Late this afternoon, scattered thunderstorms across eastern New Mexico congealed into an MCS and proceeded to move southeast over all of the South Plains, southern Texas Panhandle and the Rolling Plains through the night. A larger scale severe thunderstorm event spared the region thanks to delayed moisture return, however a few large hailstones and severe wind gusts were recorded.
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.
Late this afternoon, scattered thunderstorms across eastern New Mexico congealed into an MCS and proceeded to move southeast over all of the South Plains, southern Texas Panhandle and the Rolling Plains through the night. A larger scale severe thunderstorm event spared the region thanks to delayed moisture return, however a few large hailstones and severe wind gusts were recorded.
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 May 29, 6:31 PM CST, 59 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 731 PM CDT FRI MAY 29 2015 .UPDATE... HAVE UPDATED THE GRID AND TEXT PRODUCTS TO REFLECT THE ADDITION OF SEVERE WATCH 242 THAT COVERS MOST OF THE SOUTHERN TWO ROWS OF OUR CWA AND IS VALID THROUGH 07Z /2 AM/. THE NORTHWEST ZONES REMAIN UNDER SEVERE WATCH 240 UNTIL 04Z /11 PM/. WE STILL EXPECT THE CONVECTION JUST MOVING INTO THE NORTHWEST ZONES TO CONGEAL INTO A MCS THAT WILL PROPAGATE SOUTHEASTWARD OVER THE CWA THROUGH THE LATE EVENING HOURS AND BRING THE RISK OF LARGE HAIL /EARLY ON/ STRONG WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 634 PM CDT FRI MAY 29 2015/ AVIATION... STORMS CURRENTLY MOVING OUT OF NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO WILL LIKELY IMPACT KPVW AND KLBB LATER THIS EVENING AND TEMPO GROUPS HAVE BEEN MAINTAINED WITH THIS IN MIND. BRIEF HEAVY RAIN /AND MVFR TO IFR VISIBILITIES/ AND GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS WITH THE CONVECTION AS IT SWEEPS SOUTHEASTWARD OVER THE TERMINALS. KCDS COULD TOO EXPERIENCE SOME CONVECTION THOUGH THIS IS A LITTLE LESS CERTAIN...AND WOULD LIKELY BE DELAYED TO LATER THIS EVENING AS A COLD FRONT ADVANCES SOUTHWARD INTO THE AREA. ELEVATED CONVECTION COULD LINGER BEHIND THE FRONT INTO SATURDAY MORNING THOUGH CONFIDENCE IN COVERAGE AND LOCATION ARE TOO LOW FOR INCLUSION IN THE TAFS ATTM. IN ADDITION...MVFR /OR LOW/ CIGS MAY DEVELOP BEHIND THE FRONT EARLY SATURDAY AT ANY OF THE TERMINALS...THOUGH DRIER AIR ADVECTING IN COULD LIMIT THIS POSSIBILITY. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 325 PM CDT FRI MAY 29 2015/ SHORT TERM... SURFACE SETUP AT 3PM CONSISTED OF A DECAYING SURFACE TROUGH RUNNING FROM NEAR SEAGRAVES E-NE TO GUTHRIE. WINDS BEHIND THIS BOUNDARY HAVE ALREADY BEGUN VEERING EASTERLY IN OUR NW COUNTIES IN RESPONSE TO MORE PROMINENT SURFACE TROUGHING IN EASTERN NM. EARLIER ISOLATED TSTORM MENTION FOR THIS AFTERNOON WAS REMOVED OVER ALL BUT OUR NW COUNTIES WHERE CONFIDENCE IS HIGHEST IN PRECIP BEFORE 7 PM. DEWPOINTS HAVE SIMPLY PROVED DRIER OVER THE SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS THAN MODELS INDICATED AND THIS IS PAINFULLY EVIDENT BY THE LACK OF BOUNDARY LAYER CU THUS FAR. FARTHER NW...UPSLOPE STORMS ARE ALREADY IN PROGRESS NW OF TUCUMCARI AND PER RECENT MCD THIS ACTIVITY STANDS A GOOD CHANCE OF CONSOLIDATING INTO AN MCS THIS EVENING AS IT SPREADS SEWD AND ENCOUNTERS A THETA-E AXIS ORIENTED SE-NW DIRECTLY ACROSS OUR CWA. SUFFICIENT CAPE UP TO 2K J/KG SHOULD BREED SOME ROBUST UPDRAFTS...BUT THE COMMON NWP THEME IS FOR CONVECTIVE OUTFLOWS TO SOLIDIFY INTO AN MCS OVER TIME. WE WOULD EXPECT THIS TRANSITION TO OCCUR SOONER THAN LATER AND NOT BE AS SLOW AS THE 12Z NAM SUGGESTS PARTICULARLY GIVEN 30-40 KNOTS OF W-NW FLOW AT 500MB. THIS FASTER PROGRESSION AND MOTION OF STORMS MAY SERVE TO CUT BACK ON RAIN TOTALS...BUT IN LIGHT OF THE FAVORABLE THETA-E AXIS AND RETURN OF RICHER PWATS EXPECTED...WE/LL KEEP THE FLOOD WATCH INTACT. RATHER STOUT COLD FRONT DIVING TOWARD I-70 IN COLORADO AT 3PM IS DUE TO ARRIVE IN OUR NORTHERN COUNTIES AFTER MIDNIGHT. BY THIS TIME... THE MCS SHOULD BE LOCATED WELL IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT...HOWEVER MOST MODELS FAVOR ENOUGH POST-FRONTAL SATURATION ALONG THE ELEVATED FRONT/INVERSION LAYER WHICH SHOULD GARNER ADDITIONAL PRECIP CHANCES PARTICULARLY AS THE BASE OF AN UPPER TROUGH GLIDES SE FROM COLORADO. PRECIP SHOULD BE FADING STEADILY FROM N-S BY SUNRISE AS SUBSIDENCE TAKES GRASP BEHIND THE UPPER TROUGH. HOWEVER...LOW-MID CLOUDS MAY PROVE STUBBORN TO SHAKE OFF IN THIS MOIST PATTERN...SO WE CONTINUE TO SIDE WITH UNSEASONABLY COOL MAX TEMPS IN THE 70S. LONG TERM... UPPER LEVEL RIDGING IS EXPECTED TO SLOWLY BUILD INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE EXTENDED WITH SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW STARTING TO RETURN BY WEDNESDAY AS TROUGHING BECOMES REESTABLISHED IN THE WEST. THERE ARE SOME INDICATIONS THAT THERE COULD BE SOME INTERACTION WITH A PACIFIC TROPICAL SYSTEM NEXT WEEKEND THOUGH UNCERTAINTY REMAINS HIGH ON THAT ASPECT OF THE FCST. A DRYING AND WARMING TREND IS EXPECTED THIS WEEK WITH PERHAPS THE OCCASIONAL STORM POPPING UP DURING THE WEEK. AT THIS POINT...MONDAY EVENING LOOKS TO HAVE THE BEST CHANCE AT TSTMS UNTIL FRIDAY ROLLS AROUND. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... FRIONA 54 69 53 79 / 80 20 10 10 TULIA 57 69 53 78 / 80 20 0 10 PLAINVIEW 58 70 53 77 / 80 20 0 10 LEVELLAND 58 71 55 79 / 80 30 10 10 LUBBOCK 58 72 55 78 / 80 30 10 10 DENVER CITY 59 73 56 80 / 60 40 10 10 BROWNFIELD 59 73 56 80 / 70 40 10 10 CHILDRESS 61 74 56 80 / 70 20 0 10 SPUR 60 74 56 79 / 80 30 10 10 ASPERMONT 63 76 59 79 / 80 30 10 10 && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING FOR TXZ023>026- 029>032-035>038-041>044. && 23/33
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 1132 AM CDT FRI MAY 29 2015 TXZ021>044-301645- PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE- FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING- YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL- 1132 AM CDT FRI MAY 29 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS MAY DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING BRINGING LARGE HAIL TO THE SIZE OF BASEBALLS AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS OF 70 MPH. TONIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY...A COLD FRONT WILL BRING WIDESPREAD SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORMS WHICH MAY PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLOODING OR FLASH FLOODING. LOCAL RAIN TOTALS GREATER THAN THREE INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM SATURDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 801 PM CDT FRI MAY 29 2015 TXZ021>023-027-028-300130- LAMB TX-BAILEY TX-CASTRO TX-SWISHER TX-PARMER TX- 801 PM CDT FRI MAY 29 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR PARMER...CASTRO...NORTHWESTERN LAMB AND BAILEY COUNTIES UNTIL 830 PM CDT... AT 759 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NEAR SUMMERFIELD TO 7 MILES EAST OF ARCH...AND MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. HALF INCH HAIL...WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 55 MPH...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. A WIND GUST TO 51 MPH WAS OBSERVED AT FRIONA AT 745 PM AS THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... MULESHOE...DIMMITT...FRIONA...BOVINA...FARWELL...HAPPY... SUMMERFIELD...NEEDMORE...BLACK...EASTER...OKLAHOMA LANE...LARIAT... PROGRESS...WEST CAMP...LAZBUDDIE AND NAZARETH. THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CDT FOR NORTHWESTERN TEXAS. LAT...LON 3475 10181 3382 10294 3387 10305 3475 10304 TIME...MOT...LOC 0059Z 277DEG 36KT 3473 10243 3413 10301 23
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
829 PM CDT FRI MAY 29 2015
TXZ022-023-027>029-300200-
LAMB TX-BAILEY TX-CASTRO TX-SWISHER TX-HALE TX-
829 PM CDT FRI MAY 29 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN SWISHER...CASTRO...
LAMB...BAILEY AND NORTHWESTERN HALE COUNTIES UNTIL 900 PM CDT...
AT 827 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 12 MILES NORTHEAST OF
EASTER TO EARTH TO 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF CAUSEY...AND MOVING EAST AT
35 MPH.
HALF INCH HAIL...WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 55 MPH...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
LITTLEFIELD...MULESHOE...TULIA...DIMMITT...OLTON...HART...EARTH...
SUDAN...AMHERST...HAPPY...SUMMERFIELD...NEEDMORE...EASTER...MULESHOE
WILDLIFE REFUGE...MAPLE...BULA...HALFWAY...ENOCHS...FIELDTON AND
NAZARETH.
THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND
TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN TEXAS.
LAT...LON 3474 10167 3413 10196 3383 10256 3383 10305
3417 10304 3431 10269 3431 10253 3475 10252
TIME...MOT...LOC 0127Z 285DEG 32KT 3473 10221 3424 10243 3395 10302
23The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 91 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:29 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Measured by a Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet station.
Multiple reports of hail of dime to quarter size occurred in an area centered around 4th Street and Slide Road. Damage, if any, was unknown.
A wake low produced high winds measured up to 60 mph by a Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet station.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2015
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: 568854, 568853, 568855.