A strong upper level low pressure system moving out of the Rockies onto the Southern High Plains brought widespread strong winds to the region late on the 12th into the afternoon of the 13th. Winds briefly reached severe criteria at a Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near White River Lake (Crosby County).
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
A strong upper level low pressure system moving out of the Rockies onto the Southern High Plains brought widespread strong winds to the region late on the 12th into the afternoon of the 13th. Winds briefly reached severe criteria at a Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near White River Lake (Crosby County). Winds were measured at 58 mph at this location early in the morning on the 13th. This same system brought thunderstorms on the 12th with one storm briefly becoming severe near Aspermont (Stonewall County).
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 Oct 12, 6:52 PM CST, 1 hour 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 752 PM CDT SUN OCT 12 2014 .UPDATE... ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE COMMENCED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE LOW ROLLING PLAINS...PER LATEST RADAR ANALYSIS. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME OF THE ACTIVITY TO BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE ACROSS THE SAID AREA. HAVE THEREFORE UPDATED THE WX PACKAGE TO REFLECT THIS CHANGE. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 647 PM CDT SUN OCT 12 2014/ AVIATION... HIGHLY DYNAMIC STORM SYSTEM TO CROSS THE PANHANDLE TONIGHT WILL BRING STRONG WEST THEN NORTH WINDS AS WELL AS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING. WILL RUN WITH A PERIOD OF TSRA AT BOTH TERMINALS THIS EVENING. COULD SEE SOME SHOWERS DEVELOP AND MOVE ACROSS KCDS LATER TONIGHT ALONG WITH POSSIBLITY OF SOME MVFR CIGS. GUSTY WEST AND SW WINDS WILL VEER TO THE NORTH AND NW WITH A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE BY 04Z. GUSTY WINDS TO PERSIST THROUGH THE DAY TOMORROW BEFORE PRESSURE GRADIENT BEGINS TO RELAX MONDAY EVENING. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 354 PM CDT SUN OCT 12 2014/ SHORT TERM... NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STORMS CURRENTLY ONGOING ACROSS THE OKLAHOMA/TEXAS PANHANDLES AND NORTHERN NEW MEXICO INTO COLORADO AHEAD OF A VIGOROUS UPPER LEVEL TROUGH DIGGING INTO THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES. WHILE MOISTURE REMAINS SCARCE WITH THE HIGHEST DEWPOINTS IN THE LOW-MID 50S IN THE ROLLING PLAINS...DYNAMIC LIFT FROM THE APPROACHING TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED ~130 KNOT JET STREAK ON ITS WESTERN FLANK WILL BE MORE THAN SUFFICE FOR SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS STORMS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. THIS WILL BE MOST PROMINENT THIS EVENING AS A DIFFUSE DRYLINE RETREATS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE ROLLING PLAINS. CONVECTION WILL LIKELY HAVE TO WAIT TO INITIATE UNTIL A COLD FRONT...EXTENDING FROM SOUTHERN KANSAS/WESTERN OKLAHOMA INTO NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO...DRAWS NEARER AND PROVIDES THE LOW LEVEL FOCUS FOR ASCENT TO OVERCOME LOCAL CAPPING. DEEP LAYER SHEAR PROGGED TO INCREASE TO 40-50 KNOTS WITH ORIENTATION PARALLEL TO THE FRONT...LIKELY LEADING TO LINEAR STORM MODES AS OPPOSED TO DISCRETE CELLS. STRONG/SEVERE WIND GUSTS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH INVERTED-V SOUNDINGS IN PLACE WITH TEMPERATURE/DEWPOINT SPREADS OF 30-40 DEGREES. LARGE HAIL WILL ALSO BECOME A POSSIBILITY WITH TIME AS LAPSE RATES INCREASE WITH FALLING HEIGHTS/COOLING ALOFT. UPPER TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO AMPLIFY THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AS IT PASSES EAST OF THE ROLLING PLAINS...LEADING TO THE POSSIBILITY FOR ISOLATED SHOWERS WITHIN THE DEFORMATION ZONE ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHERN PANHANDLE INTO THE NORTHERN SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. BREEZY WINDS WILL CONTINUE ALL EVENING AND NIGHT AS THEY VEER NORTHWESTERLY WITH PASSAGE OF THE FRONT. THE LARGEST PRESSURE RISES WILL OCCUR THIS EVENING AND EARLY TONIGHT ACROSS THE SOUTH PLAINS...SHIFTING EAST ACROSS THE ROLLING PLAINS EARLY MONDAY MORNING. GREATEST WINDS ALOFT SHOULD MAINLY CLEAR THE AREA BY EARLY AFTERNOON MONDAY...KEEPING SPEEDS FROM BECOMING TOO OUT OF CONTROL AS THEY MAY IF OCCURRING SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH PEAK HEATING AND TURBULENT MIXING. 