A complex of thunderstorms developed over the plains of eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle during the late afternoon and early evening hours of the 16th. This activity congealed into a complex of storms which moved southward over the northwestern South Plains during the late evening hours.
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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.
A complex of thunderstorms developed over the plains of eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle during the late afternoon and early evening hours of the 16th. This activity congealed into a complex of storms which moved southward over the northwestern South Plains during the late evening hours. Locally damaging winds downed tree limbs and power lines at Muleshoe (Bailey County) as the storms impacted that area around 20:00 CST.
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 Jul 16, 4:34 PM CST, 3 hours 26 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 534 PM CDT THU JUL 16 2009 .AVIATION... THUNDERSTORMS MAY AFFECT BOTH TAF SITES LATER THIS EVENING INTO EARLY TOMORROW MORNING. AS A COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTHEAST...A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS EVENING. KCDS WILL SEE A HIGHER CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH A LESS LIKELY POSSIBILITY AT KLBB. AFTER THE COLD FRONT PASSES...WINDS WILL TURN TO THE EAST OR NORTHEAST AND REMAIN EASTERLY THROUGHOUT THE DAY TOMORROW. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 336 PM CDT THU JUL 16 2009/ SHORT TERM... RECOVERED LOW LEVEL FLOW ALLOWING ENOUGH HEATING TO SUPPORT LOW THUNDER CHANCES INTO THE EARLY EVENING FOR ALMOST ANY PART OF THE AREA. THEN...CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEPEND ON MOVEMENT OF ACTIVITY SOUTHWARD OUT OF THE PANHANDLE. NORTHERN ZONES APPEAR PREFERRED THOUGH IT IS STILL DIFFICULT TO ARGUE WHETHER INCLINATIONS SHOULD LEAN MORE TOWARDS NORTHEAST OR NORTHWEST AREAS. EITHER WAY...WILL MAINTAIN A LOW CHANCE FOR STORMS LATER TONIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY INTO SOUTHERN ZONES TYPICAL OF REMNANT ACTIVITY IN A NORTH TO NORTHWEST FLOW SCENARIO. ENERGY AND SHEAR HAVE IMPROVED JUST ENOUGH TO RETAIN MARGINAL CONSIDERATION OF A FEW STRONGER STORMS...WITH THE PREVIOUS HAZARDOUS OUTLOOK STILL VALID. FRIDAY MAY START OUT WITH A STRONGER OUTFLOW JUST TO THE SOUTH AND IT SHOULD TAKE UNTIL MIDDAY OR SO FOR THE LOW LEVEL WIND FLOW TO RECOVER BACK TO A SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST COMPONENT. ONCE AGAIN...STRONG SURFACE HEATING WITH A MODESTLY MOIST AND UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT WILL VALIDATE A LOW THUNDER MENTION MOST AREAS BY THE AFTERNOON. RMCQUEEN LONG TERM... FOCUS THIS ROUND CONTINUES ON STORM CHANCES AND COOLER TEMPERATURES FOR THE WEEKEND. MUCH ADVERTISED NORTH-NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL STRENGTHEN OVER THE WEEKEND AS WEST TEXAS WILL BE SANDWICHED BETWEEN A LARGE WESTERN RIDGE AND EASTERN TROUGH. THIS WILL BRING DECENT CHANCES OF EVENING AND OVERNIGHT CONVECTION FRIDAY THROUGH AT LEAST SUNDAY. ALSO...A STRONG FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT AND BECOME QUASI- STATIONARY AND LINGER SOMEWHERE IN/NEAR THE AREA THROUGH THE WEEKEND SERVING AS ANOTHER POSSIBLE FOCUS FOR CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE PERIOD. PROGGED SHEAR/INSTABILITY FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY WILL BE SUFFICIENT FOR STORM ORGANIZATION AND WILL SUPPORT THE THREAT OF SOME STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...AND POSSIBLE EVENING/OVERNIGHT COMPLEXES...THOUGH DETAILS REMAIN TRICKY TO PINPOINT ATTM. BY MONDAY...STEERING FLOW MAY BECOME MORE NORTHERLY...BUT A STRONG WAVE PASSING ACROSS SOUTHERN CANADA WILL LIKELY PUSH ANOTHER FRONT TOWARD OR INTO THE CWA BY TUESDAY AND FLOW ALOFT MAY AGAIN COME MORE NORTHWESTERLY FOR AT LEAST A SHORT WHILE. ALTHOUGH CAN NOT REALLY RULE OUT SHOWER/STORM CHANCES THROUGH MUCH OF THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK...HAVE ONLY INCREASED POPS INTO MENTIONABLE LEVELS TUE EVENING/NIGHT WHEN ABOVE FACTORS COME TOGETHER AND CHANCES ARE MORE PALPABLE. TEMPERATURES WILL BE KNOCKED DOWN TO OR BELOW NORMAL FOR THE WEEKEND. READINGS MAY CLIMB BACK ON THE HIGH SIDE OF AVERAGE EARLY NEXT WEEK BEFORE THE NEXT FRONT MODERATES READINGS AGAIN BY TUE OR WED. