Wildfire, Terry
- When
- April 3, 3:30 PM CST to 5:30 PM CST
- Where
- Terry forecast zone
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
- Coordinates
- 33.174, -102.335 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Wildfire and High Wind in Texas, April 3 to 4, 2011
Strong southwest to westerly winds accompanied the passage of a strong upper air storm system on the 3rd. The winds combined with very dry air and deepening drought to contribute toward at least three significant wildfires on the South Plains of west Texas.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $325,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 4
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.
What happened
The episode as NWS LUB wrote it up.
Strong southwest to westerly winds accompanied the passage of a strong upper air storm system on the 3rd. The winds combined with very dry air and deepening drought to contribute toward at least three significant wildfires on the South Plains of west Texas.
A 100 acre fire broke out just southwest of Denver City (Yoakum County) around 14:30 CST. The fire threatened at least 80 homes and 150 residents were |evacuated. No structural damages were reported.
By 18:00 CST a second fire had ignited near Justiceburg (Garza County). This fire quickly jumped U.S. Highway 84 and threatened some 400 recreational vehicles and trailer homes near Lake Alan Henry. Firefighters were able to save the properties, but suffered minor damages to several fire trucks. The fire burned approximately 5,000 acres before it was finally contained during the morning hours of the 4th.
Around 19:00 CST a fire began near two abandoned homes north of Smyer (Hockley County). The homes were destroyed, but firefighters were able to contain the blaze at 15 acres.
During the overnight hours, a localized but intense wind gust was observed by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site near Post. The 68 mph gust recorded at 00:45 CST on the 5th resulted in no damage, and was likely enhanced as winds associated with a passing cold front interacted with local topographical features.
Total economic losses due to wildfire on the 3rd were estimated at $325,000.
What forecasters said that day
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 Apr 3, 2:40 PM CST, 50 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 3, 2:40 PM CST, 50 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 340 PM CDT SUN APR 3 2011 .SHORT TERM... A SHARP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THE ROCKIES TODAY WITH LEE SIDE SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS DEVELOPED IN RESPONSE. THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AXIS WILL NOT SHIFT EAST OF THE AREA UNTIL LATE MONDAY MORNING. WINDS WILL DROP OFF A BIT AFTER SUNSET THOUGH THE LULL WILL BE SHORT LIVED WITH A STRONG FRONTAL PASSAGE LATE THIS EVENING. THE FRONT WILL BEGIN TO PUSH INTO THE AREA BEFORE MIDNIGHT AND COMPLETELY CLEAR THE AREA BY 12Z. VERY STRONG PRESSURE RISES BEHIND THE FRONT WILL INCREASE WINDS THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THE AREA WILL NOT SEE A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN WINDS UNTIL LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON WHEN A SURFACE RIDGE SETTLES INTO THE AREA. THERE WILL BE SOME LINGERING WEAK FRONTOGENETICAL FORCING ACROSS THE SOUTHWESTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE. WITH THE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE INCREASING BEHIND THE FRONT...THE ATMOSPHERE MAY BE ABLE TO SQUEEZE OUT A FEW SPRINKLES IN THE SOUTHWESTERN PANHANDLE. HAVE ADDED A LOW MENTION OF POPS IN THIS AREA FOR EARLY MONDAY MORNING. JDV && .LONG TERM... COOL SURFACE RIDGE WILL QUICKLY START TO MODIFY BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON AS A LEE SFC TROF BECOMES REESTABLISHED ACROSS EASTERN NEW MEXICO. SOUTHWESTERLY SURFACE WINDS COMBINED WITH AMPLE SUNSHINE SHOULD HELP TO WARM THE AIRMASS AND START TO SEE A CLIMB IN MAX TEMPS TO ABOVE NORMAL FOR MUCH OF THE WEEK. OPTED TO KEEP PRECIPITATION CHANCES WELL BELOW MENTION FOR WEDNESDAY AS IT APPEARS THAT ANY LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE WILL REMAIN STUCK WELL EAST OF THE REGION...AND A WEAK COLD FRONT WEDNESDAY ACROSS THE PANHANDLE IS NOT EXPECTED TO MAKE IT INTO MY FORECAST AREA. OTHERWISE...INCREASING SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL RESULT IN A STRONG SURFACE TROF OVER EASTERN NEW MEXICO AND THUS A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE REGION. THIS WILL HELP WIND SPEEDS TO REMAIN IN THE BREEZY RANGE AND LIKELY KEEP TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL AND THE FIRE DANGER HIGH THROUGH THE MIDDLE