Dust Storm and High Wind in Texas, December 19, 2012

Name: Dust Storm and High Wind in Texas, December 19, 2012
Start: 2012-12-19T11:30
End: 2012-12-19T22:10
Location: Texas

December 19, 2012 · NWS LUB · 23 events in 16 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 23 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 17
Property damage: $1.0 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 23

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.

A historic dust storm engulfed much of the South Plains this afternoon resulting in dust storm conditions (visibilities at or below 1/2 mile in blowing dust) at the Lubbock International Airport for the longest duration since December 16, 1977. The culprit for this exceptional dust storm was a surface cyclone rapidly deepening in far southwest Kansas ahead of a vigorous upper level trough exiting the southern Rockies. Along the southern periphery of this trough, a deep layer wind maximum overspread the Texas South Plains during the afternoon behind a Pacific cold front. Initially, a layer of thick high clouds prevented these winds from mixing to the surface behind the front, but as the late morning and afternoon wore on, these clouds departed and allowed high winds with frequent gusts around 60 mph to stir up extensive blowing dust on the Caprock. The highest wind gusts as measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet developed in Lubbock and Floyd Counties where peak wind gusts of 66 and 72 mph were recorded, respectively. Visibilities fell abruptly to 1/2 mile or less in many rural areas, with near-zero visibility at times as documented by TV news reporters along Interstate 27 in southern Hale and northern Lubbock Counties. These conditions contributed to a deadly 25-vehicle pileup on I-27 just south of New Deal. One man was fatally injured and at least 17 others suffered injuries of varying severity. Law enforcement promptly closed the interstate in both directions for several hours. Also, a mobile triage unit from UMC Hospital was dispatched for the first time ever to assist with accident victims as flight-for-life helicopters were grounded due to the high winds. Several flights at Lubbock International Airport were grounded until wind and visibility improved by early evening. This significant dust storm was forecast exceptionally well by meteorologists at the Lubbock NWS who provided residents with just over seven hours notice that dangerously low visibilities from blowing dust were inevitable by midday. For some cell phone users in the region, the newly-developed Commercial Mobile Alert System alerted them for the first time of life-threatening weather.

A list of severe wind gusts measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet and Automated Surface Observing Systems follows:

66 mph at Lubbock International Airport (Lubbock County)...62 mph at Wolfforth (Lubbock County)...61 mph at Reese Center (Lubbock County)...60 mph at Denver City (Yoakum County)...59 mph at Lubbock (Lubbock County), O'Donnell (Lynn County), Roaring Springs (Motley County), and Memphis (Hall County)...58 mph at Abernathy (Hale County), Floydada (Floyd County), Turkey (Hall County), Silverton (Briscoe County), Olton (Lamb County), and White River Lake (Crosby County).

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 Dec 19, 5:22 AM CST, 6 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 19, 5:22 AM CST, 6 hours 8 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
522 AM CST WED DEC 19 2012

.AVIATION...
STRONG WINDS AND BLOWING DUST THE ORDER OF THE AFTN. STRONG STORM
SYSTEM TO BRING STRONG WINDS AND IN TURN REDUCTIONS IN VSBY DUE TO
BLOWING DUST THIS AFTN. NOW SIG CHANGE TO PREVIOUS TAF SET OTHER
THAN TO FURTHER LOW VSBY. CONSIDERED A TEMPO GROUP FOR EVEN LOWER
VSBY...ESPECIALLY FOR KLBB...BUT SOME UNCERTAINTY DURATION OF
POTENTIAL IFR CRITERIA. SHOULD SEE MORE REFINEMENT TO THE FCST
LATER THIS MORNING.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 429 AM CST WED DEC 19 2012/