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 64 91 63 86 62 / 30 20 30 30 30 TULIA 66 91 65 87 64 / 30 20 30 30 30 PLAINVIEW 67 92 66 88 65 / 30 20 30 30 30 LEVELLAND 68 97 66 91 65 / 20 20 30 30 30 LUBBOCK 70 96 68 89 66 / 20 20 30 30 30 DENVER CITY 69 99 66 93 66 / 20 20 30 20 20 BROWNFIELD 69 98 66 91 66 / 20 20 30 30 30 CHILDRESS 72 96 68 87 69 / 30 20 30 30 30 SPUR 70 97 67 90 68 / 20 20 30 30 30 ASPERMONT 75 99 70 92 70 / 20 20 30 30 30 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 01
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 413 AM CDT THU JUL 16 2009 TXZ021>044-170915- PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE- FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL- 413 AM CDT THU JUL 16 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT CONVECTIVE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER PARTS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE MOST LIKELY LOCATIONS TO EXPERIENCE THUNDERSTORM IMPACTS WILL BE THOSE OVER THE EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN PANHANDLE AND THE NORTHERN ROLLING PLAINS...ESPECIALLY AS A COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD FROM THE PANHANDLE THIS EVENING. AT LEAST SOME THREAT FOR DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL UP TO ONE INCH IN DIAMETER WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL BE ON THE INCREASE FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. ALTHOUGH WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME...INCREASING AMOUNTS OF INSTABILITY AND WIND SHEAR MAY SUPPORT A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... DUE TO THE LIMIT NATURE OF ANY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT...STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
644 PM CDT THU JUL 16 2009
TXZ023-024-170100-
SWISHER TX-BRISCOE TX-
644 PM CDT THU JUL 16 2009
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ACROSS BRISCOE AND SWISHER COUNTIES...
AT 640 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 14 MILES NORTHEAST OF HAPPY...OR ABOUT 21 MILES
NORTH OF TULIA...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
SMALL HAIL IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK
SHELTER INDOORS. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. HEAVY RAINFALL MAY RESULT
IN LOCALIZED FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. AVOID
NORMAL FLOOD-PRONE AREAS AND DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS.
LAT...LON 3475 10100 3474 10096 3433 10097 3434 10194
3475 10194
TIME...MOT...LOC 2342Z 316DEG 21KT 3482 10162SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
832 PM CDT THU JUL 16 2009
TXZ021-027-028-170230-
PARMER TX-BAILEY TX-LAMB TX-
832 PM CDT THU JUL 16 2009
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ACROSS LAMB...BAILEY AND PARMER COUNTIES...
AT 830 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER LAZBUDDIE...OR ABOUT 12 MILES NORTHEAST OF
MULESHOE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
SMALL HAIL IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK
SHELTER INDOORS. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. BRIEF...STRONG WIND GUSTS
ARE POSSIBLE NEAR THIS THUNDERSTORM. MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF
THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
LAT...LON 3451 10262 3442 10252 3431 10252 3431 10239
3414 10222 3398 10248 3441 10279
TIME...MOT...LOC 0132Z 324DEG 16KT 3438 10263The Cannon AFB radar (KFDX), 99 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:00 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Emergency management officials reported that thunderstorm winds blew down utility lines and broke two inch diameter tree limbs along U.S. Highway 70 east of Muleshoe.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, July 2009
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: 172275.