Wildfire and Damaging Wind in Texas, April 13, 2018

Name: Wildfire and Damaging Wind in Texas, April 13, 2018
Start: 2018-04-13T10:35
End: 2018-04-13T23:00
Location: Texas

April 13, 2018 · NWS LUB · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Where it happened

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.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS LUB wrote it up.

Periods of high westerly winds developed this morning and afternoon well south of a vigorous low pressure system in eastern Colorado. Fortunately, blowing dust was not a significant problem over the region as the strongest winds avoided the major dust source regions. By late afternoon, a narrow band of thunderstorms drifted south from the southwest TX Panhandle and resulted in a convective wind gust to 61 mph near Floydada. These storms also produced welcome soaking rains from Friona and Dimmitt southeast to Plainview.

Late this afternoon, strong westerly winds promoted the spread of a wildfire in northern Dickens County. Preliminary evidence from the Texas Forest Service indicates two wildfires developed west of Afton before combining into a single fire that consumed at least 3100 acres. In addition to closing some rural roads, this fire prompted a voluntary evacuation of residents from Afton. Fortunately, no structures were damaged from this wildfire.

What forecasters said that day

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 Apr 13, 5:21 AM CST, 5 hours 14 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 13, 5:21 AM CST, 5 hours 14 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Lubbock TX
Issued by National Weather Service AMARILLO TX
621 AM CDT Fri Apr 13 2018

.AVIATION... /issued by National Weather Service AMARILLO TX/
VFR conditions are expected throughout the 12Z TAF period. Strong
west to west-northwest winds are expected throughout the day
starting around 14/15Z at all TAF sites sustained 30-35 kts with
gusts up to 45 kts. BLDU conditions are also expected, especially
for KLBB/KPVM. Going past 00Z to the end of the TAF period, winds
will shift to more northwesterly and diminish slightly to
sustained around 15-20 kts. Some mid level SCT clouds will also
work in from the north, but conditions will remain VFR.
Northwesterly winds will again pick up, especially for KCDS/KPVW
toward the end of the TAF period as a cold front works its way
through. Winds will be sustained 20-25 kts.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued Issued by National Weather Service AMARILLO TX/

DISCUSSION... /issued by National Weather Service AMARILLO TX/

Strong winds with continued fire weather conditions are expected
throughout the day across the region. As an upper level system
continues to move east across the Great Basin, strengthening and
deepening southwesterly flow will continue with a High Wind
Warning out for the entire area into the early evening hours with
large areas of blowing dust possible. Winds this afternoon will be
sustained between 30-40 MPH with gusts over 50 MPH at times. High
temperatures today will range from the mid 60s in the northwest
across portions of Parmer and Castro counties to lower 80s in the
southeast. As the main upper level system shifts east-southeast
across Kansas this evening into the overnight, winds will begin to
wane slightly and shift to northwesterly as a cold front begins
to move south into the region by early tomorrow morning.
Temperatures across the northwest may be at or below freezing by
tomorrow morning. Going into the day on Saturday, along and just
in the wake of the cold front, some of the latest hi-res model
data is indicating a second max of strong northwesterly winds
throughout the morning hours on Saturday as the main upper level
system continues to move east along a rather strong 850-700 hPa
pressure gradient. The exact positioning of the upper level low by
tomorrow afternoon still shows weak agreement between the latest
13/00Z data which may limit some of the stronger winds tomorrow
morning. However, winds should subside by tomorrow afternoon as
the main upper level low finally moves out of the central Plains.
High temperatures tomorrow behind the passing front will drop with
temps ranging from the mid 50s to mid 60s. With light and
variable winds by tomorrow evening into the overnight, good
radiational cooling will allow many locations to drop at or below
freezing with some areas in the northwest as cool as the mid 20s.

