Scattered thunderstorms developed early in the afternoon on the 16th near an upper level shear axis over the Rolling Plains. Most storms were non-severe, however, one storm produced a wind gust to 60 mph during the early evening.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
Scattered thunderstorms developed early in the afternoon on the 16th near an upper level shear axis over the Rolling Plains. Most storms were non-severe, however, one storm produced a wind gust to 60 mph during the early evening.
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, 2:09 PM CST, 2 hours 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 309 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2012 .SHORT TERM... THE UA LOW CONTINUED TO SLOWLY PROGRESS WESTWARD ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS LATE THIS AFTERNOON...WITH THE CENTER OF THE SAID DISTURBANCE LOCATED JUST SE OF THE REGION. THE INCREASE IN LARGE SCALE ASCENT HAS RESULTED IN ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE REGION...WITH THE STRONGEST ACTIVITY NOTED NEAR THE EDGE OF THE CAPROCK...AND SOUTH AND EAST OF THE CWA. THIS IS NOT SURPRISING GIVEN THE LOCATION OF THE CENTER OF THE DISTURBANCE...IN ADDITION TO LITTLE TO NO CIN...PWATS NEARING 1.60 INCHES AND SFC-BASED CAPE AOA 1500 J/KG. ON THE CAPROCK...SHOWERS ARE STRUGGLING TO STRENGTHEN DUE TO A MID-LEVEL CAPPING INVERSION. DESPITE INCREASED CLOUDINESS...TEMPS MANAGED TO WARM INTO THE 80S AND 90S. PROGGED MODEL SOUNDINGS EXHIBITED STEEPENED LAPSE RATES AND THUS...CLOUD BASES BEING AROUND 8000 FT. IT IS THEREFORE NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION TO SEE A FEW ISOLATED WIND GUSTS POSSIBLY APPROACH SEVERE LEVELS. FURTHERMORE GIVEN MOIST MID-LEVELS...THE ACTIVITY WILL BE RATHER GOOD RAIN PRODUCERS... AS RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF A FEW TENTHS OF AN INCH WITH THE STRONGEST ACTIVITY IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. FORECAST SOLUTIONS HINT AT THE PRECIP PERSISTING THROUGH THIS EVENING...PARTICULARLY OFF THE CAPROCK NEAREST TO THE BEST MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY AXES. THE NAM AND ECMWF SOLUTIONS SHOWED A LULL OVERNIGHT...BUT THE GFS INSISTS ON LIGHT QPF LINGERING ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE FA. PRECIP HAS LINGERED OVER NIGHT AND INTO THE NEXT MORNING FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS AND AS SUCH...THE GFS MAY NOT BE TOTALLY OFF BASED. WILL THEREFORE MAINTAIN A SLIGHT MENTION WITH 14 PERCENT POPS TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY TOMORROW MORNING FOR PORTIONS ON THE CAPROCK AND ACROSS SRN LOCALES. TOMORROW...THE UA DISTURBANCE WILL COMMENCE TO SLOWLY TRANSLATE SSW AWAY FROM THE SOUTH PLAINS AND AS A RESULT...THE BEST SYNOPTIC LIFT WILL SHIFT TO ON THE CAPROCK /ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE SRN AND SWRN ZONES/. WILL THEREFORE MAINTAIN MENTIONABLE POPS ACROSS ALL BUT THE FAR NERN ZONES...WITH BEST POPS ACROSS THE SW. && .LONG TERM... ATMOSPHERE WILL BE IN TRANSITION MID WEEK AS UPPER LOW MOVES FROM SOUTHWEST TEXAS NEAR DEL RIO LATE TUESDAY AND THEN WESTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN MEXICO THURSDAY AND FRIDAY TAKING THE DEEPER MOISTURE WITH IT. DID KEEP SLIGHT CHANCE POPS ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE CWA LATE TUESDAY...DECREASING COVERAGE TO AREAS JUST ALONG THE NM BORDER WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS MODELS HINT A SOME RESIDUAL MID LEVEL MOISTURE AND WEAK CONVECTIVE SIGNALS ALONG 700-500 MB THETA-E AXIS. TIME SECTIONS AND FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW PRONOUCDED MID LEVEL DRYING AFTER TUESDAY NIGHT AS UPPER HIGH STRENGTHENS ACROSS THE CENTRAL ROCKIES INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS KEEPING EAST TO SOUTHEAST MID AND UPPER WINDS...SUBSIDENCE AND LIMITED INSTABILITY ACROSS THE REGION. TEMPERATURES WILL CREEP BACK UP INTO THE MID 90S BY THE END OF THE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND WITH POPS LOW TO NIL AT LEAST INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 65 92 65 92 64 / 20 20 20 20 10 TULIA 67 92 66 92 66 / 20 20 20 10 10 PLAINVIEW 67 92 67 92 67 / 20 20 20 10 10 LEVELLAND 68 92 68 92 67 / 20 30 20 10 10 LUBBOCK 68 93 69 93 69 / 20 20 20 10 10 DENVER CITY 67 92 68 91 67 / 20 30 20 10 10 BROWNFIELD 68 92 69 92 68 / 20 30 20 10 10 CHILDRESS 73 97 69 97 72 / 20 10 10 10 10 SPUR 70 95 69 95 70 / 20 20 10 10 10 ASPERMONT 72 98 71 98 72 / 20 20 10 10 10 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 29/06
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 334 AM CDT MON JUL 16 2012 TXZ021>044-171000- PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE- FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL- 334 AM CDT MON JUL 16 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE SOUTH PLAINS...ROLLING PLAINS AND EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE THIS AFTERNOON. SOME STORMS MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
228 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2012
TXZ030-162015-
FLOYD-
228 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FLOYD COUNTY...