700 MB 200 NAUTICAL MILE HEIGHT GRADIENTS OF 60 METERS OR GREATER SUGGEST SUSTAINED WINDS OF AT LEAST 25 MPH...WITH SPEEDS OF 30 MPH OR HIGHER LIKELY AT TIMES OVER MUCH OF THE AREA. THEREFORE...WILL ISSUE A WIND ADVISORY FOR ALL BUT THE SOUTHERN SOUTH PLAINS AND SOUTHERN ROLLING PLAINS FROM 4 AM UNTIL 4 PM MONDAY. WINDS SHOULD DECREASE IN INTENSITY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...BUT WILL LIKELY REMAIN ABOVE 15 MPH. SKIES WILL CLEAR QUICKLY FROM WEST TO EAST THROUGH THE MORNING...BUT TEMPERATURES WILL ONLY WARM INTO THE MID-UPPER 60S ON THE CAPROCK AND UPPER 60S-LOW 70S IN THE ROLLING PLAINS AS WARMER AIR BEGINS TO FILTER IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST. LONG TERM... DRY...WEAKENING NW FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA LATE MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THIS WILL LEAD TO A BIG DIURNAL TEMP RANGE. TUESDAY MORNING WILL BE CHILLY...WITH LOWS LIKELY NEAR OR SLIGHTLY BELOW 40 ACROSS MUCH OF THE CAPROCK. HIGH TEMPS TUESDAY WILL RECOVER BACK INTO THE 70S...THEN WARM FURTHER INTO THE 70S AND 80S ON WED AS SHORTWAVE RIDGING TRANSITS THE AREA. A WEAK COLD FRONT IS STILL EXPECTED ON THURSDAY...WITH TYPICAL TIMING DIFFERENCES WHICH LOWERS CONFIDENCE IN THE DAY/S TEMP FORECAST. EVEN SO...A BIG COOL DOWN IS NOT EXPECTED. THE GFS AND ECMWF DIFFER TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK. THE ECMWF MAINTAINS UPSLOPE/EASTERLY FLOW FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY WHILE THE GFS WASHES IT OUT. THIS COULD LEAD TO SOME DIFFERENCE IN TEMPS...MOISTURE LEVELS AND CLOUD COVER. WE/LL ALSO BE WATCHING A SMALL SHORTWAVE MOVING ACROSS THE SW STATES THAT COULD APPROACH THE CWA NEXT WEEKEND. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 41 64 39 73 43 / 60 0 0 0 0 TULIA 43 65 40 74 43 / 70 10 0 0 0 PLAINVIEW 45 66 41 74 43 / 70 0 0 0 0 LEVELLAND 47 66 41 74 44 / 40 0 0 0 0 LUBBOCK 48 67 42 75 46 / 50 0 0 0 0 DENVER CITY 48 68 41 75 45 / 20 0 0 0 0 BROWNFIELD 49 68 41 75 45 / 30 0 0 0 0 CHILDRESS 51 70 44 76 46 / 70 10 0 0 0 SPUR 50 70 43 76 47 / 70 10 0 0 0 ASPERMONT 53 72 46 76 48 / 70 10 0 0 0 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FROM 4 AM TO 4 PM CDT MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: TXZ021>038. && 29/99
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 328 PM CDT SUN OCT 12 2014 TXZ021>044-132030- PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE- FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL- 328 PM CDT SUN OCT 12 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT CONVECTIVE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS EVENING OVER MUCH OF THE SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT AND VIGOROUS UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE. ANY OF THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE LOCALIZED WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 55 MPH...HOWEVER SOME MAY INTENSIFY IN THE ROLLING PLAINS WITH WIND GUSTS NEAR 60 MPH AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL. NON PRECIPITATION STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP OVERNIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY MONDAY IN THE WAKE OF A COLD FRONT. SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS ARE LIKELY TO REACH THE 30 TO 40 MPH RANGE ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA ASIDE FROM SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 3 PM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... LIMITED SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED THIS EVENING ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
830 PM CDT SUN OCT 12 2014
TXZ043-044-130200-
KENT-STONEWALL-
830 PM CDT SUN OCT 12 2014
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR STONEWALL AND KENT COUNTIES...
AT 827 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN KENT COUNTY...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.
PENNY SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF MODERATE 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. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS
PASSED.
LAT...LON 3295 9999 3296 10066 3301 10071 3322 10051
3339 10012 3323 9998
TIME...MOT...LOC 0129Z 234DEG 50KT 3300 10055The Dyess AFB radar (KDYX), 113 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:58 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Aspermont recorded a wind gust to 61 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, October 2014
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: 539746, 539744.