Going forward from Sunday into the middle of next week, northwesterly
 mid level flow will shift to westerly and then southwesterly by
middle of next week as an upper level ridge will move right over
west Texas. Some weak perturbations in the mid level flow will
keep any chances of precipitation well north of the region.
Temperatures will rebound into the 70s on Sunday and 80s on Monday
and Tuesday. A weak cold front will move south into the region
mid week to knock temperatures back into the 70s for Wednesday and
Thursday.

Although still a week out, latest 00Z global model guidance hints at
moisture returning to parts of the western areas by Friday and
perhaps the entire region by next weekend. A deepening trough into
the southwestern US may create mid level cyclogenesis further
south along the Mexico border, and along with a southeast surface
winds taping into the Gulf of Mexico advecting low level moisture
into the region may provide our next chance of widespread
precipitation.

FIRE WEATHER... /issued by National Weather Service AMARILLO TX/

Critical to extremely critical fire weather conditions are
expected across the entire region today. RFTI values will range
from 6 to 8 across the region. Min RH values are also expected to
be between 7-11%. As previously mentioned, in-conjunction with a
Red Flag Warning, there is a High Wind Warning for the entire area
from late this morning into the evening hours with southwesterly
winds of 30-40 MPH with gusts up over 50 MPH at times. RFTI values
this high represent an extreme threat for very dangerous fire
behavior.

Elevated to near critical fire weather conditions are also possible
for the day on Saturday as strong northwesterly winds along with
min RH values of 15-19% may be conducive for fire weather. Max
RFTI values will be across eastern areas will be 3 to 4.

There will be a lull in Fire Weather conditions on Sunday with a
likely return of Fire Weather conditions by Monday and Tuesday.

&&

.LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
High Wind Warning until 7 PM CDT this evening for TXZ021>044.

Red Flag Warning until 9 PM CDT this evening for TXZ021>044.

&&

99/99/99

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 13, 8:55 AM CST, 1 hour 40 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Lubbock TX
Issued by National Weather Service AMARILLO TX
955 AM CDT Fri Apr 13 2018

TXZ021>044-141500-
Parmer-Castro-Swisher-Briscoe-Hall-Childress-Bailey-Lamb-Hale-
Floyd-Motley-Cottle-Cochran-Hockley-Lubbock-Crosby-Dickens-King-
Yoakum-Terry-Lynn-Garza-Kent-Stonewall-
955 AM CDT Fri Apr 13 2018

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the South Plains...Rolling
Plains and the far Southern Texas Panhandle.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

A Red Flag Warning and a High Wind Warning is in effect for the
entire region. Strong southwest winds will increase to 30 to 40
MPH this afternoon with gusts to around 60 mph. Areas of blowing
dust will also restrict visibilities at times. Low temperatures
tonight may drop below freezing for parts of the area, especially
across norther locations.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday

Elevated to critical fire weather conditions are possible on
Saturday. Widespread temperatures below freezing are possible
Saturday night into early Sunday morning.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not anticipated.

The radar

The Lubbock radar (KLBB), 68 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:10 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 high wind, 1 wildfire, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Lamb

When: April 13, 10:35 AM CST to 2:35 PM CST
Where: Lamb forecast zone
Measured: 39 kt (45 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.069, -102.352 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Hall

When: April 13, 11:28 AM CST
Where: Hall forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.531, -100.681 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Swisher

When: April 13, 11:35 AM CST
Where: Swisher forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.530, -101.735 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Castro

When: April 13, 11:55 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Castro forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.530, -102.262 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Hale

When: April 13, 12:40 PM CST
Where: Hale forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.071, -101.827 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wildfire, Dickens

When: April 13, 3:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Dickens forecast zone
Reported by: Park/Forest Service
Coordinates: 33.617, -100.779 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Floyd

When: April 13, 6:10 PM CST
Where: Floyd County, 2 mi NNE of Floydada
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 34.007, -101.317

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Wildfire: A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 2018 Every state in 2018 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, April 2018

Sources

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: 739711, 739622, 739623, 739626, 739624, 739698, 739625.