SHORT TERM...
WELL-ADVERTISED HIGH WIND EVENT ON SCHEDULE FOR TODAY AS A STRONG
UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM MOVES QUICKLY ACROSS THE ROCKIES TODAY
REACHING THE PLAINS OF WESTERN KANSAS BY EARLY EVENING. MODELS
CONTINUE TO DEPICT A 60 TO 70 KT 700 MB JET STREAK MOVING ACROSS THE
FCST AREA TODAY ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE UPPER LOW. AT THE SFC...
CYCLOGENESIS TO OCCUR IN THE LEE OF THE ROCKIES ACROSS NERN NM THIS
MORNING WITH THE LOW DEEPENING AS IT RACES ACROSS THE NRN TEXAS
PANHANDLE TO NWRN OKLAHOMA. THIS RAW MODEL DATA AS WELL AS MOS
GUIDANCE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT HIGH WINDS THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY
EVENING. WILL CONTINUE WITH THE HIGH WIND WARNING AND EXPAND IT TO
INCLUDE THE TWO COUNTIES IN THE SERN PART OF THE FCST AREA. 00Z
AND 06Z MODEL GUIDANCE INCLUDING THE TTU-WRF POINT AT THE JET
STREAK COMING OUT A TOUCH FURTHER SOUTH THAN PREVIOUSLY INDICATED...
THUS INCREASING CHANCES THAT THE SERN ZONES WILL ALSO SEE HIGH
WIND CRITERIA. SHOULD SEE PRETTY WIDESPREAD GUSTS OF 60 TO 65 MPH
FOR AT LEAST BRIEF PERIODS OF TIME THIS AFTERNOON WITH UPWARD
BOUNDS LOOKING TO BE AROUND 70 MPH.

WINDS OF THESE SPEEDS SHOULD KICK UP A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF
DUST...ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF HOW EASILY DUST HAS BEEN PICKED UP
DURING THE MINOR WIND EVENTS OF THE LAST WEEK. SHOULD SEE WIDESPREAD
AREAS WITH VSBY LESS THAN 1 MILE FOR AT LEAST A SPELL THIS AFTERNOON
FOR MUCH OF THE AREA...AND A VERY GOOD CHANCE FOR 1/4 MILE OR LESS
IN MORE THAN JUST LOCALIZED AREAS. AS A RESULT WILL ISSUE A DUST
STORM WARNING FOR AREAS ON THE LLANO ESTACADO AND A BLOWING DUST
ADVISORY FOR AREAS OFF THE CAPROCK...IE WRN FOUR COLUMNS OF COUNTIES
WITH THE WARNING AND ERN TWO COLUMNS WITH THE ADVISORY.

DESPITE CONFIDENCE IN THIS EVENT...A COUPLE OF MINOR NEGATIVES THAT
COULD KEEP THIS EVENT FROM MEETING ITS POTENTIAL IS UNCERTAINTY OF
TIMING OF THE EGRESS OF THICK CIRRUS. MODELS CONTINUE TO SUGGEST
LATE MORNING TO EARLY AFTERNOON WHICH MATCHES TIMING OF PACIFIC
FRONT AND THE ONSET OF HIGH WINDS. ANY DELAY IN EITHER THE CLEARING
OR THE FRONTAL PASSAGE COULD PUT REACHING THE HIGHEST WINDS AT RISK.
ALSO...SOME UNCERTAINTY HOW EFFICIENT MIXING WILL BE WITH A MID
LEVEL MOISTURE AXIS PROGGED WITH THE ONSET OF WINDS. THIS SOMETIMES
CAN KEEP WINDS FROM MAXIMIZING THEIR POTENTIAL. BUT THESE ARE MINOR
CONCERNS ATTM WITH CONFIDENCE STILL HIGH IN A VERY WINDY AND DIRTY
DAY ACROSS THE AREA.

WINDS WILL ONLY LAY DOWN A LITTLE BIT OVERNIGHT. GUSTY NORTHWEST
WINDS COULD STAY IN ADVISORY CRITERIA LATE INTO THE EARLY MORNING
HOURS AS A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THE DEEPENING BUT EWD
MOVING LOW TO THE NORTHEAST AND HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE ROCKIES.
STRONG COLD ADVECTION TO BE OFFSET SOME BY CONTINUED MIXING
OVERNIGHT WITH MOS TEMPS LOOKING FINE FOR LOWS ATTM.

LONG TERM...
THURSDAY BEGINS WITH STRONG SUBSIDENCE ON THE BACK SIDE OF TODAY'S
POTENT TROUGH. COINCIDENT WITH THIS STRONG DESCENT WILL BE A COOL
SURFACE RIDGE THAT WILL ENTRENCH ITSELF OVER THE SOUTH PLAINS FOR
MUCH OF THE DAY COMPLETE WITH BONE-DRY DEWPOINTS NEARING 0 DEGREES
IN PLACES. WITH SUCH DRY AIR IN PLACE...STRONG DIABATIC WARMING
SHOULD EASILY PUSH TEMPS 25-30 DEG ABOVE THE CHILLY MORNING LOWS.
MILDER SWLY WINDS RESUME ON FRI AS LEE TROUGHING ORGANIZES...THOUGH
A BACKDOOR FRONT STILL SHOWS SIGNS OF CRASHING THIS PARTY MAINLY IN
OUR NERN ZONES EITHER LATE SAT OR EARLY SUN. LARGELY FLAT RIDGING
ALOFT DURING THIS TIME SHOULD KEEP THIS FRONT FROM PRESSING TOO FAR
SOUTH BEFORE QUICKLY RETREATING LATE SUNDAY AHEAD OF BACKING UPPER
WINDS AND LOWERED HEIGHTS SPREADING THROUGHOUT THE WRN CONUS.

