A broken line of thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon and evening hours toward the edge of the Caprock before pushing into the Rolling Plains and far southeastern Texas Panhandle. This activity was in association with a surface trough, a cold front moving out of the Panhandle, and a shortwave trough pushing across the South Plains.
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.
A broken line of thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon and evening hours toward the edge of the Caprock before pushing into the Rolling Plains and far southeastern Texas Panhandle. This activity was in association with a surface trough, a cold front moving out of the Panhandle, and a shortwave trough pushing across the South Plains. Strong winds and large hail accompanied these storms along with a lightning induced fire which produced damage.
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 8, 2:25 PM CST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 325 PM CDT THU AUG 8 2013 .SHORT TERM... AT THE SURFACE...A WEAK LOW HAS DEVELOPED OVER THE NORTHERN SOUTH PLAINS NEAR MULESHOE WITH THE REMNANTS OF AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY LOCATED ALONG OR JUST NORTHEAST OF HIGHWAY 84 TO THE SOUTHWEST OF LUBBOCK. THIS IS A BIT FURTHER WEST FOR THE SURFACE LOW LOCATION THAT THE 12Z MODELS HAVE AND WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON WHERE STORMS MAY DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON. ALOFT...SHORTWAVE ON WV SATELLITE CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTHEAST INTO COLORADO AND WILL ONLY PROVIDE A GLANCING BLOW TO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE. THIS MAY STILL BE CLOSE ENOUGH TO HELP PROVIDE SOME WEAK LIFT FOR STORMS THIS EVENING. WV LOOP ALSO SHOWS DRIER AIR IN THE MID-LEVELS STARTING TO PUSH INTO THE REGION BUT OVERNIGHT CONVECTION SOUTH OF BIG BEND HAS HELPED INCREASE MOISTURE CONTENT JUST A BIT AND THIS WAS MOVING OVER THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON. ALTHOUGH WIND SPEEDS ARE RATHER LOW ACROSS THE AREA...DIRECTIONAL TURNING NORTHEAST OF THE BOUNDARY ALONG WILL BE PRESENT AND THERE IS ENOUGH BULK SHEAR THAT CONVECTION MAY BE ABLE TO ORGANIZE SOME ONCE IT GETS GOING. THE BEST AREA FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE NORTH AND EAST OF THE SURFACE LOW WHERE DEWPOINTS ARE IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S. BECAUSE CLOUD BASES STILL APPEAR RATHER HIGH...MAIN THREAT INITIALLY WILL BE WIND GUSTS AND SOME MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL. SOUTHWEST AND ALONG THE LOW/BOUNDARY... DEWPOINTS ARE RUNNING ABOUT 10-15 DEGREES LOWER SO THERE COULD BE SOME ELEVATED STORMS ON TOP OF AN INVERTED-V PROFILE RESULTING IN SOME MICROBURSTS AND BLOWING DUST WITH NEGLIGIBLE RAINFALL. MODELS ARE ALSO INDICATING THAT A SECOND COMPLEX OF STORMS THAT HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED OVER NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO WILL SWING EAST AS THE SHORTWAVE MOVES OUT INTO SOUTHEAST COLORADO...AND THIS MAY RESULT IN A SECOND ROUND OF ORGANIZED STORMS CLOSER TO MIDNIGHT FOR THE NORTHERN SOUTH PLAINS AND NORTHERN ROLLING PLAINS. BEHIND ALL OF THIS ACTIVITY...A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE AREA BRINGING NORTHERLY WINDS AND SOMEWHAT DRIER CONDITIONS. THIS WILL ALSO HELP TEMPERATURES RUN ABOUT 5-10 DEGREES COOLER FOR HIGHS ON FRIDAY...NOT TOO MUCH BUT ANY AMOUNT HELPS THIS TIME OF YEAR. UNFORTUNATELY IT LOOKS LIKE THE FRONTAL PASSAGE WILL BE DRY BUT THERE COULD BE SOME LOW CLOUDS OVER THE ROLLING PLAINS TOMORROW MORNING BEHIND THE FRONT. THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL STALL SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA WHICH KEEPS THE BEST PRECIP CHANCES OUT OF THE AREA...HOWEVER THERE COULD BE A FEW STORMS THAT SNEAK IN ALONG THE TX/NM BORDER THANKS TO UPSLOPE FLOW INITIATING