An area of thunderstorms developed as a result of upslope flow across the higher terrain of New Mexico during the mid to late afternoon hours, before morphing into a well-organized mesoscale convective complex into the late afternoon and evening. This complex raced southeast into the far southwest Texas panhandle and much of the South Plains, producing wind gusts near 90 mph and hail up to the…
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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.
An area of thunderstorms developed as a result of upslope flow across the higher terrain of New Mexico during the mid to late afternoon hours, before morphing into a well-organized mesoscale convective complex into the late afternoon and evening. This complex raced southeast into the far southwest Texas panhandle and much of the South Plains, producing wind gusts near 90 mph and hail up to the size of baseballs. Several dozen reports of damage were received, including downed trees and power lines as well as broken windshields and damage to structures. By far, the most significant and widespread property damage was focused in northern Lubbock where some buildings lost roofs and thousands of windows were cracked or shattered. An electrical utility company stated that the number and severity of power outages in Lubbock alone had not been this extensive since the city was struck by the 1970 F5 tornado. In the wake of these destructive storms, high winds with frequent gusts of 50 to 70 mph were noted over much of the South Plains for up to an hour in duration. Total damages from this storm could exceed $500 million.
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 5, 5:30 PM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 630 PM CDT WED JUN 5 2013 .AVIATION... COMPUTER MODELS CONTINUE TO HINT AT THE POTENTIAL FOR A LARGE COMPLEX OF STORMS TO AFFECT BOTH TERMINALS LATER THIS EVENING/TONIGHT. HAVE INSERTED A TEMPO FOR THIS POSSIBILITY. AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY THAT PUSHED THROUGH THE SOUTHERN PLAINS EARLIER THIS MORNING...HAS VEERED WINDS TO THE NORTHEAST. WINDS WILL PERSIST FROM THIS DIRECTION THANKS TO A FRONTAL BOUNDARY MAKING ITS WAY TOWARDS THE SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE THUS NEARING KCDS. WIND SPEEDS HAVE THEREFORE INCREASED TO 11 KTS FROM THE NE AS A RESULT OF THE NEARING FRONT...WITH WIND SPEEDS BEHIND THE FRONT NOT OVERLY STRONG /15-19 KTS/ BUT COULD BE A FOCUS FOR STORMS IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS ESPECIALLY FOR KCDS INITIALLY. OVERNIGHT...MVFR CLOUD DECKS WILL FORM AND LINGER THROUGH MID-LATE MORNING TOMORROW. THEREAFTER...WILL MAINTAIN A VCSH GIVEN CONTINUED NE SFC WINDS ENCOURAGING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...IN ADDITION TO A DISTURBANCE ALOFT MOVING ACROSS THE AREA TOMORROW PROVIDING FOR SOME LARGE SCALE ASCENT. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 329 PM CDT WED JUN 5 2013/ SHORT TERM... STILL APPEAR TO BE ON TRACK FOR PRECIP FOR AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE AREA WITH POSSIBILITY FOR A FAIRLY WIDESPREAD MEANINGFUL RAINFALL EVENT. THREE AREAS STAND OUT AS POSSIBILITIES FOR AVENUES OF CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE FIRST AND MOST CONFIDENT ONE IS NM HIGH TERRAIN CONVECTION THAT HAS ALREADY INITIATED ON MUCH OF THE SPINE OF MOUNTAINS THROUGH THE CENTER OF NEW MEXICO. THUNDER IS MOST CONCENTRATED IN AREAS NORTH OF LAS VEGAS...AND IT IS THIS AREA THAT HAS A GOOD CHANCE OF MOVING ESEWD DOWN A LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AXIS INTO THE NRN PART OF THE FCST AREA THIS EVENING. SECONDARILY IS A COLD FRONT THAT AT 19Z WAS LOCATED NEAR A CLAYTON NM TO DUMAS TO PERRYTON LINE AND A PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH JUST SOUTH OF THE FRONT...BOTH OF WHICH HAD SOME CUMULUS DEVELOPING ALONG THEM. LASTLY IS A ZONE ROUGHLY FROM HOBBS TO SWEETWATER WHERE THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY THAT MOVED THROUGH EARLIER TODAY STALLED. SOME CONFLUENCE NEAR THAT BOUNDARY AS WELL AS SOME WEAK LIFT OVER THAT BOUNDARY COULD RELEASE SOME INSTABILITY BEFORE AFTN HEATING ENDS. THAT SAID...FCST POPS WILL FAVOR THE NRN HALF OF THE FCST BEFORE 06Z THEN ERN THIRD BTWN 06Z AND 12Z. TREND WILL BE FROM LIKELY CATEGORY IN THOSE FAVORED AREAS TO 30-40 PCT IN THE LESS FAVORED ONES. SEVERE THREAT WILL PERSIST...ALTHOUGH LIMITED WARMING FROM COOLISH TEMPS BEHIND THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY IS LIMITING ML CAPE VALUES TO ABOUT 