Isolated storms moved south out of the Texas Panhandle, with an isolated supercell developing downstream across Hale County. This storm produced severe wind gusts and hail, along with a brief tornado west of Interstate 27 which damaged several center pivot irrigation systems.
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.
Isolated storms moved south out of the Texas Panhandle, with an isolated supercell developing downstream across Hale County. This storm produced severe wind gusts and hail, along with a brief tornado west of Interstate 27 which damaged several center pivot irrigation systems. The storms also produced severe winds near Ropesville into the early morning hours.
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 Aug 14, 5:20 PM CST, 3 hours 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 620 PM CDT WED AUG 14 2013 .AVIATION... COMPUTER MODELS INDICATE ANOTHER ROUND OF STORMS MOVING OFF THE HIGHER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND AFFECTING THE TERMINALS TONIGHT. HAVE INSERTED A TEMPO FOR THIS PROBABILITY. HOWEVER...WILL AMEND AS NECESSARY IF RADAR TRENDS LEAN TOWARDS A WEAKENING TREND AS SOME COMPUTER MODELS DEPICT. EASTERLY OR VARIABLE WINDS THIS EVENING WILL VEER TO A MORE SRLY COMPONENT OVERNIGHT AS CLOUDS SCATTER OUT. FURTHERMORE...COULD SEE MVFR CLOUD DECKS DEVELOP OVERNIGHT AFTER THE ANTICIPATED PRECIPITATION HAS ENDED. HAVE INSERTED A FEW AND SCT MVFR CLOUD DECK MENTION AT KCDS AND KLBB RESPECTIVELY. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 337 PM CDT WED AUG 14 2013/ SHORT TERM... ISOLATED TSRA ACROSS THE WRN PANHANDLE FROM EARLIER THIS AFTN HAVE MOSTLY DISSIPATED WITH ONLY A SMALL POSSIBILITY OF SEEING SOME REDEVELOPMENT LATE THIS AFTN. BEST CHANCES FOR RAIN IN FIRST PERIOD WILL COME WITH CHANCE OF AN MCS DEVELOPING ACROSS NERN NM THEN ROLLING SEWD DOWN LOW LEVEL THETA-E RIDGE AXIS LOCATED FROM THE SWRN PANHANDLE THROUGH THE SOUTH PLAINS. LOW LEVEL FLOW IS WEAKER THAN YESTERDAY BUT REMAINS QUITE MOIST WHILE UPPER FLOW APPEARS TO BE IN THE 25-35 KT RANGE AT 500 MB. COMBINATION SEEMS FAVORABLE AGAIN FOR THE STORMS THAT HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED ON THE HIGH TERRAIN TO CONGEAL AND ROLL SEWD. ADDITIONAL NEGATIVE IN ADDITION TO THE WEAKER LOW LEVEL FLOW IS INSTABILITY APPEARS MORE LIMITED THAN YESTERDAY WITH TEMPERATURES RUNNING ABOUT 10 DEGREES COOLER. STILL...THE HRRR IN PARTICULAR SHOWING THIS POSSIBILITY AND WILL NUDGE POPS UPWARDS TOWARD THE LIKELY CATEGORY ACROSS THE NWRN ZONES TAPERING TO LOW POPS EAST. THURSDAY PRECIP FCST MAY BE LARGELY DEPENDENT ON WHAT TRANSPIRES TONIGHT. ATTM MODELS FAVORING A DRIER DAY WITH FOCUS FOR CONVECTIVE INITIATION TO THE WEST-NW-NORTH OF THE FCST AREA. GIVEN MOIST AIR MASS WILL KEEP POPS ABOVE MOS GUIDANCE RANGING FROM 30 PCT WEST TO 20 PCT ELSEWHERE. TEMPS LIKELY TO BE WARMER UNLESS OVERNIGHT BECOMES MORE EXPANSIVE IN SIZE AND DURATION THAN CURRENTLY EXPECTED. FCST TEMPS JUST BELOW MOS NUMBERS PREFERRED ATTM. LONG TERM... ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LOOKS TO BE IN STORE FOR THE FAR SOUTHERN PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS...AND ROLLING PLAINS THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. A SURFACE TROUGH WILL BE LOCATED IN VICINITY OF THE TEXAS PANHANDLE AND NEW MEXICO STATE LINE...SERVING AS THE FOCUS FOR INITIAL ACTIVITY. NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT SHOULD ALLOW ANY ACTIVITY DEVELOPING ACROSS NEW MEXICO TO MOVE INTO THE AREA AS A 20-30 KNOT LOW LEVEL JET DEVELOPS IN A FAVORABLY SHEARED ENVIRONMENT EVIDENCED BY 35-40 KNOTS OF 0-6 KM SHEAR. MORE NOTABLY...A SHORTWAVE TROUGH LOOKS TO MOVE FROM THE CENTRAL PLAINS INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND SERVE AS A LARGER FOCUS FOR A COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS. TRACK OF THIS FEATURE WILL HEAVILY IMPACT RAINFALL EXTENT AND INTENSITY ACROSS WEST TEXAS...BUT BELIEVE SCATTERED POPS ARE MORE THAN WARRANTED. A FEW STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE GIVEN THE SHEAR AND STEEP LOW TO MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES IN PLACE. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WELL OVER AN INCH WILL ALSO PROMOTE HEAVY RAINFALL. KEPT ISOLATED POPS IN THE FORECAST FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT AS UPSLOPE FLOW REESTABLISHES ITSELF IN WAKE OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED STORM COMPLEX. UPPER FLOW WILL VEER MORE NORTHERLY...SO CHANCES OF SEEING HIGHER TERRAIN INITIATED CONVECTION OUT OF NEW MEXICO WILL DECREASE TO AREAS IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE STATE LINE. HOWEVER...WITH LINGERING FRONTAL BOUNDARY PRODUCING LOCALIZED UPSLOPE AND NEARBY SHORTWAVE TROUGH...WILL KEEP SLIGHT CHANCES FOR EVERYONE. UPSLOPE WINDS WILL CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY...BUT CONTINUED VEERING OF STEERING FLOW AND APPROACH OF UPPER HIGH WILL PRECLUDE MENTION OF STORMS FOR NOW. RIDGING WILL SLOWLY DRIFT EAST DOWNSTREAM OF A TROUGH PUSHING ONTO THE WESTERN CONUS COAST LATE IN THE WEEKEND...VEERING UPPER WIND FIELDS NORTH/NORTHEASTERLY AND SUBSEQUENTLY KEEPING CONDITIONS DRY ACROSS THE AREA WITH SOUTHERLY WINDS AT THE SURFACE. THIS TROUGH LOOKS TO RIDE NORTH OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AT THIS TIME AND NORTH OF THE UPPER HIGH...PUTTING A DAMPER ON HOPES FOR ANY LARGE SCALE LIFT TO GENERATE SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN AT OR BELOW NORMAL THROUGH MUCH OF THE EXTENDED DUE TO WET SOIL FROM THE RECENT RAINFALL AND LACK OF ANY SCORCHING DESERT AIRMASSES MAKING IT IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST. HIGHS WILL RANGE IN THE MID 80S TO MID 90S WITH LOWS IN THE LOW 60S TO LOW 70S. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 62 89 62 87 62 / 50 30 30 20 20 TULIA 63 87 63 85 62 / 50 20 40 20 20 PLAINVIEW 64 86 65 88 64 / 50 20 40 20 20 LEVELLAND 66 90 65 92 64 / 50 20 30 20 20 LUBBOCK 66 90 67 91 65 / 50 20 30 20 20 DENVER CITY 68 90 66 94 66 / 30 20 30 20 20 BROWNFIELD 68 91 66 93 65 / 40 20 30 20 20 CHILDRESS 68 90 69 89 66 / 30 20 40 20 20 SPUR 70 89 68 94 66 / 30 20 40 20 20 ASPERMONT 71 90 71 93 68 / 30 20 40 20 20 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 29
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 1118 AM CDT WED AUG 14 2013 TXZ021>044-151630- PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE- FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL- 1118 AM CDT WED AUG 14 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT CONVECTIVE GENERALLY UNORGANIZED ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE SOUTH PLAINS AREA WITH A SLIGHT PREFERENCE TOWARD THE EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN PANHANDLE AND THE NORTHWESTERN SOUTH PLAINS. SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE SHOWERS AND STORMS. A CHANCE ALSO EXISTS FOR ANOTHER ORGANIZED THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX TO MOVE TO THE SOUTHEAST OUT OF NORTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO INTO THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE AND THE SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. THE GREATEST THREAT FROM THIS ACTIVITY WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE AND PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
735 PM CDT WED AUG 14 2013
TXZ022-023-150100-
CASTRO-SWISHER-
735 PM CDT WED AUG 14 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SWISHER AND CASTRO COUNTIES...
AT 733 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER EXTREME NORTHWESTERN SWISHER COUNTY...MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.