STORMS IN NEW MEXICO AND LIGHT WESTERLY WINDS ALOFT PUSHING THEM INTO OUR AREA. JORDAN && .LONG TERM... THE UA RIDGE ACROSS SE TEXAS WILL COMMENCE TO RETROGRADE TOWARDS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AT THE START OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD...THUS PROMOTING WSW FLOW ALOFT. AS MENTIONED IN THE SHORT TERM DISCUSSION ABOVE...THE COLD FRONT IS PROGGED TO MOVE ACROSS THE FA THIS EVENING AND THEN STALL OUT ACROSS THE PERMIAN BASIN TOMORROW NIGHT. PRECIP APPEARS TO INITIALIZE ACROSS THE AFOREMENTIONED AREA THUS NEAREST TO THE BEST FRONTOGENETICAL FORCING. HOWEVER...PERSISTENT UPSLOPE GARNERING INCREASING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE /PROGGED PWATS NEARING 1.60 INCHES/ MAY RESULT IN CHANCES FOR PRECIP LATE TOMORROW NIGHT-EARLY SAT MORNING...PARTICULARLY ACROSS THE WRN ZONES WHERE THE BEST THETA-E AXIS WILL RESIDE. AS THE UA RIDGE CONTINUES ITS WESTWARD MIGRATION ON SATURDAY...FLOW ALOFT WILL BACK TO THE SW AND CONVECTION ACROSS THE HIGHER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN OF E NM WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO FILTER ACROSS WRN ZONES. FURTHERMORE...MODELS HINT AT THE FRONT RETREATING TO NEAR THE FAR SRN ZONES SATURDAY EVENING WHICH MAY SERVE AS ANOTHER SOURCE FOR PRECIP. CONTINUAL SW FLOW ALOFT ON SUNDAY COMBINED WITH AN UPSLOPE SFC REGIME WILL ALLOW E NM CONVECTION TO PROPAGATE ACROSS WRN AND PERHAPS CNTRL ZONES. MENTIONABLE POPS TOMORROW NIGHT-SATURDAY APPEARS VALID...BUT HAVE ALSO INSERTED SLIGHT CHANCE POPS ACROSS THE WRN AND CNTRL ZONES ON SUNDAY. EARLY NEXT WEEK...FORECAST SOLUTIONS SHOW THE UA RIDGE WILL BE ALMOST DIRECTLY OVERHEAD WHILST SFC WINDS VEER TO A SWRLY DOWNSLOPING WIND COMPONENT /WILL THEREFORE AID TO MITIGATE CHANCES FOR STORMS/. BY MID-WEEK THE RIDGE WILL HAVE MIGRATED TO SW NM AND SE AZ WHICH WILL RESULT IN NW FLOW ALOFT. THIS FLOW IS CONDUCIVE FOR STORM ACTIVITY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINOUS REGIONS TO MOVE ACROSS THE CWA. THIS PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO LINGER INTO LATE WEEK AS THE QUASI-STATIONARY UA RIDGE AMPLIFIES. LATEST RUNS HAVE BACKED OFF ON OVERNIGHT PRECIP SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION MID-LATE WEEK...THOUGH MENTIONABLE POPS ACROSS THE NNE APPEARS VALID FOR BOTH TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY EVENINGS ATTM. TEMPS WILL GRADUALLY WARMUP FROM THE 80S AND 90S ON SATURDAY TO THE 90S AREA-WIDE BY NEXT WEEK. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 61 85 63 88 66 / 30 20 30 20 20 TULIA 66 88 64 90 67 / 40 20 20 20 20 PLAINVIEW 67 89 65 90 68 / 30 20 20 20 20 LEVELLAND 66 91 66 92 69 / 20 20 30 20 20 LUBBOCK 69 92 67 92 70 / 20 20 20 20 20 DENVER CITY 67 92 68 93 69 / 10 20 30 20 20 BROWNFIELD 68 94 68 93 70 / 10 20 30 20 20 CHILDRESS 70 92 69 94 72 / 40 10 20 10 10 SPUR 73 95 70 94 73 / 30 10 20 10 10 ASPERMONT 75 96 72 96 74 / 30 10 20 10 20 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 14/29
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 424 AM CDT THU AUG 8 2013 TXZ021>044-090930- PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE- FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL- 424 AM CDT THU AUG 8 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE RISK AREA IS MAINLY NORTH OF HIGHWAYS 86 AND 287. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL MAY ACCOMPANY THUNDERSTORMS IN THIS AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
412 PM CDT THU AUG 8 2013
TXZ022-082145-
CASTRO-
412 PM CDT THU AUG 8 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CASTRO COUNTY...
AT 410 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL CASTRO COUNTY...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
PENNY SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
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... AND SEEK SHELTER INDOORS IF THUNDER IS HEARD.