1500-2500 J/KG. STILL SHOULD BE ENOUGH DESPITE FAIRLY WEAK FLOW ALOFT FOR POTENTIAL OF SOME SEVERE HAIL AND WIND PERHAPS TRANSITIONING TO A WIND POTENTIAL SHOULD A LINEAR ORGANIZATION BE ABLE TO DEVELOP. COOL POST-FRONTAL TEMPS AND A MORE UNIFORM LOW LEVEL WIND FIELD SHOULD MINIMIZE PRECIP CHANCES THURSDAY...ALTHOUGH ENOUGH MOISTURE AROUND TO KEEP SLIGHT CHANCE MENTION GOING. MOIST UPSLOPE PATTERN FAVORS HIGH TERRAIN CONVECTION AGAIN...LIKELY MOVING INTO THIRD PERIOD OF THE FCST. MOS TEMPS LOOK FINE FOR BOTH TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. LONG TERM... NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT AND UPSLOPE SURFACE WINDS WILL KEEP THE BEST STORM CHANCES CONFINED TO THE SOUTH PLAINS AND FAR SOUTHWEST PANHANDLE THURSDAY NIGHT...ALTHOUGH EXPECTING THE BRUNT OF ANY ACTIVITY TO REMAIN ACROSS NEW MEXICO. THIS IS DUE TO EASTERLY SURFACE WINDS ACROSS WEST TEXAS CONTRIBUTING TO A COOLER AND MORE STABLE AIRMASS ALONG WITH THE LACK OF ANY APPRECIABLE FORCING. UPSLOPE FLOW WILL PROVIDE FORCING FOR ASCENT ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF NEW MEXICO. ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP SHOULD DECREASE IN INTENSITY AS THEY MOVE EAST AWAY FROM THEIR OROGRAPHIC FORCING AND BECOME COLD POOL DOMINATED WITHOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN APPRECIABLE LOW LEVEL JET. SHOULD SEE SOME BETTER INSTABILITY ACROSS THE AREA FRIDAY AS TEMPERATURES WARM BACK INTO THE LOW TO MID 80S. THIS SHOULD LEAD TO A BETTER CHANCE FOR STORMS LATE IN THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS ACROSS NORTHWEST ZONES AS ACTIVITY ONCE AGAIN DEVELOPS IN NEW MEXICO AND IS USHERED SOUTHEASTWARD IN A NORTHWESTERLY FLOW REGIME. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL SET UP WITH A STRONGER NOCTURNAL LOW LEVEL JET SUBSEQUENTLY DEVELOPING. MOISTURE RETURN WILL DEPEND ON THE DEGREE OF VEERING WIND FIELDS UNDERGO...WITH BACKED SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW FAVORING A GREATER TRANSPORT OF MOISTURE. LONGER RESIDENCE TIME OF SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL INCREASE MOISTURE FURTHER ON SATURDAY...BUT VEERING WIND FIELDS WILL HELP TO MIX A DRYLINE EASTWARD AND SLIDE BETTER STORM CHANCES EAST INTO THE ROLLING PLAINS. WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS REMAIN ON TAP FOR LATE WEEKEND INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK AS AN UPPER RIDGE BUILDS IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST...SPELLING HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 90S TO NEAR 100 WITH LOWS IN THE MID 60S TO LOW 70S. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 57 77 58 80 60 / 60 20 30 30 30 TULIA 59 78 58 81 61 / 60 20 20 20 30 PLAINVIEW 60 78 59 82 62 / 60 20 20 20 30 LEVELLAND 63 79 61 82 64 / 50 20 20 20 30 LUBBOCK 63 79 61 83 64 / 50 20 20 20 30 DENVER CITY 65 79 62 84 65 / 40 20 20 20 20 BROWNFIELD 65 79 62 83 65 / 40 20 20 20 20 CHILDRESS 63 81 62 85 63 / 60 20 10 10 20 SPUR 65 80 62 84 64 / 50 20 20 10 20 ASPERMONT 69 82 64 85 65 / 50 20 10 10 20 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 29
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 1137 AM CDT WED JUN 5 2013 TXZ021>044-061645- PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE- FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL- 1137 AM CDT WED JUN 5 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT CONVECTIVE THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS BOTH THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA TODAY. THE GREATEST AND MOST LIKELY THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR DURING THE EVENING HOURS AS A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS EASTERN NEW MEXICO AND MOVE INTO THE SOUTH PLAINS... AND LATER INTO THE ROLLING PLAINS... DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THIS COMPLEX WOULD LIKELY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH WITH HAIL TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS... WITH AN ISOLATED TORNADO POSSIBLE AS WELL. EARLIER IN THE AFTERNOON... THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ACROSS BOTH THE SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. HOWEVER... THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON IS LESS LIKELY THAN THE OVERNIGHT COMPLEX PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED...AND THE PLACEMENT OF INDIVIDUAL STORMS IS RELATIVELY UNCERTAIN. ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DO MANAGE TO DEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH... HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS... AND AN ISOLATED TORNADO. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE EARLY IN THE WEEKEND ACROSS THE SOUTH PLAINS... PARTICULARLY DURING THE EVENING AND AFTERNOON HOURS. WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME... HOWEVER ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE REQUESTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
