A weak short wave trough tracked across the higher terrain along the New Mexico/Colorado border during the evening of the 26th. Large scale ascent from this short wave along with low level convergence in a surface pressure trough in eastern New Mexico initiated thunderstorms during the evening hours across eastern New Mexico.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
A weak short wave trough tracked across the higher terrain along the New Mexico/Colorado border during the evening of the 26th. Large scale ascent from this short wave along with low level convergence in a surface pressure trough in eastern New Mexico initiated thunderstorms during the evening hours across eastern New Mexico. This initial thunderstorm activity generated a strong outflow boundary which then moved into the South Plains of West Texas. A very dry lower atmosphere allowed these storms to produce widespread severe wind gusts as they tracked eastward across the South Plains and extreme southern Texas Panhandle through the early morning hours of the 27th.
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 Jun 26, 9:27 PM CST, 17 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lubbock TX 1027 PM CDT Fri Jun 26 2026 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 1007 PM CDT Fri Jun 26 2026 - Isolated to scattered thunderstorms will develop across the South Plains area late Saturday afternoon and evening, some of which may produce strong wind gusts and locally heavy rainfall. - Storm chances will continue each afternoon and evening through next Tuesday or Wednesday. - Temperatures will remain above average through the weekend before a slight cooldown early next week. && .SHORT TERM... (Tonight through Sunday) Issued at 1007 PM CDT Fri Jun 26 2026 A shortwave passing over the South Plains will keep a chance of showers going through early Saturday morning before skies start to clear out and we heat up again. It looks like it will be another hot day, similar to Friday, with highs near 100F on the Caprock and 100-106F in the Rolling Plains. By peak heating, the next weak shortwave in the southwest flow aloft should bring at least some modest large- scale ascent atop the hot, weakly capped airmass over West Texas. In addition, we expect a channel of mid- level moisture to work over the area from the southwest. The result should be isolated to scattered shower and t-storm development within the broad surface trough across the South Plains - and this time we won't need to wait for storms to roll out of eastern NM. Strong/severe wind gusts and locally heavy downpours will be the main threats with this activity, but as we've seen recently, isolated instances of marginally large hail may be possible as well. The activity should wane by late Saturday evening, leaving a quiet and very mild night. Sunday should present a fairly similar weather picture to Saturday, with high temperatures roughly in the same range. The center of the upper ridge will have shifted to the Lwr Ms Vly, with the channel of subtropical moisture still residing over the forecast area. About the only change of note from Saturday will be an increase in low level moisture due to a stronger low-level jet developing Sunday morning. Thus, we'll look for another round of late day and evening showers and t-storms, more likely focused on the Caprock due to stronger capping over the Rolling Plains. Localized heavy rain and downburst winds will be the main threats. && .LONG TERM... (Sunday night through next Friday) Issued at 1007 PM CDT Fri Jun 26 2026 For Mon thru Wed of next week, the forecast area will remain caught in-between the sprawling upper ridge centered over the Ohio Valley and a large, quasi-stationary upper trough from the Rockies to the Pacific Coast. Lower heights over West Texas in this pattern should produce a modest cooling trend, more apparent on the Caprock, with highs in the lower 90s by Wed, than in the Rolling Plains, where highs will remain near 100. Daily rain chances should also continue, but may begin to shift west by midweek depending on where the ridging/troughing sets up exactly which will guide the mid-level moisture channel and disturbances embedded within. Looking farther out, a gradual drying and warming trend is expected late next week as upper ridging strengthens over TX, however, a weakness in the height field may remain across NM and WTX and prevent completely benign wx. && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 605 PM CDT Fri Jun 26 2026 TAFS VFR through 00Z/28. There is a non-zero chance of -TSRA at all 3 locations thru 08Z or so, but probability is much too low to include any type of mention for now. Otherwise, southerly breeze overnight precludes WS mention with wind veering more SW after sunrise with G25 possible at KCDS. JW && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SHORT TERM...33 LONG TERM....33 AVIATION...13
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lubbock TX 1239 PM CDT Fri Jun 26 2026 TXZ021>044-271745- Parmer-Castro-Swisher-Briscoe-Hall-Childress-Bailey-Lamb-Hale-Floyd- Motley-Cottle-Cochran-Hockley-Lubbock-Crosby-Dickens-King-Yoakum- Terry-Lynn-Garza-Kent-Stonewall- 1239 PM CDT Fri Jun 26 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the South Plains, Rolling Plains, and the far Southern Texas Panhandle. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Isolated thunderstorms may develop over portions of the South Plains, Rolling Plains, and far southern Texas Panhandle through late this evening. Some of these storms may become severe and will be capable of producing wind gusts up to 70 mph and hail up to the size of quarters. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Thunderstorm chances will continue most days through at least Wednesday, mainly during the afternoon and evening hours. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed.
The Lubbock radar (KLBB), 69 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:44 UTC.
11 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Amherst measured severe wind gusts from 2144 CST through 2149 CST. A peak wind gust of 67 mph was measured at 2147 CST.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Tulia measured a wind gust of 58 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Olton measured a wind gust of 60 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Levelland measured severe wind gusts from 2218 CST through 2222 CST with a peak gust of 60 mph at 2218 CST.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Anton measured a wind gust of 61 mph.
The Automated Weather Observing System at Hale County Municipal Airport measured a severe wind gust of 59 mph at 2230 CST. From 2232 CST through 2240 CST, a Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Plainview measured severe wind gusts with a peak gust of 70 mph at 2232 CST.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Plains measured a wind gust of 60 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Reese Center measured a wind gust of 60 mph.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Aiken measured severe wind gusts from 2244 CST through 2249 CST. A peak gust of 63 mph was measured at 2244 CST.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Wolfforth measured a wind gust of 59 mph from 2252 CST through 2253 CST.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Memphis measured a wind gust of 65 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, June 2026
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: 1341749, 1341750, 1341751, 1341752, 1341753, 1341754, 1341755, 1341756, 1341757, 1341758, 1341759.