PART OF THE WEEK INTO THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. JORDAN && .FIRE WEATHER... EXTREMELY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO PERSIST THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. THERE WILL BE A LITTLE RELIEF FROM THE WINDS THIS EVENING BEFORE A COLD FRONT ARRIVES TO THE AREA. WINDS WILL RAPIDLY SHIFT TO THE NORTH AT 20 TO 30 MPH BEHIND THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. THE FRONT WILL BEGIN TO IMPACT THE AREA AROUND MIDNIGHT AND COMPLETELY PUSH THROUGH THE AREA BY 7AM. DESPITE THE HIGHER WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT...RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN 40 AND 50 PERCENT. THERE WILL BE A BRIEF BREAK FROM FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS FOR TUESDAY BUT THEN AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF WEATHER FAVORABLE FOR INCREASED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS WILL DEVELOP WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY ACROSS THE REGION. IT DOES APPEAR THAT AREAS ON THE CAPROCK WILL LIKELY SEE CONDITIONS GET CLOSE TO OR MEETING RED FLAG CRITERIA EACH AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING. JDV/JORDAN && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 34 59 33 76 43 / 20 20 0 0 0 TULIA 36 58 32 76 46 / 10 10 0 0 0 PLAINVIEW 38 59 34 76 48 / 10 10 0 0 0 LEVELLAND 41 61 35 77 48 / 10 10 0 0 0 LUBBOCK 42 61 35 77 51 / 10 10 0 0 0 DENVER CITY 45 65 36 77 48 / 10 10 0 0 0 BROWNFIELD 45 62 35 78 48 / 10 10 0 0 0 CHILDRESS 45 64 34 75 50 / 10 10 0 0 0 SPUR 48 63 36 77 51 / 10 10 0 0 0 ASPERMONT 50 65 38 77 55 / 10 10 0 0 0 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: TXZ021>044. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: TXZ021>025-027>031-033>036-039>041. && 01/14
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 3, 10:14 AM CST, 5 hours 16 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 1114 AM CDT SUN APR 3 2011 TXZ021>044-041615- PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE- FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL- 1114 AM CDT SUN APR 3 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT FIRE WEATHER SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH COMBINED WITH RECORD WARMTH AND VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL CREATE CONDITIONS CONDUCIVE TO RAPID WILDFIRE SPREAD THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE SOUTH PLAINS AREA. NON PRECIPITATION SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND PERSIST INTO THE EVENING HOURS FOR MOST OF THE SOUTH PLAINS AREA. A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR AREAS GENERALLY WEST OF A MEMPHIS TO CROSBYTON TO POST LINE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY PERIODIC CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP ANY AFTERNOON THIS WEEK FROM TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE REQUIRED. JORDAN
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
3 wildfire, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Wildfire, Garza
- When
- April 3, 6:00 PM CST to April 4, 10:00 AM CST
- Where
- Garza forecast zone
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
- Coordinates
- 33.180, -101.298 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Wildfire, Hockley
- When
- April 3, 7:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Hockley forecast zone
- Property damage
- $200,000
- Reported by
- Fire Department/Rescue
- Coordinates
- 33.608, -102.343 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Garza
- When
- April 4, 12:45 AM CST
- Where
- Garza forecast zone
- Measured
- 59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 33.180, -101.298 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Wildfire
- A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flooding in North Dakota, April 3 to 30, 2011
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Missouri, April 3, 2011
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, April 3 to 4, 2011
- Flooding in Minnesota, April 3 to 30, 2011
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Iowa, April 3, 2011
- Strong Wind in Texas, April 3, 2011
- Strong Wind in Arkansas, April 3 to 4, 2011
- Wildfire in Oklahoma, April 3, 2011
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, April 3, 2011
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, April 3, 2011
- Hail in Illinois, April 3, 2011
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, April 3, 2011
More
Every storm in Texas in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, April 2011
Sources
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: 299899, 299900, 299901, 299898.