High Wind, Briscoe
- When
- February 14, 12:09 AM CST to 6:25 AM CST
- Where
- Briscoe forecast zone
- Measured
- 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 34.530, -101.209 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind in Texas, February 14, 2019
During the pre-dawn hours, a strong westerly low level jet around 60 mph created a turbulent rotor downwind of the Caprock escarpment in Briscoe County. This rotor caused several instances of high winds for just over six hours in Caprock Canyons State Park, with a peak gust measured as high as 61 mph at 3:06 CST.
Where it happened
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.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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.
During the pre-dawn hours, a strong westerly low level jet around 60 mph created a turbulent rotor downwind of the Caprock escarpment in Briscoe County. This rotor caused several instances of high winds for just over six hours in Caprock Canyons State Park, with a peak gust measured as high as 61 mph at 3:06 CST. No known damage accompanied these winds.
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 Feb 13, 10:58 PM CST, 1 hour 11 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 13, 10:58 PM CST, 1 hour 11 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Lubbock TX 1058 PM CST Wed Feb 13 2019 .AVIATION... VFR conditions will continue through the next 24 hours. Wind speeds will remain up through the night and stronger winds about 1000 ft AGL will stay close to 50 knots resulting in a pretty good bit of LLWS. Wind will gradually become west to northwesterly tomorrow afternoon and increase with sustained speeds of 20 to 30 kts. Jordan PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 319 PM CST Wed Feb 13 2019/ DISCUSSION... Near zonal westerly flow aloft will continue overnight with next significant wave expected to emerge across the northern Rockies into the northern Plains Thursday. Fairly strong westerly wind component will lead to a windy and warm day with periods of high clouds to continue. A weak cold front will slide southward Thursday night through the eastern Texas Panhandle into the northern part of the Rolling Plains before stalling Friday morning. This may serve as a focus for a few showers passing through the panhandle very early Friday, but should remain north of our area. This front will wash out and retreat Friday as upper flow backs and height falls and surface pressure falls ensue. A weak impulse will likely race eastward early Friday solidifying stronger zonal flow once again and may lead to a windy period around midday. But this may be fairly brief with passage of this impulse to the east and weakening pressure gradients. Solutions indicate weakening winds during the afternoon Friday but still a very warm and dry day. Saturday still looms as potentially the windiest day ahead as low pressure deepens in the southwestern U.S. with height falls underway our area and deepening surface moving from the front range across the Panhandle by Saturday afternoon. Wind max at the 500 millibar level late Saturday variously from around 87 to 107 knots is enough to make for a solid windy day including potential wind advisory, dust, and critical fire weather (see below.) A cold front will follow passage of this storm into the plains early Sunday and a period of cool surface high pressure and upslope looks to persist through early next week. A fairly discernible upper trough digging through the southwest will eject just north Monday night and Tuesday producing enough lift for valid low chances of light snow. Air currently appears uniformly cold enough for mainly snow, though likely to become a little more vague as we approach in days ahead, if precipitation chances even remain by that time. RMcQueen FIRE WEATHER... Dry, warm, and breezy to windy weather will continue off and on through Saturday. Today we are seeing red flag minutes adding up across the southwestern Panhandle and western South Plains, but with the ERC's still near-normal combined with RFTI's mostly 3 to 4 equates to elevated fire danger vs. critical. Thursday and Friday both will see waves passing late morning into early afternoon, with winds peaking around those times and should weaken afterwards. Humidity may not drop as much Thursday and Friday remains uncertain as well. Very possible we will see at least areas of critical fire danger develop either or both Thursday and Friday but coverage looks inadequate for a fire weather watch at this time. ERC's are expected to increase towards the 65th percentile by Thursday or Friday and probably 70 or above by Saturday so will become a non-factor restricting critical fire weather conditions. Saturday is on track for strongest winds and greatest likelihood of critical or possibly extremely critical fire weather conditions. A cold front will bring cooler air in Sunday into early next week. RMcQueen && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && 14/14/14
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 13, 6:03 PM CST, 6 hours 6 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Lubbock TX 603 PM CST Wed Feb 13 2019 TXZ021>044-141215- Parmer-Castro-Swisher-Briscoe-Hall-Childress-Bailey-Lamb-Hale- Floyd-Motley-Cottle-Cochran-Hockley-Lubbock-Crosby-Dickens-King- Yoakum-Terry-Lynn-Garza-Kent-Stonewall- 603 PM CST Wed Feb 13 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the South Plains, Rolling Plains and the far Southern Texas Panhandle. .DAY ONE...Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Elevated to critical fire weather conditions are expected Thursday and Friday. Critical or possibly extremely critical fire weather conditions may develop Saturday along with winds in excess of 30 mph and areas of blowing dust.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Arizona, February 14 to 16, 2019
- Flash Flooding in California, February 14, 2019
- Strong Wind in Mississippi, February 14, 2019
- Winter Weather in South Dakota, February 14 to 15, 2019
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Michigan, February 14 to 15, 2019
- Flash Flooding and High Wind in Nevada, February 14 to 15, 2019
- High Wind in Texas, February 14 to 16, 2019
- Heavy Snow in Washington, February 14 to 15, 2019
- Heavy Snow in Idaho, February 14 to 15, 2019
- Winter Weather in Wyoming, February 14 to 15, 2019
- Heavy Snow in Washington, February 14, 2019
- Dense Fog in Colorado, February 14 to 15, 2019
More
Every storm in Texas in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, February 2019
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: 796930.