vehicles along U.S. Highway 84 on the southeast side of Lubbock.
Inflow winds into a severe thunderstorm were estimated to exceed 60 mph along the U.S. Highway 87 corridor between O'Donnell and Tahoka. Law enforcement officials estimated wind gusts up to 60 mph just north of O'Donnell at 17:25 CST. Similar wind estimates were received, along with reports of low visibilities in blowing dust, from storm chasers just south of Tahoka. No damage was reported.
The public reported golf ball size hail in Ropesville. The parent thunderstorm which produced this hail continued northeastward and additionally resulted in large hail over Reese Center and Shallowater in western Lubbock County. No damage was reported.
A low precipitation supercell produced large hail over portions of northeastern Lamb County between 17:40 and 18:09 CST. Multiple reports were received of large hail that ranged in size from nickels to golf balls along a swath from north of Fieldton to Olton. Storm chasers discovered one inch diameter hailstones covering the ground along U.S. Highway 70 three miles west of Olton an hour after the storm passed. No damage was reported.
A research meteorologist documented a short-lived and weak tornado over open country north of Wellman around 17:45 CST. The tornado appeared to have developed as a supercell thunderstorm interacted with a previously existing outflow boundary. Local officials reported no damage in the area.
A severe thunderstorm tracked northeastward from Hockley County and produced large hail over the western portion of Lubbock County. Numerous reports were received of quarter size hail along a swath from Reese Center to Shallowater between 17:52 and 18:02 CST. Ping pong ball size hail was additionally reported as the storm tracked west of Abernathy.
The public reported penny size hail in Levelland.
Local newspaper accounts indicated that damaging thunderstorm winds accompanied a complex of thunderstorms northeastward over portions of Crosby County. Reports suggest that a number of storage sheds were destroyed and trees were damaged between Crosbyton and Cone by winds estimated to exceed 60 mph. Event times are estimated based on Doppler radar imagery.
A low precipitation supercell moved eastward from the Olton vicinity (Lamb County) and produced large hail in northwestern Hale County. Law enforcement officials reported quarter size hail at Halfway at 18:37 CST. Storm chasers additionally discovered hail measuring just over one inch in diameter on the ground southwest of Edmonson. This hail fall likely occurred around 19:05 CST as estimated by Doppler radar imagery.
Storm spotters reported quarter size hail in Kalgary.
An apparent downburst occurred as a severe thunderstorm dissipated near Floydada shortly before 19:00 CST. A 74 mph gust was measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site just northeast of the city. No damage was discovered during surveys by Texas Tech University personnel.
The Spur Fire Department reported nickel to golf ball size hail in the Spur vicinity. No damage was reported.
A second supercell storm developed over northeastern Lamb County, and produced giant hail in the Olton vicinity. Local officials reported four and a half inch diameter hailstones along Farm to Market Road 168 just south of Olton shortly after 19:00 CST. At least minor damage occurred to several vehicles.
Storm chasers reported nickel size hail in the Olton vicinity as a second supercell thunderstorm impacted the area. This storm additionally produced giant hail just south of Olton.
The Spur Fire Department reported that heavy rainfall from thunderstorms resulted in more than one foot of water rapidly flowing through many city streets. No damage was reported.
The public reported quarter size hail in Guthrie.
The Automated Surface Observing System at the Childress Municipal Airport recorded a peak wind gust of 62 mph as relatively weak convection moved over the area. An apparent thunderstorm downburst resulted in the localized severe wind gust, and no damage was reported.
The Memphis Fire Department reported penny size hail in Memphis.
Thunderstorms that produced heavy rainfall resulted in ponding of water over portions of the intersection of Farm to Market Road 1585 and U.S. Highway 62/82 southwest of Wolfforth.
Heavy rainfall over eastern Crosby County resulted in ponding water over U.S. Highway 62/82 near Silver Falls.
Golf ball size hail reportedly broke windows at a farm house east of Spur. No injuries were reported.
Agricultural officials reported golf ball size hail at the Acuff Gin. No damage was 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 historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 2008Warnings in Texas, May 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: 100112, 100118, 100121, 100119, 100120, 100122, 100123, 100126, 100140, 100124, 100125, 100142, 100127, 100128, 100129, 100131, 100130, 100138, 100137, 100132, 100133, 100134, 100145, 100144, 100135, 100136.