On the evening of the 12th, isolated storms developed in the southwestern South Plains and tracked east-northeast. These storms produced severe wind gusts in Terry County.
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.
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.
On the evening of the 12th, isolated storms developed in the southwestern South Plains and tracked east-northeast. These storms produced severe wind gusts in Terry County. Additionally, a haboob was generated by the strong surface winds from the thunderstorms. A widespread area across Terry, Hockley, Lynn and Lubbock counties reported visibilities near zero at times due to blowing dust with the passage of the haboob.
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 12, 5:47 PM CST, 1 hour 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 647 PM CDT SUN JUN 12 2011 .UPDATE... CONTINUE TO MONITOR SCATTERED CONVECTION APPROACHING THE SOUTHWESTERN SOUTH PLAINS. THE INFLUENCE OF A LINGERING DRY AIRMASS OVER THE SOUTH PLAINS IS NOW TAKING ITS TOLL ON THE CONVECTION...AND A GENERAL WANING TREND IS OBSERVED. YET PROXIMITY OF CONVECTION CONTINUES TO WARRANT A SLIGHT CHANCE MENTION OVER THE WESTERN ZONES WHERE VERY HIGH-BASED CONVECTION COULD RESULT IN GUSTY WINDS. && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST AT KLBB. HIGH-BASED CONVECTION WITH A POTENTIAL THREAT FOR LOCALIZED/GUSTY WINDS WILL REMAIN WEST OF THE TERMINAL. CONCERNS REMAIN AT KCDS FOR REDUCED VIS IN SMOKE. WILL INTRODUCE IFR VIS RESTRICTIONS THERE BETWEEN 13/10-14Z WHEN THE DEPTH OF BOUNDARY LAYER WILL BE MIN AND FAVORABLE SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL LIKELY ADVECT SMOKE OVER THE TERMINAL. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 543 PM CDT SUN JUN 12 2011/ UPDATE... HAVE UPDATED GRIDS/FORECAST TO REFLECT CURRENT TRENDS. A CONVECTIVE COMPLEX HAS DEVELOPED OVER THE UPPER TRANS PECOS AND SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO. NEW DEVELOPMENT IS NOW OCCURRING WITHIN 30 MILES OF THE SOUTHWESTERN FA. IN ADDITION...SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS INCREASINGLY VERTICAL CU NORTHWARD TOWARD THE EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN PANHANDLE/NORTHWESTERN SOUTH PLAINS WHERE THE 18Z WRF-NAM DEPICTS A LIGHT CONVECTIVE QPF SIGNAL. THE ONGOING STORMS...WHICH DEVELOPED WITHIN A LOCALIZED/NARROW TONGUE OF MOISTURE ALONG THE PECOS RIVER VALLEY...IS PROGRESSING NORTHEASTWARD INTO AN INCREASING DRY/DEEPLY MIXED AIRMASS WITH MINIMAL/WEAK INSTABILITY BETWEEN 100-500 J/KG. THUS THE LONGEVITY OF THIS ACTIVITY IS QUESTIONABLE...BUT NWP AND CURRENT TRENDS SUGGEST SOME HIGH-BASED SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS MAY SPREAD INTO THE SOUTHWESTERN ZONES BEFORE DISSIPATING. FORECAST PROFILES SHOW LCL/S UPWARDS OF 500 MB AND FAVOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF COLD POOLS WHICH COULD CONTRIBUTE TO DOWNBURST WINDS/BLOWING DUST. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 354 PM CDT SUN JUN 12 2011/ SHORT TERM... BUILDING HEIGHTS ALOFT WILL LIKELY KEEP CONVECTION AT BAY FOR THE REST OF TODAY. RIDGING ALOFT HAS KEPT THE DRYLINE FROM SURGING FAR INTO THE AREA FROM NEW MEXICO THIS AFTERNOON. CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON ARE SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY. SURFACE INSTABILITY HAS CLIMBED TO AROUND 2000 J/KG OFF THE CAPROCK WITH VALUES BELOW 1000 J/KG ON THE CAPROCK WITH LITTLE TO NO CAP. THE LIFT WILL CONTINUE TO VERY WEAK TO NONEXISTENT. THE ONLY DECENT LIFT WILL BE FROM CONVERGENCE ALONG THE DRYLINE. WITH LITTLE MOISTURE IN THE ATMOSPHERE...THERE MAY SOME HIGH LEVEL CU DEVELOPMENT LATER THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...DO NOT EXPECT MUCH OUT OF THIS CU DEVELOPMENT. MOST CONVECTION WILL DRIFT NORTH OF THE DAVIS MOUNTAINS BUT MOST LIKELY WILL NOT MAKE IT INTO THE FA. A LOW LEVEL JET WILL KEEP SURFACE WINDS BREEZY OVERNIGHT. THIS WILL LIKELY KEEP OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES ELEVATED EXCEPT FOR AREAS NEAR THE STATE LINE WHERE WINDS COULD GO LIGHT. THERE WILL BE SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS TOMORROW AFTERNOON ACROSS KANSAS LEADING TO BREEZY SURFACE WINDS IN WEST TEXAS AND ANOTHER HOT DAY. JDV LONG TERM... HOT CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY AS THE RIDGE STARTS TO BREAK DOWN AND HEIGHTS SLOWLY START TO FALL. AT THE SAME TIME... MODELS CONTINUE TO STALL A WEAK COLD FRONT FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE TEXAS PANHANDLE DURING THE DAY. THIS FRONT WILL MAKE SOUTHWARD PROGRESS OVERNIGHT TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING BUT THE MODELS CONTINUE TO DIFFER ON THE SPEED AND POINT WHERE THE FRONT WILL STALL OUT. GFS AND CMC BOTH STALL THE FRONT OUT