The Cannon AFB radar (KFDX), 84 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:15 UTC.
19 thunderstorm wind, 6 high wind, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Friona reported a 63 mph wind gust.
Trained spotters, law enforcement, and the public reported a swath of hail ranging in sizes from golf balls to baseballs in the town of Friona. The large, wind-driven hail caused damage to several vehicles including a police cruiser in Friona.
The public estimated winds to 70 mph along with penny size hail as limbs were ripped from trees.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Morton reported several severe wind gusts, peaking at 72 mph.
A trained storm spotter reported hen egg size hail near Springlake. No damage was reported.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Muleshoe reported a wind gust to 60 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Plains measured a peak wind gust to 69 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site south of Levelland measured wind gusts up to 76 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site and the fire department in Anton recorded wind gusts up to 70 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site in Reese Center recorded wind gusts up to 81 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Denver City measured a wind gust to 60 mph.
A NWS employee reported several power poles snapped along Highway 62 northeast of Ropesville.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Wolfforth recorded wind gusts up to 84 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Olton measured a wind gust of 58 mph.
An official NWS storm damage survey, along with trained spotters, police department officials, the Automated Surface Observing System, and equipment at the NWS, confirmed severe wind gusts ahead of a squall line moving through Lubbock. Gusts up to 72 mph were recorded as the line caused considerable damage and downed numerous trees, snapped almost 100 power poles, blew out several windows, and inflicted substantial damage to roofs, windows, vehicles, and structures. At the Motor Inns of America hotel in north Lubbock, downburst winds completely stripped a large section of the roof from the building forcing residents to evacuate. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries reported. Those buildings that suffered broken windows or damaged roofs also received various degrees of water damage to walls, carpets, and personal belongings. Nearly 30,000 customers lost power in the city of Lubbock.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Anton measured several severe wind gusts, peaking at 75 mph.
An official NWS storm damage survey confirmed significant wind driven damage from near Buffalo Springs Lake and Ransom Canyon down into Slaton. Several trees and power lines and poles were downed, along with rail cars being piled on top of one another in Slaton. The Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site northeast of Slaton measured an 82 mph gust as the line of storms passed through, while the NWS storm survey estimated wind gusts of near 90 mph associated with some of the damage.
A meteorologist with the Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet group reported a wind gust to 80 mph in Lorenzo. Additionally, a roof was torn off of a warehouse in Lorenzo.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site in Tahoka measured a 62 mph wind gust.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site in Reese Center measured wind gusts up to 70 mph.
Law enforcement personnel reported quarter size hail near White River Lake. No damage was reported.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Lake Alan Henry recorded a 62 mph wind gust.
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, June 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: 444470, 444872, 444873, 444941, 444876, 444875, 444878, 444942, 444943, 445008, 444945, 444879, 445006, 444947, 444877, 445001, 445007, 445011, 445009, 444944, 445002, 445837, 445003, 444946, 445010, 445005, 445012, 445004.