LAT...LON 3475 10199 3466 10208 3472 10232 3475 10229
3475 10207
TIME...MOT...LOC 2112Z 217DEG 13KT 3474 10216
16SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
437 PM CDT THU AUG 8 2013
TXZ023-082200-
SWISHER-
437 PM CDT THU AUG 8 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SWISHER COUNTY...
AT 435 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER EAST CENTRAL SWISHER COUNTY...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.
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...AND SEEK SHELTER INDOORS IF THUNDER IS HEARD.
LAT...LON 3462 10147 3444 10147 3435 10159 3447 10175
3466 10152
TIME...MOT...LOC 2136Z 224DEG 19KT 3448 10159
21SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
446 PM CDT THU AUG 8 2013
TXZ024-082200-
BRISCOE-
446 PM CDT THU AUG 8 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BRISCOE COUNTY...
AT 442 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER NORTH CENTRAL BRISCOE COUNTY...MOVING EAST
AT 15 MPH.
NICKEL SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
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...AND SEEK SHELTER INDOORS IF THUNDER IS HEARD.
LAT...LON 3474 10094 3466 10095 3452 10113 3465 10129
3476 10117 3475 10095
TIME...MOT...LOC 2146Z 261DEG 12KT 3465 10113
21SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
458 PM CDT THU AUG 8 2013
TXZ025-082215-
HALL-
458 PM CDT THU AUG 8 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR HALL COUNTY...
AT 455 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTH CENTRAL HALL COUNTY...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 15 MPH.
ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL...WINDS SPEEDS UP TO 40 MPH...ARE
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 3443 10049 3431 10074 3432 10083 3442 10093
3463 10071
TIME...MOT...LOC 2158Z 234DEG 12KT 3440 10077SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
500 PM CDT THU AUG 8 2013
TXZ024-025-082215-
BRISCOE-HALL-
500 PM CDT THU AUG 8 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR HALL AND BRISCOE COUNTIES...
AT 455 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER EAST CENTRAL BRISCOE COUNTY...MOVING EAST AT
20 MPH. IN ADDITION...ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED IN
WEST CENTRAL BRISCOE COUNTY.
NICKEL SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
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...AND SEEK SHELTER INDOORS IF THUNDER IS HEARD.
LAT...LON 3462 10085 3446 10136 3464 10146 3476 10111
3475 10092
TIME...MOT...LOC 2159Z 267DEG 19KT 3462 10105
21SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
517 PM CDT THU AUG 8 2013
TXZ025-026-032-082230-
CHILDRESS-COTTLE-HALL-
517 PM CDT THU AUG 8 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR COTTLE...HALL AND CHILDRESS
COUNTIES...
AT 516 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 25 MILES WEST OF
CHILDRESS TO 7 MILES WEST OF CHILDRESS TO 23 MILES SOUTH OF
CHILDRESS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...ARE POSSIBLE WITH
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
THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED.
LAT...LON 3461 10015 3413 10015 3405 10048 3429 10048
3429 10052 3431 10052 3431 10079 3450 10079
3468 10057
TIME...MOT...LOC 2217Z 240DEG 12KT 3448 10068 3442 10036
3410 10034The Dyess AFB radar (KDYX), 113 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:32 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 2 lightning, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement officials reported their car being blown around by winds estimated to be as high as 70 mph during a severe thunderstorm. No damage or injuries were sustained.
Law enforcement and local media reported the destruction of two salt water tanks caused by lightning strikes about five miles south of Aspermont. No injuries occurred.
Local law enforcement officials reported an 18 wheel semi truck blown over on Highway 287 just east of Childress as severe thunderstorm winds occurred.
A SKYWARN spotter observed golf ball size hail west of Estelline. No damage or injuries were reported.
Law enforcement officials reported a wildfire ignited by a nearby cloud to ground lightning strike west of Paducah. The fire was quickly contained by local fire department personnel and no injuries or significant damage occurred.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 459043, 459044, 459040, 459041, 459036.