NORTH OF THE AREA DURING THE DAY WHILE THE ECMWF AND NAM PUSH THE FRONT THROUGH THE ENTIRE AREA. WILL LEAN TOWARDS THE HIGHER RESOLUTION NAM FOR THE SURFACE WIND FIELD IN THE GRIDS WHICH PUSHES THE FRONT THROUGH ALL BUT THE FAR SOUTHERN COUNTIES OF THE FORECAST AREA BY 12Z WEDNESDAY. CONFIDENCE IN POPS FOR WEDNESDAY ALSO REMAINS LOW...ALTHOUGH SLOWLY INCREASING WITH TIME MAINLY DUE TO THE FACT THERE IS LITTLE IN THE WAY OF UPPER-LEVEL SYSTEMS TO PROVIDE MESOSCALE LIFT TO AID IN STORM INITIATION. ON THE FLIP- SIDE...CONVERGENCE ALONG THE FRONT MAY BE STRONG ENOUGH TO GET SURFACE-BASED CONVECTION TO DEVELOP. WILL HOLD OFF ONCE AGAIN ADDING POPS FOR WEDNESDAY/WED NIGHT AS A RESULT BUT DID TREND TEMPERATURES DOWN A BIT CLOSER TO ENSEMBLE MOS GUIDANCE NUMBERS. WARM FRONT RAPIDLY MIXES NORTHWARD DURING THE MORNING THURSDAY AS MODELS HAVE BACKED OFF FROM NORTHWEST FLOW OVER THE REGION FOR END OF THE WEEK. THIS MEANS A QUICKER RETURN TO TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL AND APPROACHING THE CENTURY MARK ONCE AGAIN. GFS AND ECMWF TRY TO PUSH ANOTHER FRONT INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS BY THE END OF THE WEEK BUT STALL IT OUT WELL TO THE NORTH OF THE AREA. RIGHT NOW...EXTENDED IS STARTING TO LOOK LIKE MORE OF THE SAME OF HOT... BREEZY...AND DRY. JORDAN FIRE WEATHER... ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED TOMORROW AFTERNOON MOSTLY FOR AREAS ON THE CAPROCK. VERY HOT TEMPERATURES AND DRY SURFACE AIR WILL CAUSE RELATIVE HUMIDITIES TO DROP INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS WITH TEENS OFF THE CAPROCK. SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS OVER KANSAS WILL LEAD TO BREEZY WINDS ACROSS THE AREA. WIND SPEEDS MAY BRIEFLY EXCEED CRITICAL VALUES INTERMITTENTLY DURING THE AFTERNOON. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 63 101 62 99 64 / 20 10 10 0 0 TULIA 67 102 66 99 66 / 10 10 10 0 10 PLAINVIEW 67 101 67 101 68 / 10 10 0 0 0 LEVELLAND 66 103 67 102 68 / 20 10 0 0 0 LUBBOCK 71 102 69 102 69 / 10 10 0 0 0 DENVER CITY 65 103 68 102 68 / 20 10 0 0 0 BROWNFIELD 67 104 69 103 68 / 20 10 0 0 0 CHILDRESS 72 105 73 105 71 / 0 10 0 0 10 SPUR 70 103 72 105 70 / 10 10 0 0 10 ASPERMONT 71 107 73 105 72 / 10 10 0 0 10 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 20
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 532 PM CDT SUN JUN 12 2011 TXZ021>044-132245- PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE- FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL- 532 PM CDT SUN JUN 12 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT CONVECTIVE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING...MAINLY ACROSS THE EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE AND THE WESTERN SOUTH PLAINS. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE WITH LOCALIZED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES FROM BLOWING DUST BEING THE PRIMARY THREATS. FIRE WEATHER BREEZY SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL COMBINE WITH HOT TEMPERATURES...DRY AIR...AND EXTREMELY CURED FUELS TO CREATE AN ELEVATED FIRE DANGER ACROSS THE EXTREME SOUTHWEST PANHANDLE AND WESTERN SOUTH PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THUS...A RANGE LAND FIRE DANGER STATEMENT IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHWEST PANHANDLE AND WESTERN SOUTH PLAINS THROUGH 9 PM CDT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THE PROBABILITY OF WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... DUE TO THE LIMITED SEVERE WEATHER THREAT SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 722 PM CDT SUN JUN 12 2011 TXZ033-039-040-130045- COCHRAN-TERRY-YOAKUM- 722 PM CDT SUN JUN 12 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR COCHRAN...YOAKUM AND TERRY COUNTIES... AT 717 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED HIGH BASED SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...ROUGHLY CENTERED 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PLAINS...MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH AND PATCHY BLOWING DUST...ARE POSSIBLE NEAR THESE STORMS. GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL BRANCHES TO BE BLOWN DOWN...AND LOOSE OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED.
The Lubbock radar (KLBB), 80 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:51 UTC.
4 dust storm, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The public reported an estimated wind gust to 60 mph with near zero visibility within blowing dust. No damage was reported.
An emergency manager estimated wind gusts to 70 mph in Gomez. No damage was reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, June 2011
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: 318378, 318380, 318381, 318382, 318383, 318379.