A powerful storm system affected West Texas during the day of the 23rd. Lift and moisture from an approaching system, interacting with abundant levels of low-level Gulf of Mexico moisture, supplied abundant clouds and scattered showers, even a few rumbles of thunder during the morning hours.
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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.
A powerful storm system affected West Texas during the day of the 23rd. Lift and moisture from an approaching system, interacting with abundant levels of low-level Gulf of Mexico moisture, supplied abundant clouds and scattered showers, even a few rumbles of thunder during the morning hours. However, an increase in instability provided the fuel for more robust thunderstorm develop as thrust of the upper level system moved across South Plains region late in the afternoon into the evening. A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Friona (Parmer County) recorded a severe thunderstorm wind gust.
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 Dec 23, 2:10 PM CST, 1 hour 19 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lubbock TX 210 PM CST Sat Dec 23 2023 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM... .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Sunday) Issued at 203 PM CST Sat Dec 23 2023 A broad conveyor of elevated moist ascent continued to feed north over the region early this afternoon in advance of a tightly wound upper low about 120 miles west of ABQ. Abnormally rich moisture with widespread dewpoints in the 50s and PWATs around 220 percent of normal were maintaining a widespread shield of stratus, although visible satellite shows an axis of clearing along the TX-NM border where temps were pushing 60 degrees. LAPS analysis within this narrow corridor shows SBCAPEs approaching 1000 J/kg with little CIN, although this is likely too optimistic based on the lack of agitated cumulus compared to farther south near the Upper Trans-Pecos where surface parcels are more unstable. Extrapolation from satellite suggests our window for strongest ascent will accompany the leading edge of best height falls currently moving across southeast NM. Even though subsidence/reduced PoPs will increase well in advance of this feature, ascent should perk up sharply from 3-5 PM along the TX-NM border as this forcing arrives. Models are in good agreement that this strong and linear ascent will fuel a narrow squall line on the Caprock through early this evening before racing into the Rolling Plains later this evening. Prospects for severe across our domain remain conditional in light of anorexic CAPE profiles and moist low levels (poor DCAPE) compared to areas farther S-SW in the Permian Basin and Trans-Pecos, so will omit severe mention from the grids. Convection should sweep out of our eastern zones around midnight well ahead of a Pacific cold front and drier westerly flow through daybreak. A stronger front with blustery N winds then rushes south through the day on Christmas Eve which should keep highs below normal in most areas. Opted for a blend of the cooler CONSSHORT highs tomorrow as the NBM continues to look too optimistic given the degree of cold advection. && .LONG TERM... (Sunday night through next Friday) Issued at 203 PM CST Sat Dec 23 2023 The second, stronger cold front will be well south of the FA by tomorrow evening and will funnel in cooler temps. Christmas morning lows will be in the 20s across most of the FA with low 30s across our far eastern counties, and highs will be in the mid to upper 40s under clear skies. The upper low bringing tomorrow's cold front will become quasi-stationary over the Central Plains Christmas Day before pushing into the Midwest by Thursday. This will keep surface winds out of the north to northwest through much of the week while upper level subsidence keeps skies across the region mostly clear. Northerly surface winds will keep temps in the 50s across the region through Thursday. Models are in agreement with bringing a cold front southward by late week as an upper shortwave rotates around the western edge of the upper low, which is over Ontario/Quebec by this time. && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1058 AM CST Sat Dec 23 2023 Main change with the TAF set was to keep MVFR ceilings the predominant layer at LBB and PVW, with IFR layers confined to CDS. Following scattered SHRA/TS this afternoon, regional satellite and radar trends support a more definitive round of TS reaching LBB and PVW closer to 00Z before reaching CDS around 03Z. Drier W-SW winds overnight will scour out any lingering low clouds while restoring VFR. && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SHORT TERM...93 LONG TERM....51 AVIATION...93
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Lubbock TX 1004 AM CST Sat Dec 23 2023 TXZ021>044-241615- Parmer-Castro-Swisher-Briscoe-Hall-Childress-Bailey-Lamb-Hale-Floyd- Motley-Cottle-Cochran-Hockley-Lubbock-Crosby-Dickens-King-Yoakum- Terry-Lynn-Garza-Kent-Stonewall- 1004 AM CST Sat Dec 23 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the South Plains, Rolling Plains, and the far Southern Texas Panhandle. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. A few strong to severe thunderstorms are possible later this afternoon and evening. Wind gusts near 60 mph and marginally severe hail are the greatest hazards. A brief tornado is also possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lubbock TX
250 PM CST Sat Dec 23 2023
TXZ021-027-232130-
Bailey TX-Parmer TX-
250 PM CST Sat Dec 23 2023
...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of Bailey and Parmer
Counties through 330 PM CST...
At 249 PM CST, radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along a line
extending from 20 miles north of Clovis to 30 miles south of
Clovis. Movement was northeast at 45 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects and
vegetation is possible.
Locations impacted include...
Muleshoe, Friona, Bovina, Farwell, Needmore, Progress, Oklahoma Lane,
Lariat, Rhea, Muleshoe Wildlife Refuge, and West Camp.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3475 10261 3394 10262 3384 10305 3475 10304
TIME...MOT...LOC 2049Z 234DEG 37KT 3459 10321 3385 10322
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
MCZSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lubbock TX
313 PM CST Sat Dec 23 2023
TXZ033-034-039-040-232145-
Terry TX-Hockley TX-Cochran TX-Yoakum TX-
313 PM CST Sat Dec 23 2023
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern
Cochran, northwestern Terry, southwestern Hockley and northeastern
Yoakum Counties through 345 PM CST...
At 312 PM CST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7
miles east of Plains, moving northeast at 40 mph. A wind gust to 52
mph was measured by a West Texas Mesonet located near Plains with
this storm.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar and West Texas Mesonet indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects and
vegetation is possible.
Locations impacted include...
Sundown and Locketville.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3310 10275 3328 10288 3360 10245 3334 10224
TIME...MOT...LOC 2112Z 230DEG 36KT 3323 10270
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
MCZSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lubbock TX
327 PM CST Sat Dec 23 2023
TXZ021-022-027-028-232230-
Bailey TX-Castro TX-Parmer TX-Lamb TX-
327 PM CST Sat Dec 23 2023
...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of eastern Bailey,
eastern Parmer, Castro and northern Lamb Counties through 430 PM
CST...
At 326 PM CST, a line of strong thunderstorms extended from 5 miles
west of Summerfield to 4 miles northwest of Muleshoe Wildlife
Refuge. Movement was northeast at 40 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to outdoor objects and
vegetation is possible.
Locations impacted include...
Muleshoe, Dimmitt, Friona, Olton, Hart, Earth, Sudan, Summerfield,
Needmore, Easter, Lazbuddie, Progress, Black, Nazareth, and
Springlake.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3475 10205 3412 10210 3392 10291 3475 10280
TIME...MOT...LOC 2126Z 244DEG 35KT 3477 10260 3398 10281
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH
MCZThe Cannon AFB radar (KFDX), 84 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:26 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Friona measured a severe wind gust of 62 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, December 2023
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: 1145482.