Strong heating combined with a weak mid level impulse to generate scattered thunderstorms across the Texas Panhandle on the afternoon and evening of the 10th. Very hot temperatures led to a deeply mixed atmosphere and high based thunderstorm activity.
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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.
Strong heating combined with a weak mid level impulse to generate scattered thunderstorms across the Texas Panhandle on the afternoon and evening of the 10th. Very hot temperatures led to a deeply mixed atmosphere and high based thunderstorm activity. Some of these scattered thunderstorms became severe as they moved across the extreme southeastern Texas Panhandle producing measured severe wind gusts.
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 Aug 10, 5:08 PM CST, 4 hours 22 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lubbock TX 608 PM CDT Mon Aug 10 2020 .AVIATION... Thus far, thunderstorm activity near the state line seems to be having a hard time surviving with the warm air aloft. There is a risk of storms late this evening and overnight at each site, but the probability (<20%) precludes mentioning in the TAF ATTM. Otherwise, VFR outside of convective activity. Check density altitude. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 256 PM CDT Mon Aug 10 2020/ SHORT TERM... Widely scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop within a low level convergence zone near the Texas-New Mexico border late this afternoon, with west-northwest flow aloft steering this activity into the Texas Panhandle and parts of the Texas South Plains this evening. Solutions favor the most congealed areas of storms over the Panhandle but still mentionable chances for thunderstorms into the South Plains as well. Similar potential convective energy this afternoon as with recent days, but we have slightly improved shear courtesy of weak northwest flow aloft and low level southeast flow creating modest relative inflow. This has boosted Bulk Shear values a notch or two stronger and gives some potential for at least a few longer lasting high-based thunderstorms capable of mainly downdraft outflow wind gusts and also a small threat for severe category hail. Storms still generally expected to weaken mid to late this evening, but a few may continue well into the night as they advance southeast toward the Rolling Plains. We have added low chance for thunder later tonight this area. Outflows may drop minimum temperatures a little cooler across northern areas tonight but mild temperatures otherwise are favored overnight. Tuesday will see little overall change, with the upper level high pressure ridge still centered from northwest Chihuahua into far west Texas and southwest New Mexico, and our area remaining in weak northwest flow aloft. Another very warm or hot day is expected with low thunderstorm chances once again developing late in the day near the New Mexico border. RMcQueen LONG TERM... Upper level ridging pattern will continue to dominate the long term forecast this week. By midweek the center of upper level high pressure will be centered just west of the forecast area but will build east mid to late week. This will keep very warm temperatures aloft in place. While at the surface, a weak boundary will stall across the northern Texas Panhandle. This boundary will help winds take on a bit more of a southwesterly direction and hence lower surface moisture across the region. These factors will combine to allow for temperatures to warm a bit higher than have been experienced the past week. Widespread temperatures each afternoon will be in the 100-105 degree range with a few 105+ degree readings across portions of the Rolling Plains. With the much hotter temperatures aloft and the center of high pressure very close to the forecast area evening precipitation chances will be low Wednesday and Thursday. By Friday afternoon, the area of high pressure will begin to move back to the west and open up the forecast area to northwest flow aloft which will help increase the precipitation chances especially across the southern Panhandle Friday night through the weekend. This will also allow afternoon temperatures to cool a bit this weekend however temperatures will remain in the 90's to near the century mark. /WCI && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && 99/99/26
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lubbock TX 339 AM CDT Mon Aug 10 2020 TXZ021>044-110845- Parmer-Castro-Swisher-Briscoe-Hall-Childress-Bailey-Lamb-Hale-Floyd- Motley-Cottle-Cochran-Hockley-Lubbock-Crosby-Dickens-King-Yoakum- Terry-Lynn-Garza-Kent-Stonewall- 339 AM CDT Mon Aug 10 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the South Plains, Rolling Plains and the far Southern Texas Panhandle. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms will develop across the southwest Texas Panhandle and western South Plains late this afternoon. This activity will move east and southeastward through the evening hours. The strongest storms will be capable of producing quarter size hail, wind gusts to 65 mph and brief heavy rainfall. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 101 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:30 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Silverton measured a wind gust to 73 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Turkey measured a wind gust to 58 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Paducah measured a wind gust to 61 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, August 2020
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: 905592, 905594, 905599.