Severe thunderstorms developed once again on the afternoon of the 30th in a multi-day severe weather outbreak. Very warm temperatures developed in eastern New Mexico into the western South Plains during the afternoon of the 30th.
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.
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.
Severe thunderstorms developed once again on the afternoon of the 30th in a multi-day severe weather outbreak. Very warm temperatures developed in eastern New Mexico into the western South Plains during the afternoon of the 30th. Thunderstorms initially developed along an outflow boundary left over from a morning mesoscale convective system. Storms quickly became supercellular and severe as they were able to take advantage of the available instability and produced hail up to 3.50 inches in diameter. Light rain showers in the wake of dissipating storms produced high winds in Lamb County.
High winds from the Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet are listed below:
62 mph at Olton (Lamb County) and|59 mph at Amherst (Lamb County).
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 May 30, 1:16 PM CST, 1 hour 58 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lubbock TX 216 PM CDT Thu May 30 2024 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM... .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Friday) Issued at 215 PM CDT Thu May 30 2024 This morning's convection has thrown a small monkey wrench into today's severe forecast. The outflow boundary has pushed much further south than expected and, as of 18Z, stretched from Tatum, New Mexico to near Seminole to Snyder. This boundary has stabilized the airmass across most of the FA to some degree by significantly lowering surface temps. This also shifts the main tornado threat further south than originally expected. Storms are expected to develop by 3-4 PM CDT across eastern New Mexico and push into the FA by 4-5 PM CDT. Though forecasted MUCAPE has been lowered from 2000- 4500 to 2000-3500 J/kg, it will still be plenty enough instability for storms to be sustained and, combined with bulk shear of near 50 knots, allow storms to be strong to severe. Baseball size hail and wind gusts up to 70 mph are still the expected threats, but a gust to 80 mph cannot be ruled out. Discrete storms should form into an MCS as they move to the edge of the Caprock. As PWATs will be near/over 2 inches and many areas across the Rolling Plains has already received heavy rainfall, there will be a risk for flash flooding. A Flood Watch has been issued from 00Z-09Z tonight for our eastern two rows of counties. As for the tornado risk, as mentioned previously, it will be along the remnant gust front and mostly to our south. Storms should exit our eastern zones before 12Z. A cold front will push into the region by tomorrow morning with the passage of the upper shortwave that is aiding with developing today's storms. This should help to keep highs in the 70s and 80s across the region. && .LONG TERM... (Friday night through next Wednesday) Issued at 215 PM CDT Thu May 30 2024 An unsettled semi-zonal flow remains in place through the weekend with moist southerlies in the low levels pushing PWATs to 1 inch or greater over much of the forecast area. Similar to recent nights, Friday night has potential once again for storms initially in northeast New Mexico to make headway southeast through the southern TX Panhandle along a theta-e gradient. PoPs remain greatest across our northern zones for this nocturnal round of precip with a gradual downturn Saturday morning. Shortwave ridging for much of the day on Saturday along with a dryline anchored well to our west looks to keep much of the region on the quiet side during the daytime. By late day, increased ascent from both an approaching shortwave trough and upslope flow along the dryline in eastern NM should easily spur storm development that leads to another efficient nocturnal rain event, perhaps more significant than prior nights given PWATs nearly 150% of normal. Will disregard the NAM's dry scenario as it is a southerly outlier (for now) with the track of the shortwave trough. Severe prospects would also be in play given sizable MLCAPEs and enough deep layer shear for both supercells and MCSs. For Sunday, the dryline mixes out of NM and settles somewhere on the Caprock underneath flat westerly flow. The dryline by itself may be able to eke out some storms by peak heating in lieu of weaker background forcing, so will keep NBM's PoPs intact which fit well with global ensemble means. Deeper westerly flow by Monday brings an abrupt halt to our rain chances as the dryline shifts off the Caprock and contends with a strengthening EML. Although our forecast remains dry, GFS soundings at CDS show convective temps within reach which may squeak out a lone storm. This overall dire theme takes a turn for the worse by Tuesday as thicknesses jump in even drier westerly flow resulting in triple digit highs for many locales. Relief from the heat is on the way as soon as Wednesday thanks to a vigorous cyclone progged to track over the northern plains. The ECMWF is notably sharper and deeper with this trough which lends itself to even cooler temps for us, but will stick with the modest cooling of the NBM until ensemble spreads lessen. && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1239 PM CDT Thu May 30 2024 VFR conditions are expected to prevail through the afternoon, with a line of thunderstorms developing west of LBB to PVW. These storms will likely be severe with large hail and wind gusts exceeding 50 knots. Around sunrise on Friday a stratus deck may move into the area with a modest low-level jet, bringing a risk for temporary IFR conditions at all sites. Watson/Sorensen/Oz/Fenske && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flood Watch from 7 PM CDT this evening through late tonight for TXZ025-026-031-032-037-038-043-044. && SHORT TERM...51 LONG TERM....93 AVIATION...26
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lubbock TX 1146 AM CDT Thu May 30 2024 TXZ021>044-311700- Parmer-Castro-Swisher-Briscoe-Hall-Childress-Bailey-Lamb-Hale-Floyd- Motley-Cottle-Cochran-Hockley-Lubbock-Crosby-Dickens-King-Yoakum- Terry-Lynn-Garza-Kent-Stonewall- 1146 AM CDT Thu May 30 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the South Plains, Rolling Plains, and the far Southern Texas Panhandle. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Scattered thunderstorms are expected this afternoon across the far southern Texas Panhandle, South Plains and Rolling Plains. Very large hail up to 2.75 inches, damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph, and a tornado or two. Additionally, locally very heavy rainfall may produce flash flooding, especially across the Rolling Plains. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. The chance for thunderstorms will continue into the weekend and into early next week. Saturday currently looks like the day with the highest potential for widespread severe weather. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will likely be needed.
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Lubbock TX
1030 AM CDT Thu May 30 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1245 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 2 ENE Friona 34.65N 102.69W
05/30/2024 M66 MPH Parmer TX Mesonet
Also gusted to 59 mph at 1221 AM. Measured
by the West Texas Mesonet.
&&
MCZPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Lubbock TX
1218 PM CDT Thu May 30 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0845 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 1 WNW Childress 34.44N 100.22W
05/30/2024 Childress TX Emergency Mngr
Motel lost part of roof.
&&
APPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Lubbock TX
1239 PM CDT Thu May 30 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0845 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 1 ENE Childress 34.43N 100.20W
05/30/2024 Childress TX Public
Minor damage to greenhouse roof. Time
estimated.
&&
APThe Lubbock radar (KLBB), 112 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:15 UTC.
4 hail, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
An off-duty NWS employee and several storm chasers reported hail in the vicinity of Bledsoe ranging from the size of quarters to golf balls.
An off-duty NWS employee and numerous storm chasers reported a swath of hail from southwest of Denver City to approximately four miles north of Denver City. Hail ranged in sizes from golf balls to 3.50 inches in diameter. No damage was reported.
A storm chaser reported hail as large as two inches in diameter along Texas State Highway 214 north of the Cochran/Yoakum County line. No damage was reported.
Law enforcement and storm chasers reported golf ball size hail in the town of Denver City.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2024
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: 1171709, 1171710, 1171711, 1171712, 1171713.