As a cold front stalled out across the South Plains during the afternoon hours of the 27th, scattered rain showers and thunderstorms developed south of the front. Underneath one of these developing thunderstorms near the frontal boundary, a landspout tornado formed in northern Terry County.
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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.
As a cold front stalled out across the South Plains during the afternoon hours of the 27th, scattered rain showers and thunderstorms developed south of the front. Underneath one of these developing thunderstorms near the frontal boundary, a landspout tornado formed in northern Terry County. This landspout was documented on social media near the intersection of Farm to Market Road 211 and US Highway 385.
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 Mar 27, 2:48 PM CST, 1 hour 1 minute earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lubbock TX 348 PM CDT Tue Mar 27 2018 .DISCUSSION... A potent upper level low currently over Arizona will move eastward and transition our part of the Lone Star State by Wed evening. As the trough axis passes, the flow will become northwesterly and slowly transitions to zonal by the weekend. A subtle shortwave in the upper midwest Thurs night will drive a front into the region. Thereafter, it appears a low will drive into the desert southwest though there is quite a bit of variance in the models. The main concern tonight and tomorrow will be prospects for storms and widespread rainfall. Water vapor imagery currently depicts broad scale lift to our southwest with visible showing convective instability to the southwest. Radar indicates upscale growth in area of enhanced isentropic ascent just north of the frontal boundary. The frontal boundary currently runs from Andrews to Lubbock to Guthrie. 0-6 km wind shear of 60 to 70 kts covers much of the area with corresponding instability values ranging from 500 to 1,000 J/kg. With this combination of instability and shear sustained updrafts may be hard to come by. A few storms may become strong to possibly severe with hail to the size of half dollars and winds to 60 mph. The tornado threat looks low, but is not completely out of the question in the vicinity of the aforementioned weak frontal boundary. PWATs are currently running about 200% above normal thus indicating a threat of locally heavy rainfall. Rainfall of 0.5 to 1.5 inches are indicated by the model solutions and supported by the general pattern. Given the dry spell, there is little vegetation to impede water flow in many locations therefore, there is an enhanced risk of runoff. The risk of low-end flooding is a bit higher than typical. && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && 03/99
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lubbock TX 1159 AM CDT Tue Mar 27 2018 TXZ021>044-281700- Parmer-Castro-Swisher-Briscoe-Hall-Childress-Bailey-Lamb-Hale- Floyd-Motley-Cottle-Cochran-Hockley-Lubbock-Crosby-Dickens-King- Yoakum-Terry-Lynn-Garza-Kent-Stonewall- 1159 AM CDT Tue Mar 27 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the South Plains...Rolling Plains and the far Southern Texas Panhandle. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight An approaching upper level storm system will bring a slight chance for severe thunderstorms late this afternoon and evening, mainly for the South Plains and Rolling Plains. Hail up to the size of half dollars and wind gusts to 60 mph will be possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday No hazardous weather is expected at this time.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lubbock TX
408 PM CDT TUE MAR 27 2018
TXZ034-040-272130-
Terry TX-Hockley TX-
408 PM CDT TUE MAR 27 2018
...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...
At 407 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7
miles north of Brownfield, moving northeast at 30 mph.
Around 400 PM CDT...the National Weather Service in Lubbock received
reports of a landspout tornado in the vicinity of Meadow. A
landspout is a tornado of short duration and winds generally less
than 60 mph which can cause minor damage and injuries in the direct
path of its circulation...akin to a strong dust devil. If you
observe a landspout...take shelter in a sturdy building.
Half inch hail and winds in excess of 30 mph will also be possible
with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Locketville, Meadow, Ropesville and Opdyke West.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Occasional cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3326 10243 3363 10231 3353 10208 3339 10208
3320 10232
TIME...MOT...LOC 2107Z 211DEG 24KT 3328 10230Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lubbock TX
432 PM CDT TUE MAR 27 2018
TXZ034-035-039-040-272200-
Terry TX-Hockley TX-Lubbock TX-Yoakum TX-
432 PM CDT TUE MAR 27 2018
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN LUBBOCK...TERRY...
SOUTHEASTERN HOCKLEY AND SOUTHEASTERN YOAKUM COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM
CDT...
At 430 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a line of strong
thunderstorms from near Seagraves, to near Ropseville. These
storms are moving northeast at 30 mph.
Half inch hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
these storms.
In addition, These storms are capable of producing landspout type
tornadoes. A landspout is a tornado of short duration and winds
generally less than 60 mph which can cause minor damage and injuries
in the direct path of its circulation...akin to a strong dust devil.
If you observe a landspout...take shelter in a sturdy building.
Locations impacted include...
Lubbock, Levelland, Brownfield, Wolfforth, Locketville, Tokio, Reese
Center, Meadow, Smyer, Ropesville, Wellman and Opdyke West.
LAT...LON 3296 10278 3358 10237 3366 10212 3361 10196
3339 10201 3339 10208 3325 10208 3296 10243
TIME...MOT...LOC 2130Z 211DEG 24KT 3325 10224The Lubbock radar (KLBB), 59 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:49 UTC.
1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A video posted to social media showed a well developed landspout tornado in an open field just north of the intersection of Farm to Market Road 211 and US Highway 385 in Terry County.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 2018Warnings in Texas, March 2018
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: 739938.