Wildfire, Terry
- When
- February 24, 3:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
- Where
- Terry forecast zone
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 33.174, -102.335 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Wildfire and Strong Wind in Texas, February 24 to 25, 2011
In the wake of early morning showers and thunderstorms over the southeastern South Plains and Rolling Plains, a fast moving storm system translated over the west Texas region during the daytime hours of the 24th. The passage of this system brought an onset of warm and dry downslope winds.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
- $5,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 3
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.
In the wake of early morning showers and thunderstorms over the southeastern South Plains and Rolling Plains, a fast moving storm system translated over the west Texas region during the daytime hours of the 24th. The passage of this system brought an onset of warm and dry downslope winds. Sustained westerly winds in the 30 mph range with a few gusts near 50 mph were sufficient to down a power line near Wellman (Terry County) at approximately 15:00 CST. The line sparked a wildfire in grasslands that burned nearly 300 acres before it was extinguished around 18:00 CST.
Another wildfire ignited near Anton around 18:30 CST when farm equipment overheated. The fire burned intermittently until 14:00 CST on the 25th. Approximately 650 acres were charred by the fire.
Neither fire resulted in significant damages nor injuries.
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 Feb 24, 1:04 PM CST, 1 hour 56 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 24, 1:04 PM CST, 1 hour 56 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 104 PM CST THU FEB 24 2011 .UPDATE... RECENT TRENDS IN WTM OBSERVATIONS SHOW AN INCREASE SITES HITTING ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS OVER THE WESTERN/CENTRAL SOUTH PLAINS. THUS HAVE EXPANDED THE WIND ADVISORY. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1142 AM CST THU FEB 24 2011/ AVIATION... WESTERLY WINDS SUSTAINED IN THE 20-30KT RANGE WILL IMPACT THE KLBB TERMINAL DURING THE COMING HOURS. THESE WINDS WILL HAVE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE LIGHT RESTRICTIONS IN BLOWING DUST. SPEEDS/TRENDS WILL BE MONITORED FOR POTENTIAL AIRPORT WEATHER WARNINGS. OTHERWISE...ONCE THE DUST SETTLES...EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS TONIGHT/EARLY FRIDAY. A NORTHERLY WIND SHIFT WILL WORK SOUTHWARD THROUGH KCDS...AND WILL APPROACH KLBB DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. SHORT TERM... MID AND UPPER LEVEL TROUGH ACCOMPANIED BY A STRONG JET STREAK ENTERING THE SWRN ZONES AT 09Z PER WATER VAPOR IMAGERY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED AHEAD OF THE TROUGH ACROSS THE SRN SOUTH PLAINS AND ARE SPREADING NEWD. MAY SEE A FEW STORMS LINGER PAST 12Z ACROSS THE EXTREME ERN ZONES...AND WILL MAINTAIN SLIGHT CHANCE MENTION THERE. FOCUS WILL THEN SHIFT TO WIND SPEEDS BY LATE MORNING AND THROUGH THE AFTN AS STRONGER WINDS ALOFT MIX DOWN IN THE WAKE OF THE UPPER TROUGH. NRN END OF THE MID LEVEL JET STREAK WILL MOVE ACROSS THE SRN SECTIONS OF THE FCST AREA AND POINTS SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST WHILE AT THE SFC A COLD FRONT THAT IS DRAPED ACROSS THE ERN PANHANDLE ROTATES SWD INTO THE NERN ZONES BY LATE AFTN. GRADIENT IN WIND SPEED ASSOCIATED WITH SFC FRONT AS WELL AS SOME UNCERTAINTY IN EXACT LOCATION OF STRONGER MID LEVEL JET CORE LEAN TOWARD HIGHEST CONFIDENCE IN MEETING ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS ACROSS THE SRN ROW OF COUNTIES. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE ANOTHER ROW NORTH /OR EVEN A LITTLE FURTHER NORTH ACROSS THE WRN ZONES/ MEET CRITERIA...BUT CONFIDENCE NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO HOIST ADVISORY THOSE AREAS ATTM. WINDS SHOULD DECREASE PRETTY QUICKLY THIS EVENING WHILE COLD FRONT WILL OOZE WWD TOWARD AND ONTO THE CAPROCK BY END OF THE PERIOD. LONG TERM... OVERALL THE EXTENDED IS SHAPING UP QUIET WITHIN A PREDOMINANTLY ZONAL UPPER FLOW. THE SINGLE EXCEPTION TO THIS UNFOLDS LATE IN THE WEEKEND WHEN IT APPEARS REASONABLE THAT MUCH OF THE SOUTH PLAINS WILL FALL IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF A VIGOROUS WIND EVENT. UNTIL THIS TIME...EXPECT A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT TO EDGE ONTO THE CAPROCK FRI MORNING BEHIND TODAY/S OPEN WAVE FOLLOWED BY A ROUND OF DRY SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS LATE FRI INTO SATURDAY. UPPER FLOW THEN BACKS SHARPLY SOUTHWEST LATE SATURDAY AHEAD OF A DEEP PACIFIC LOW PRESENTLY NEAR PUGET SOUND. ECMWF REMAINS ON THE DEEPER AND SLOWER END OF THE SPECTRUM WHEREAS THE GEM IS 12 HOURS FASTER WITH THE NAM AND GFS SANDWICHED IN BETWEEN. MODELS ALSO DISAGREE ON HOW MUCH FILLING THIS LOW WILL UNDERGO AS IT EXITS THE DESERT SOUTHWEST EARLY SUNDAY...BUT ALL AGREE IN A FAVORABLE TRACK OF THIS FEATURE ACROSS THE NRN PANHANDLE. GFS AND ECMWF CARRY AN IMPRESSIVE 105+ KNOT 500MB WIND MAX DIRECTLY ATOP THE LOCAL AREA WITH UP TO 60 KNOTS AT 700MB. ADD TO THIS FULLY-PHASED SOUTHWEST FLOW FROM THE SURFACE TO TO THE TROPOPAUSE AND INEVITABLY DRIER AIR SHOULD EVOLVE IN SPITE OF THIS SYSTEM/S PACIFIC ORIGIN. WE THEREFORE CONTINUE TO PAINT HIGH-END ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS OVER MUCH OF THE CWA...THOUGH CONFIDENCE IN HIGH WIND CRITERIA/ 40 KNOTS SUSTAINED OR GUSTS TO 50 KNOTS/ IS DIMINISHED BY THE TIMING ISSUES WITH THIS SYSTEM. IF THE ECMWF WERE TO VERIFY...THE STRONGEST WIND FIELD WOULD BE DELAYED UNTIL NEAR/AFTER SUNSET AND LARGELY REMAIN UNTAPPED GIVEN A DECOUPLED BOUNDARY LAYER. THEREAFTER THE UPPER FLOW RETURNS TO A ZONAL FASHION PROMOTING MOSTLY LIGHT SLY FLOW AND ONLY WEAK GOMEX MOISTURE RETURN INTO THE START OF THE NEW WEEK. FIRE WEATHER... 