DID BOOST WIND SPEEDS UP A COUPLE MPH THIS WEEKEND ON THE CAPROCK AS
WE'LL BE HARD-PRESSED TO RID THE REGION OF VERY LOW BOUNDARY LAYER
DEWPOINTS AND CONSEQUENTLY DEEPER MIXING HEIGHTS TAPPING HIGHER
MOMENTUM AIR. THIS MOISTURE VOID REMAINS A BIT OF A NEGATIVE FOR
PRECIP CHANCES AS THE BASE OF AN UPPER TROUGH OR WEAK UPPER LOW
CROSSES THE SRN GREAT PLAINS EITHER CHRISTMAS EVE OR DAY...
DEPENDING ON YOUR MODEL OF CHOICE. GFS AND ECMWF ARE MORE DAMPENED
WITH THIS WAVE THAN IN PREVIOUS DAYS...BUT WE WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED
IF LATER RUNS REVERT BACK TO A MORE AMPLIFIED WAVE AT SOME POINT
AS THE PARENT LOW IS STILL IN ITS FORMATIVE STAGES OVER THE GULF
OF ALASKA. 00Z GEFS AND 00Z ECMWF ENSEMBLES SHARE A REASONABLY LOW
500MB HEIGHT STANDARD DEVIATION THROUGH 00Z TUE BEFORE INCREASING
MARKEDLY THEREAFTER. WHILE THIS ASPECT OF THE FORECAST REMAINS
QUITE MURKY...CONFIDENCE IN A STRONG POLAR OR ARCTIC INTRUSION IS
MORE CERTAIN COME CHRISTMAS DAY AS RIDGING IN THE NRN ROCKIES WILL
HAVE EXITED STAGE RIGHT AND ALLOWED A COLD DOME TO BE RELEASED
SOUTHWARD. FOR NOW WILL CONTINUE TO UNDERCUT THE MISLEADING CLIMO
TEMP CURVE OF MOS GUIDANCE WHICH FAR TOO OFTEN MASKS THE TRUE
INTENSITY OF SUCH DISTANT COLD DUMPS.

FIRE WEATHER...
OBVIOUSLY VERY STRONG WINDS A MAJOR FIRE WEATHER CONCERN FOR TODAY.
HOWEVER...RECENT MODEL RUNS ARE SHOWING AN INITIAL MIXING OF HIGHER
DEW POINT TO THE SFC WITH THE ONSET OF THE STRONG WINDS. IN
ADDITION...STRENGTH OF THE COLD ADVECTION BEHIND THE INITIAL PACIFIC
FRONT MAY KEEP HIGH TEMPS AROUND 50 DEGREES ACROSS THE SWRN
PANHANDLE. THESE TWO FACTORS ARE RESULTING IN HIGHER MINIMUM
RELATIVE HUMIDITY THIS AFTERNOON THAN PREVIOUSLY INDICATED.
CURRENTLY LOOKING AT RH STAYING ABOVE RED FLAG CRITERIA...COMING
CLOSEST ACROSS THE SERN ZONES WHERE TEMPS WILL BE THE WARMEST. MUCH
OF THE AREA WILL SEE MINIMUM RH BETWEEN 20 AND 25 PCT.

GIVEN THAT ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE AREA ALREADY HAS A RED FLAG
WARNING POSTED AND KNOWING WHAT THESE WIND SPEEDS CAN DO TO POWER
LINES...THINK IT PRUDENT TO NOT ONLY KEEP THE RED FLAG WARNING BUT
TO EXTEND IT TO THE NW. THOSE NWRN ZONES SHOULD SEE MIN RH NEAR
20 PCT WHILE WIND GUSTS COULD REACH 60 MPH OR GREATER AT THE
20-FOOT LEVEL.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
FRIONA        54  16  49  20  57 /   0   0   0   0   0
TULIA         60  18  50  21  58 /   0   0   0   0   0
PLAINVIEW     62  19  49  22  58 /   0   0   0   0   0
LEVELLAND     63  20  50  22  58 /   0   0   0   0   0
LUBBOCK       66  21  50  22  58 /   0   0   0   0   0
DENVER CITY   63  21  49  22  55 /   0   0   0   0   0
BROWNFIELD    64  21  50  22  58 /   0   0   0   0   0
CHILDRESS     70  24  52  24  61 /   0   0   0   0   0
SPUR          71  24  52  23  60 /   0   0   0   0   0
ASPERMONT     73  27  53  24  62 /   0   0   0   0   0

&&

.LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
BLOWING DUST ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM CST THIS
EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
TXZ025-026-031-032-037-038-043-044.

HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM CST THIS
EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: TXZ021>044.

RED FLAG WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM CST THIS
EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: TXZ021>044.

DUST STORM WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM CST THIS
EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
TXZ021>024-027>030-033>036-039>042.

&&

07/93/07

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 19, 5:33 AM CST, 5 hours 57 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
533 AM CST WED DEC 19 2012

TXZ021>044-201145-
PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE-
FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING-
YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL-
533 AM CST WED DEC 19 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS
PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

NON PRECIPITATION

A SIGNIFICANT HIGH WIND AND BLOWING DUST EVENT ARE LIKELY OVER
THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA TODAY BEHIND A FAST-MOVING PACIFIC FRONT.
SUSTAINED WESTERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN 35 AND 45 MPH
LATE THIS MORNING BEHIND THE FRONT WITH SOME GUSTS AS HIGH AS 70
MPH AT TIMES. WINDS THIS INTENSE WILL CREATE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS
OF THICK BLOWING DUST THAT WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY AT TIMES TO 1/4
MILE OR LESS ON THE CAPROCK...WITH BETWEEN 1/2 AND 1 MILE
VISIBILITY EXPECTED OFF THE CAPROCK. LOCALIZED INSTANCES OF NEAR
ZERO VISIBILITY ARE LIKELY ON THE CAPROCK NEAR OPEN FIELDS...
CONSTRUCTION SITES AND DRY LAKE BEDS. MOTORISTS SHOULD EXERCISE
EXTREME CAUTION IF TRAVELING TODAY AS DUST STORM RELATED ACCIDENTS
ARE NOT UNCOMMON DURING EVENTS SUCH AS THIS.

A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT TODAY FROM 11 AM UNTIL 10 PM FOR
ALL OF THE OUTLOOK AREA. A DUST STORM WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT
FOR THIS SAME TIME SPAN FOR ALL OF THE CAPROCK...AS IS A BLOWING
DUST ADVISORY FOR ALL AREAS OFF THE CAPROCK.

FIRE WEATHER

LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES BETWEEN 15 AND 25 PERCENT WILL COMBINE
WITH THE INTENSE WINDS TO GENERATE DANGEROUS WILDFIRE CONDITIONS.
FAULTY AND STRESSED POWER LINES ARE OFTEN A SOURCE OF FIRE
STARTS DURING HIGH WIND EVENTS. A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT
FOR THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA FROM 11 AM UNTIL 6 PM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

THE PROBABILITY OF WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

16 high wind, 7 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Dust Storm, Lamb

When: December 19, 11:30 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Lamb forecast zone
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.069, -102.352 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Event duration estimated using mesonet wind data.

Dust Storm, Hockley

When: December 19, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Hockley forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 33.608, -102.343 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Event duration estimated using mesonet wind data.

Dust Storm, Hale

When: December 19, 12:35 PM CST to 6:30 PM CST
Where: Hale forecast zone
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 34.071, -101.827 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Duration of dust storm conditions estimated using mesonet wind data. Although the lowest visibility at the Plainview Airport was only 1 mile (likely due to sheltering by urbanization farther west), visibility in rural areas of Hale County (particularly near open fields) was reported to be near zero at times.

High Wind, Hale

When: December 19, 12:50 PM CST
Where: Hale forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.071, -101.827 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Measured by a Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site located 5ENE Abernathy.

High Wind, Lubbock

When: December 19, 12:55 PM CST
Where: Lubbock forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.610, -101.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site 3WNW Lubbock.

High Wind, Lubbock

When: December 19, 1:00 PM CST
Where: Lubbock forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.610, -101.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site at Reese Center. A meteorologist on site estimated visibility as low as 100 meters in blowing dust.

High Wind, Lubbock

When: December 19, 1:00 PM CST to 1:07 PM CST
Where: Lubbock forecast zone
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 33.610, -101.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Lubbock ASOS measured wind gusts of 61 mph at 1300 CST and 66 mph at 1307 pm CST.

