Isolated thunderstorms developed along a surface pressure trough in eastern New Mexico late in the afternoon of the 11th. One of these storms became long lived in West Texas generating severe wind gusts near Dimmitt (Castro County) and again in Hale County near Plainview and Aiken.
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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.
Isolated thunderstorms developed along a surface pressure trough in eastern New Mexico late in the afternoon of the 11th. One of these storms became long lived in West Texas generating severe wind gusts near Dimmitt (Castro County) and again in Hale County near Plainview and Aiken.
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 11, 5:20 PM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lubbock TX 620 PM CDT Tue Aug 11 2020 .AVIATION... Isolated high-based thunderstorms have developed within a surface low pressure trough to the west of KPVW and KLBB, with these storms moving to the east. We have added VCTS for the approach of this activity early this evening. Most solutions appear to weaken activity near sunset well before approaching KCDS, but will be watching for potential rogue late night activity. RMcQueen && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 249 PM CDT Tue Aug 11 2020/ SHORT TERM... Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected again this afternoon into this evening. Currently there are three main areas of focus for convective initiation. The first is a surface trough near the NM/TX state line noted due to low level convergence evident on the West Texas Mesonet. There are also two outflow boundaries left over from convection earlier today lingering over the far southwestern Panhandle and northwestern South Plains. If convection does form off of these features, northwesterly flow aloft will bring this activity into the far south Panhandle and South Plains. With MUCAPE values of 1000-1500 J/kg and deep layer shear values of 25-35 kts should be enough for storm maintenance. An inverted-V and steep lapse rates ~9 K/km evident on model soundings hint at the potential that storms will be capable of downburst winds and marginally severe hail. A second round of showers and thunderstorms will be possible tonight over the far south Panhandle and northern South Plains as convection that forms over the Panhandle may move into the area. By early tomorrow morning this activity should come to an end. However, continued southerly low level flow may be sufficient for isolated showers and thunderstorms to last through the morning. Tomorrow will most likely be slightly hotter as the upper-level high over the southwestern CONUS continues to amplify and heights continue to increase. Highs at or just above 100 degrees can be expected area wide. As the high amplifies, it will flatten some allowing for westerly winds aloft and advecting drier air into the area. This shift to more westerly winds and decrease moisture will greatly reduce our chances for precipitation for tomorrow. Kendrick LONG TERM... Hot temperatures in the mid-term is the main story. Upper level high pressure to our west will migrate eastward with increasing heights and thicknesses. Thursday is expected to be the hottest of the Wednesday to Saturday period as southwesterly low level flow spreads eastward behind a surface trough that is progged to move to about the Caprock escarpment. This combination of increased heights/thicknesses and associated low level temperature advection plus the downslope component supports both high and low temperatures near MOS guidance Thursday and Friday. Precipitation chances Thursday late day into evening not out of the question but would be very high based and probably pretty limited in coverage. Friday and Saturday nights look a bit better in this regard as an upper level trough moves across the northern and central Plains with a bit of energy beginning to break down the ridge on its northeast flank. As a result, storms that form across the Panhandle may make a run toward the Lubbock forecast area. A transition in the pattern then occurs Sunday into early next week as the upper ridge retrogrades to the west and then amplifies northward to the Great Basin and northern Rockies with more of a northerly component aloft. This will be favorable for temperatures to cool back toward seasonal normals while likely limiting precip chances to the far west and far north of the forecast area. && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && 99/99/05
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lubbock TX 403 AM CDT Tue Aug 11 2020 TXZ021>044-120915- Parmer-Castro-Swisher-Briscoe-Hall-Childress-Bailey-Lamb-Hale-Floyd- Motley-Cottle-Cochran-Hockley-Lubbock-Crosby-Dickens-King-Yoakum- Terry-Lynn-Garza-Kent-Stonewall- 403 AM CDT Tue Aug 11 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...Wednesday through Monday. Extreme heat is expected Thursday and Friday, with highs approaching 105 on the Caprock and 110 degrees to the east across the Rolling Plains.
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Lubbock TX 655 PM CDT Tue Aug 11 2020 TXZ033-034-120045- Hockley TX-Cochran TX- 655 PM CDT Tue Aug 11 2020 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EAST CENTRAL COCHRAN AND CENTRAL HOCKLEY COUNTIES UNTIL 745 PM CDT... At 654 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 10 miles southeast of Morton or just north of Whiteface, moving east at 20 mph. Penny size hail and wind gusts to 55 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Levelland, Whiteface, Ropesville and Opdyke West. LAT...LON 3350 10262 3374 10268 3372 10220 3340 10215 TIME...MOT...LOC 2354Z 276DEG 21KT 3365 10260 RMCQUEEN
The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 91 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:30 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Dimmitt measured a wind gust to 61 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Plainview measured a wind gust to 62 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Aiken measured severe wind gusts of 58 mph at 2223 CST and 2226 CST.
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: 905611, 905612, 905613.