A strong and slow moving upper level low pressure system brought severe storms for a second consecutive day across the region. Strong instability developed again during the afternoon hours among strong deep layer wind shear.
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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 and slow moving upper level low pressure system brought severe storms for a second consecutive day across the region. Strong instability developed again during the afternoon hours among strong deep layer wind shear. Isolated storms initially developed by mid afternoon along a warm front oriented from west to east from the eastern South Plains through the northern Rolling Plains. A few of these storms quickly became severe with supercell structures, two of which produced tornadoes that caused no 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 May 10, 1:10 PM CST, 33 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lubbock TX 210 PM CDT Wed May 10 2017 .DISCUSSION... Hi-res models are generally in good agreement with thunderstorms across mainly the northeastern third of the forecast area this afternoon. This area is downstream from a large upper low centered over New Mexico, has a healthy amount of low level moisture that remains in place despite the early morning MCS that moved across the area, and has an elevated mixed layer spreading northward from the Permian Basin. Dry low level air working northward will help concentrate chances to the northeast, although low level moisture may hang on across the far southeast part of the forecast area. Models have been consistent in moving storms out of the area by 00Z. That timing seems about right, but with the upper low still the west it seems prudent to hang onto a 20-30 percent chance mention this evening. The upper low is progged to move across the Panhandle on Thursday. There could be a few showers try to develop as far south as the northern row of the forecast area, but all the guidance is keeping precip to the north of us, and we will maintain a dry forecast at this time. The low moving out onto the High Plains will usher a cold front south through the forecast area during the day, setting up a pretty good gradient in the high temperature forecast with lower 70s northwest to upper 80s southeast. With the upper low moving to our east Friday, a quieter period will be ushered in. Surface ridging will settle in across the area Friday with light north winds favoring cooler than normal temperatures in line with MOS guidance. However, a quick rebound to above normal temperatures is expected for the weekend as upper level ridging moves overhead. Finally, there remains the possiblity of an active dryline Sunday through Wednesday with the ridge moving to the east and cyclonic flow moving over the west. There is no strong signal in the models yet, so will continue to favor slight chance wording for mainly the eastern half of the area. && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && 07
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lubbock TX 1140 AM CDT Wed May 10 2017 TXZ021>044-111645- Parmer-Castro-Swisher-Briscoe-Hall-Childress-Bailey-Lamb-Hale- Floyd-Motley-Cottle-Cochran-Hockley-Lubbock-Crosby-Dickens-King- Yoakum-Terry-Lynn-Garza-Kent-Stonewall- 1140 AM CDT Wed May 10 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the South Plains...Rolling Plains and the far Southern Texas Panhandle. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible across the southeastern Texas Panhandle, the Rolling Plains, and northeastern South Plains mainly after 1 pm. These storms will bring the threat of large hail up to baseball size, damaging winds to 75 mph, and a few tornadoes. Locally heavy rainfall with localized street flooding will also be possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Isolated strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible across portions of the area mainly in the afternoon and evening hours starting Sunday afternoon through Wednesday night. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will likely be needed this afternoon and evening across the southeastern Texas Panhandle, Rolling Plains, and northeastern South Plains.
The Lubbock radar (KLBB), 98 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:41 UTC.
5 hail, 4 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A storm chaser reported ping pong size hail several miles northwest of Matador on State Highway 70.
A storm chaser documented a brief tornado east of Matator. No damage occurred, therefore an EF-Unknown rating was assigned.
A resident of Cee Vee observed hail as large as softball size (4 inches). Also, a storm chaser nearby reported baseball size hail. Fortunately, there were no reports of damage.
A storm chaser reported a brief tornado touchdown near US Highway 83 east of Cee Vee. No damage was reported, therefore an EF-Unknown rating was assigned.
Multiple storm chasers and research meteorologists observed a tornado that crossed Farm to Market Road 1033 just south of the Cottle/Childress County line. No damage was evident, therefore an EF-Unknown rating was assigned.
A wind gust to 80 mph was reported just to the west of the Cottle/Hardeman County line along Farm to Market Road 104. This wind gust was associated with the supercell thunderstorm's rear flank downdraft.
A storm chaser reported golf ball size hail along US Highway 287 southeast of Kirkland.
Broadcast media confirmed a brief tornado wrapping in rain south-southwest of Brice in Hall County. This tornado remained over open ranch land and did not produce damage.
The Hall County Sheriff's office reported a swath of hail ranging from quarter size to baseball size to the south and southeast of Brice along State Highway 256. No damage was reported.
Law enforcement in Hall County and storm chasers reported hail up to golf ball size in Memphis. No damage was reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 2017Warnings in Texas, May 2017
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: 685300, 685445, 685301, 685302, 687016, 685303, 685304, 688277, 685308, 685312.