AT 227 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER WEST CENTRAL FLOYD COUNTY...SLOWLY MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 5 MPH.
WINDS SPEEDS UP TO 40 MPH...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF MODERATE DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.
GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS TO BLOW
AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK
SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED.
LAT...LON 3431 10118 3402 10137 3400 10155 3416 10156
3431 10154
TIME...MOT...LOC 1927Z 216DEG 20KT 3415 10149SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 325 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2012 TXZ035-041-162115- LUBBOCK-LYNN- 325 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LYNN AND LUBBOCK COUNTIES... AT 324 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER NORTH CENTRAL LYNN COUNTY...SLOWLY MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH. WINDS SPEEDS UP TO 40 MPH...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF MODERATE DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS TO BLOW AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED. LAT...LON 3344 10163 3324 10172 3333 10190 3344 10183 TIME...MOT...LOC 2024Z 286DEG 4KT 3334 10180
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
331 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2012
TXZ029-030-036-162100-
CROSBY-FLOYD-HALE-
331 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CROSBY...HALE AND FLOYD
COUNTIES...
AT 329 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EASTERN AND SOUTHEASTERN FLOYD
COUNTY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.
WINDS SPEEDS UP TO 40 MPH...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...AND PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE
STORMS.
GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS TO BLOW
AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK
SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED.
LAT...LON 3398 10129 3375 10154 3377 10156 3383 10156
3383 10165 3406 10156
TIME...MOT...LOC 2029Z 213DEG 12KT 3386 10155SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 336 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2012 TXZ035-041-162100- LUBBOCK-LYNN- 336 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LYNN AND LUBBOCK COUNTIES... AT 332 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER NORTH CENTRAL LYNN COUNTY 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF WILSON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH. WINDS SPEEDS UP TO 40 MPH...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...AND SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS TO BLOW AROUND. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED. LAT...LON 3334 10161 3322 10175 3332 10193 3346 10179 TIME...MOT...LOC 2035Z 308DEG 4KT 3333 10178
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 444 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2012 TXZ041-042-162215- GARZA-LYNN- 444 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN LYNN AND GARZA COUNTIES... AT 439 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORM ACROSS MUCH OF EASTERN LYNN COUNTY INTO WESTERN GARZA COUNTY...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT POST...GRASSLAND AND HIGHWAY 84. ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. IN ADDITION...BRIEF SPIN UPS KNOW AS GUSTNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE OUTFLOW WITH THESE STORMS. GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL BRANCHES TO BE BLOWN DOWN...AND LOOSE OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED. LAT...LON 3337 10105 3297 10105 3297 10181 3335 10168 TIME...MOT...LOC 2141Z 273DEG 21KT 3313 10152
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
459 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2012
TXZ030-036-162230-
CROSBY-FLOYD-
459 PM CDT MON JUL 16 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CROSBY AND FLOYD COUNTIES...
AT 456 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 14 MILES EAST OF
FLOYDADA TO 18 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CROSBYTON...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.
THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILES NORTH OF RALLS AND
NEAR THE COMMUNITY OF CAPROCK.
PENNY SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
WITH STRONG OUTFLOW WINDS...GUSTNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE MAINLY EAST
OF THIS ACTIVITY.
GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL BRANCHES TO BE BLOWN DOWN...AND LOOSE
OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS
TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE
PASSED.
LAT...LON 3339 10155 3384 10154 3412 10116 3411 10105
3340 10105
TIME...MOT...LOC 2158Z 281DEG 3KT 3403 10110 3345 10144The Lubbock radar (KLBB), 108 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:17 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site at Caprock Canyons State Park measured a wind gust to 60 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, July 2012
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: 383766.