NICKEL SIZE HAIL...WINDS SPEEDS UP TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY 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... AND
SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE IMMEDIATELY IF THUNDER IS HEARD.
LAT...LON 3459 10176 3446 10208 3470 10216 3475 10206
3475 10192
TIME...MOT...LOC 0034Z 326DEG 7KT 3467 10199
16SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
813 PM CDT WED AUG 14 2013
TXZ022-023-150145-
CASTRO-SWISHER-
813 PM CDT WED AUG 14 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SWISHER AND CASTRO COUNTIES...
AT 807 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF TULIA...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT
10 MPH.
NICKEL SIZE HAIL...WINDS SPEEDS UP TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY 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... AND
SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE IMMEDIATELY IF THUNDER IS HEARD.
LAT...LON 3475 10162 3448 10168 3441 10196 3463 10206
3475 10191
TIME...MOT...LOC 0113Z 327DEG 10KT 3458 10192
16SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
831 PM CDT WED AUG 14 2013
TXZ022-023-150200-
CASTRO-SWISHER-
831 PM CDT WED AUG 14 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SWISHER AND CASTRO COUNTIES...
AT 828 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES WEST OF TULIA...MOVING SOUTH AT 10
MPH. IN ADDITION...ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
HAPPY...ALSO MOVING SOUTH AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES PER HOUR.
NICKEL SIZE HAIL...WINDS SPEEDS UP TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY 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 IMMEDIATELY IF THUNDER IS HEARD.
LAT...LON 3475 10157 3474 10153 3444 10177 3439 10203
3464 10203 3475 10194
TIME...MOT...LOC 0129Z 346DEG 6KT 3457 10195
16SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
948 PM CDT WED AUG 14 2013
TXZ023-024-150315-
BRISCOE-SWISHER-
948 PM CDT WED AUG 14 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BRISCOE AND NORTHERN SWISHER
COUNTIES...
AT 942 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHEASTERN SWISHER COUNTY AND
NORTHERN BRISCOE COUNTY...MOVING SOUTH AT 30 MPH.
TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS ARE LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS. RAINFALL RATES IN
EXCESS OF FOUR INCHES PER HOUR WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND
POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND AND AWAY
FROM STREAMS AND CREEKS IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.
IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAIN...PEA SIZE HAIL AND WINDS UP TO 50 MPH
WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE AS THE STORMS APPROACH MACKENZIE
RESERVOIR...VIGO PARK AND AREAS NORTH OF SILVERTON.
STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN
A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED AND DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
DRIVE ACROSS WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH.
LAT...LON 3451 10102 3450 10159 3458 10160 3460 10179
3475 10179 3475 10109
TIME...MOT...LOC 0244Z 359DEG 28KT 3468 10151
24The Lubbock radar (KLBB), 63 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:53 UTC.
3 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A citizen reported quarter size hail and estimated 60 mph winds near Plainview. No damage was reported.
A citizen reported golf ball size hail east of Halfway. Damage to center pivots, grain crops, and half a dozen power poles was reported in the area between Edmonson and Hale Center due to the large hail and strong thunderstorm winds.
A fire department official estimated winds up to 80 mph and quarter size hail west of Interstate 27 and north of Farm to Market Road 54 northwest of Abernathy.
A fire department official reported a brief tornado touchdown west of Interstate 27 and north of Farm to Market Road 54 northwest of Abernathy. Several center pivot irrigation systems were damaged before the tornado lifted.
A local meteorologist observed estimated 60 mph winds and penny size hail near Ropesville. No damage was reported.
Local law enforcement officials reported nickel size hail in Tahoka. No damage was reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 2013Warnings in Texas, August 2013
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: 465659, 465660, 465661, 465663, 465665, 465667.