20 TO 30 MPH WINDS AT THE 20-FOOT LEVEL A NEAR CERTAINTY ACROSS ALL OF THE AREA BUT THE NE WHERE A SWD MOVING COLD FRONT WILL KEEP THE SFC GRADIENT WEAKER THERE. DRY AIR SPREADING ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING A DEFINITE PLUS BUT SOME MODEST COLD ADVECTION INTO THE NRN AND WRN ZONES COULD RESULT IN RH VALUES STAYING ABOVE 15 PCT. CONSIDERED DROPPING THE RED FLAG WARNING FOR THE NRN ROW OF COUNTIES /EXTREME SRN PANHANDLE/ BUT FCST ELEMENTS CLOSE ENOUGH TO KEEP WARNING GOING FOR NOW. A POTENTIALLY WIDESPREAD AND SIGNIFICANT CRITICAL FIRE WX THREAT MAY EMERGE AS EARLY AS SUNDAY MORNING AS A DEEP STORM SYSTEM TRACKS ACROSS THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE. VERY STRONG WESTERLY WINDS APPEAR QUITE POSSIBLE OVER ALL OF THE REGION...THOUGH COOL PACIFIC AIR MAY ACT TO RETARD ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE WRN SOUTH PLAINS AND NORTHWEST PANHANDLE. IN SPITE OF THIS...WE DO EXPECT SUFFICIENT DRYING TO DEVELOP THROUGHOUT THE DAY WHICH SHOULD GARNER RH VALUES OF 15 PERCENT OR LOWER. HAVE OPTED AGAINST ISSUING A FIRE WX WATCH AT THIS TIME AS THE PRESENT DAY/S SETUP IS MORE DESERVING OF ATTENTION AT THIS POINT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 62 25 67 31 72 / 0 0 0 0 0 TULIA 63 24 63 32 73 / 0 0 0 0 0 PLAINVIEW 65 25 66 33 75 / 0 0 0 0 0 LEVELLAND 66 28 72 32 79 / 0 0 0 0 0 LUBBOCK 67 26 70 32 79 / 0 0 0 0 0 DENVER CITY 67 30 74 34 81 / 0 0 0 0 0 BROWNFIELD 67 29 73 34 81 / 0 0 0 0 0 CHILDRESS 70 27 59 30 75 / 10 0 0 0 0 SPUR 71 29 65 35 79 / 10 0 0 0 0 ASPERMONT 74 29 65 37 79 / 10 0 0 0 0 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: TXZ021>024-027>044. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: TXZ027>030-033>037-039>044. && 20
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 24, 6:55 AM CST, 8 hours 5 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 655 AM CST THU FEB 24 2011 TXZ021>044-251300- PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE- FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL- 655 AM CST THU FEB 24 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WIND AND FIRE WEATHER...STRONG WESTERLY WINDS UP TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY MID-MORNING ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHERN SOUTH PLAINS AND SOUTH ROLLING PLAINS BEFORE DISSIPATING BY SUNSET. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA FROM 9 AM UNTIL 6 PM. IN ADDITION...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES BY MIDDAY WILL COMBINE WITH BREEZY WINDS TO CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER MUCH OF THE OUTLOOK AREA. A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM UNTIL 6 PM FOR ALL LOCATIONS EXCEPT THE SOUTHEAST PANHANDLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A VIGOROUS STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE REGION ON SUNDAY GENERATING VERY STRONG WINDS...BLOWING DUST AND A HIGH FIRE DANGER. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
2 wildfire, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong Wind, Terry
- When
- February 24, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Terry forecast zone
- Measured
- 43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 33.174, -102.335 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Locally strong westerly gradient wind gusts downed a utility line that sparked a wildfire along Farm to Market Road 213 west of Wellman.
Wildfire, Hockley
- When
- February 24, 6:30 PM CST to February 25, 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- Hockley forecast zone
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
- Coordinates
- 33.608, -102.343 (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.
- Strong Wind
- Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Kentucky, February 24 to 25, 2011
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, February 24 to 28, 2011
- Tornadoes and Flood in Tennessee, February 24, 2011
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, February 24, 2011
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Tennessee, February 24, 2011
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, February 24, 2011
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Louisiana, February 24, 2011
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Alabama, February 24 to 25, 2011
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Alabama, February 24 to 25, 2011
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, February 24, 2011
- Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Nevada, February 24 to 25, 2011
- Winter Storm and Hail in Kansas, February 24, 2011
More
Every storm in Texas in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, February 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: 276174, 276175, 276176.