Dust Storm, Lubbock

When: December 19, 1:00 PM CST to 6:38 PM CST
Where: Lubbock forecast zone
Deaths: 0 direct, 1 indirect
Injuries: 0 direct, 17 indirect
Property damage: $1.0 million
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 33.610, -101.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A significant dust storm swept into Lubbock County early this afternoon and did not release its grip until shortly after 1830 CST. Officially, dust storm conditions (visibility at or below 1/2 mile) were observed by the Lubbock Airport weather observers for 5 hours and 38 minutes making this the longest duration dust storm at the airport since December 16, 1977. Westerly winds sustained around 40 mph with gusts at times as high as 66 mph created dangerously low visibility particularly in rural areas. Near-zero visibility along a stretch of Interstate 27 in northern Lubbock County contributed to a 27 car pile-up near New Deal that fatally injured a 63 year old man and injured 17 others, some severely. Due to the hazardous winds, flight-for-life helicopters were grounded. Some of the injured were transported to the Lubbock UMC Hospital via a newly acquired mobile triage unit. An unknown number of less significant vehicle accidents were reported throughout the city of Lubbock and also along Highway 84 near Slaton. At the Lubbock Airport, all air traffic was suspended during the afternoon resulting in additional stress for holiday travelers. Widespread power outages were noted primarily in northern sections of Lubbock and also in Levelland after high winds damaged power lines. The high winds also created sporadic instances of minor property damage. Much of this damage consisted of damaged fences, fallen tree limbs, and damage to outdoor Christmas lights and lawn decorations. These damages along with the total economic impacts will likely push combined losses to $1 million.

High Wind, Lubbock

When: December 19, 1:05 PM CST to 1:40 PM CST
Where: Lubbock forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.610, -101.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site located 6SSW Wolfforth measured wind gusts of 61 mph and 62 mph at 1305 CST and 1340 CST, respectively.

High Wind, Floyd

When: December 19, 1:15 PM CST
Where: Floyd forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.072, -101.303 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site 2NNE Floydada.

High Wind, Lynn

When: December 19, 1:25 PM CST
Where: Lynn forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.177, -101.816 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site near O'Donnell.

Dust Storm, Bailey

When: December 19, 1:30 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Bailey forecast zone
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 34.069, -102.830 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Dust storm conditions were reported by KAMC news in Muleshoe. The duration of this event was estimated using mesonet wind data.

High Wind, Hall

When: December 19, 1:35 PM CST
Where: Hall forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.531, -100.681 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site 2WSW Turkey.

High Wind, Yoakum

When: December 19, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Yoakum forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.173, -102.828 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site 7WNW Denver City.

High Wind, Castro

When: December 19, 2:01 PM CST
Where: Castro forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.530, -102.262 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Measured by a KVII-TV schoolnet site in Hart.

Dust Storm, Terry

When: December 19, 2:30 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Terry forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 33.174, -102.335 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Event duration estimated using mesonet wind data.

Dust Storm, Swisher

When: December 19, 2:31 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Swisher forecast zone
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.530, -101.735 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A city official in Happy reported dust storm conditions with visibility as low as a few hundred feet at times. Duration of the event was estimated using mesonet wind observations.

High Wind, Motley

When: December 19, 2:35 PM CST
Where: Motley forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.074, -100.780 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site 3N Roaring Springs.

High Wind, Parmer

When: December 19, 3:31 PM CST
Where: Parmer forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.530, -102.784 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Measured by a KVII-TV schoolnet site in Lazbuddie.

High Wind, Briscoe

When: December 19, 5:50 PM CST
Where: Briscoe forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.530, -101.209 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site located 7ESE Silverton.

High Wind, Lamb

When: December 19, 6:15 PM CST
Where: Lamb forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.069, -102.352 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site located 6S Olton.

High Wind, Crosby

When: December 19, 9:20 PM CST
Where: Crosby forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 33.615, -101.300 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site located 6NW White River Lake.

High Wind, Hall

When: December 19, 10:10 PM CST
Where: Hall forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.531, -100.681 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site located 1NE Memphis.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Dust Storm, Lubbock	2012-12-19	63	Male	Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Indirect

What these are

Dust Storm: Blowing dust that reduced visibility to a quarter mile or less.
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

Every storm in Texas in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, December 2012

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: 418716, 418715, 418710, 418713, 418694, 418695, 418708, 418711, 418696, 418697, 418698, 418712, 418699, 418700, 418701, 418717, 418714, 418702, 418703, 418704, 418705, 418706, 418707.