Isolated severe thunderstorms developed in eastern New Mexico on the afternoon of the 26th and moved into West Texas late in the evening. Lower level atmospheric flow became more northeasterly this day leading to cooler temperatures and less surface based instability than observed in previous days.
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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 severe thunderstorms developed in eastern New Mexico on the afternoon of the 26th and moved into West Texas late in the evening. Lower level atmospheric flow became more northeasterly this day leading to cooler temperatures and less surface based instability than observed in previous days. This upslope flow regime promoted the development of thunderstorms in eastern New Mexico and then propagated into West Texas late in the evening. A few of these storms became severe with abundant elevated instability still present. One severe storm moved across northern Hall County producing golf ball size hail. A second severe storm moved across Yoakum County producing wind damage and then golf ball size hail once it moved into Terry 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 26, 5:39 PM CST, 2 hours 1 minute earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lubbock TX 639 PM CDT Mon May 26 2025 ...New UPDATE and AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... - Cooler today with storm chances returning this afternoon and evening. - Cooler with thunderstorm chances each afternoon Tuesday through the weekend, some storms may become severe. && .UPDATE... Issued at 639 PM CDT Mon May 26 2025 Updated to boost PoPs before midnight on the Caprock in expectation of storms currently in eastern NM congealing as they spread east. Recent satellite imagery shows enhanced cumulus focusing along an E-W boundary stalled from just north of CVS to near HRX and this should serve as the main focus for additional storm development through early evening. Farther south, surface winds are less convergent within weak easterlies, yet a theta-e ridge is evident from CVS to LBB coincident with around 1500-2500 J/kg of MLCAPE and negligible CINH. Provided outflow from upstream convection can consolidate, this environment should support multicells and linear modes on the Caprock before instability wanes and convection declines farther east past midnight which fits well with the eastern terminus of the SVR box. && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Tuesday) Issued at 124 PM CDT Mon May 26 2025 Thunderstorms chances tonight likely come with convection that comes off the higher terrain of New Mexico in zonal flow aloft, supported by an upper level trough ejecting across the central and southern High Plains, and into an air mass with elevated instability with CAPE values potentially in excess of 1000 J/kg. It remains uncertain whether this convection will survive coming off the high terrain, although a majority of CAMs suggest it will. Will keep PoPs in the chance category for now and favor the northern half of the forecast area. Otherwise, temperatures will be limited on the downside tonight due to cloud cover and relatively high dew point temperatures in the moist, upslope flow, apart from cool outflow from should an MCS move across the forecast area. Tuesday will continue to see a decent amount of cloud cover as no significant change in pattern is expected, apart from some modest subsidence behind tonight's departing mid/upper trough. This again suggests that the NBM is a bit too warm and have trended down toward a MOS/NBM mix for high temperatures. Cap strength likely holds convection at bay Tuesday afternoon, apart from small possibility across the western zones where some afternoon insolation may help with destabilization. && .LONG TERM... (Tuesday night through next Sunday) Issued at 124 PM CDT Mon May 26 2025 For this week, more moisture, cooler temperatures, modest flow aloft will lead to highest chances of precipitation mid week. Cooler temperatures will limit CAPE values thus decreasing the potential of the more severe weather like we've seen for the last couple days. The upper air pattern is expected to evolve from the current more southwest flow at 500mb to more northwest flow aloft by Wednesday night as a low in the Dakotas moves east toward the Great Lakes region. The pattern allows for stronger moist southerly flow at 850mb Wednesday evening which will give us the greatest chances for area wide rainfall and should help maintain storms through Wednesday night and Thursday. The latest GFS run brings a stronger secondary front through late Wednesday night, which could limit instability thursday leading to more showers than storms. With cooler daytime temperatures, the atmospheric instability will be lower, but not enough to eliminate the chances of a few severe storms. A short wave rotating southeast through the Plains Thursday night could bring in somewhat drier air aloft towards the weekend, but at least a slight chance of showers and storms will continue. && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 639 PM CDT Mon May 26 2025 Ceilings may briefly lower to MVFR at the terminals this evening ahead of a brokent line of TS expected to sweep east and out of NM around sunset. Confidence is highest in these TS impacting LBB and PVW after 03Z and CDS toward midnight. Severe winds and hail are not out of the question. Once storms depart, the window for low stratus will open with MVFR and some IFR in the cards through Tuesday morning. && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && UPDATE...93 SHORT TERM...07 LONG TERM....04 AVIATION...93
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Lubbock TX 522 PM CDT Mon May 26 2025 TXZ021>044-272230- Parmer-Castro-Swisher-Briscoe-Hall-Childress-Bailey-Lamb-Hale-Floyd- Motley-Cottle-Cochran-Hockley-Lubbock-Crosby-Dickens-King-Yoakum- Terry-Lynn-Garza-Kent-Stonewall- 522 PM CDT Mon May 26 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the South Plains, Rolling Plains, and the far Southern Texas Panhandle. .DAY ONE...Tonight. A line of thunderstorms is expected to move out of eastern New Mexico toward sunset. These storms could produce wind gusts up to 70 mph along with some large hail approaching 2 inches in diameter along with heavy rainfall before weakening as they shift off the Caprock around midnight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Thunderstorm chances will continue each day from Tuesday through this weekend. The highest chances will come Wednesday night through Thursday night. A few storms may be severe. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed.
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Lubbock TX
423 PM CDT Mon May 26 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0815 PM Hail 2 S Olton 34.14N 102.14W
05/25/2025 E3.00 Inch Lamb TX Public
Delayed report from social media. Picture of
a smashed windshield was included.
&&
HSThe Amarillo radar (KAMA), 115 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:41 UTC.
2 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement officials reported a swath of hail from approximately five miles west of Memphis into the town of Memphis. Hail ranged in size from half dollars to golf ball size.
Law enforcement in Yoakum County reported widespread power outages in the town of Plains due to blown down power poles.
Local broadcast media relayed a report of a swath of hail south of Brownfield ranging in size from half dollar size to golf ball size.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2025
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: 1254199, 1254201, 1254202.