Scattered thunderstorms developed ahead of a dryline and cold front on the afternoon of the 22nd. Storms were initially transient and struggled to become organized due to a lack of deep layer shear across the region.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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.
Scattered thunderstorms developed ahead of a dryline and cold front on the afternoon of the 22nd. Storms were initially transient and struggled to become organized due to a lack of deep layer shear across the region. However, numerous outflow boundary formed which initiated new convection and were able to take advantage of a moist and unstable atmosphere. Hail as large as tennis balls were observed in Hale County. The numerous outflow boundaries created enough shear to generate several landspout tornadoes across the area. None of the many landspout tornadoes caused any known damage. Additionally, merging storms in southeastern Hale County produced torrential rainfall which led to flash flooding of roads and fields north of Petersburg.
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 22, 12:03 PM CST, 2 hours 32 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lubbock TX 103 PM CDT Fri May 22 2026 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 101 PM CDT Fri May 22 2026 - Scattered thunderstorms, some severe, are expected to develop this afternoon across the Caprock, where they will track eastward through the late evening. - Warm temperatures will continue through the weekend with daily chances for showers and thunderstorms through early next week. && .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Saturday) Issued at 101 PM CDT Fri May 22 2026 Water vapor imagery this afternoon is already detecting thunderstorm initiation across the southern extent of the Permian Basin, as the base of an upper level trough tracks through portions of the Rockies. Much of the large scale lift with this system will remain to our north this afternoon, translating into portions of the northern Texas Panhandle. However, further south, ripples within the flow aloft will track in from central New Mexico this afternoon serving as a focus point for thunderstorm development. Simultaneously, a surface low centered over central New Mexico will deepen and shift east towards to the TX/NM state line, sharpening a dryline across the area as it slowly mixes eastward. As of 18Z, this dryline was analyzed by WTM observations moving into Yoakum county. This boundary of low-level convergence will serve as the main focus point for convective initiation this afternoon. Despite most forecast soundings across the area noting a modest capping inversion early this afternoon, continued diurnal heating through the afternoon and ample moisture in place will work together to erode the cap as convective Ts become easily reachable with highs climbing into the mid 80s. Deep low-level moisture transport will continue to be aided by the upslope component of the winds, with dewpoints steady in the mid 50s across much of the Caprock while off the Caprock dewpoints climb into the 60s. With the combination of strong daytime heating and rich moisture in place will allow for an increasingly humid airmass to develop, maximizing instability, with MLCAPE values around 2000 J/kg as projected by the NAm to 2400 J/kg as projected by the RAP. Additionally steep mid-level lapse rates around 8 to 9 C/km and bulk shear magnitudes up to 35 knots will support the potential for thunderstorms capable of golfball sized hail and strong winds up to 70 mph. Although the primary hazards will be large hail and strong winds, we cannot completely rule the potential for an isolated tornado or two, although the threat remains low. This threat would be localized, with the tornado risk greatest if any discrete storms develop along the dryline, where low- level convergence is strongest. Storms will track from west to east, growing upscale as they move off the Caprock and organizing into a more linear mode. Therefore the threat will then become more wind driven through the late evening with storms tracking out of the area around midnight. Thereafter a quiet night is expected with lows in the 50s to around 60 degrees. The weak cold front is expected to move into portions of the far southern Texas Panhandle after midnight, before washing out as it enters the South Plains and Rolling Plains. Similar to today, low-level stratus will likely fill in across portions of the southern Rolling Plains and South Plains, clearing by mid-morning. As for Saturday, a similar set up to today is looking to pan out with temperatures similar (although slightly cooler across our northern counties) in the upper 70s to mid 80s. An additional wave will pass just to our north while a surface low over central NM sharpens a dryline to our southwest. With similar return moisture with dewpoints progged in the 50s and 60s once again and with the expectation of cloud cover diminishing by late morning with allow for maximized diurnal heating during peak heating hours. Which will likely result in strong instability with MLCAPE values depicted by NAM forecast soundings up to 2000 J/kg along with steep lapse rates and bulk shear magnitudes around 35 knots. As a result, storms that develop Saturday will pose another risk for large hail and strong winds as they track eastward through the area. Unlike today, the dry- line looks to make little progression in mixing eastward, which will lead to area-wide coverage in storms across the Caprock and off the Caprock. Throughout the evening Saturday, similar to today, storms will grow upscale into a more organized line as they track off the Caprock where we will see the threat for stronger winds increase through the evening. && .LONG TERM... (Saturday night through next Thursday) Issued at 101 PM CDT Fri May 22 2026 By the second half of the weekend into early next week, a low- amplitude mid/upper level ridge axis is progged to build over NM/CO ahead of weak troughing over the CA coast. At the surface, flow is expected to remain generally southerly as very weak troughing persists in the lee of the NM high terrain, which will keep relatively robust low/mid level moisture in place across the region, although a diffuse dryline is still likely to develop somewhere over the Caprock each afternoon. This will result in at least isolated convective development on both Sunday and Monday, but coverage and intensity are expected to remain limited given slightly increased midlevel subsidence as well as a notable lack of shear courtesy of very weak flow aloft. Storm chances Sunday and Monday will also be highest near the TX/NM state line in closer proximity to the high terrain, with generally drier weather farther east. By late Monday night, the ridging aloft will break down entirely as large scale troughing over the Pacific coast begins shifting eastward. Models are in good agreement bringing a leading shortwave over the region sometime on Tuesday, with the trough potentially obtaining a slight negative tilt as it does so. While this will likely bring a period of more widespread showers and storms to the region, severe potential will depend on the timing of the trough, with a slower progression favoring better storm chances for a longer period Tuesday into Tuesday night compared to a faster progression. Thereafter, consensus indicates a cutoff low will likely develop somewhere over the western CONUS, with weak ridging ahead of it potentially bringing a relative break in storm chances during the middle to late week period along with warmer temperatures. && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1219 PM CDT Fri May 22 2026 VFR ceilings have returned to the terminals early this afternoon, after and early erosion of low-stratus earlier. VFR conditions are expected to continue, but may become MVFR with any -TSRA that is expected to develop at the KLBB and KPVW around 21Z to 22Z and at KCDS around 01Z. Any storms that track into the terminals will pose a risk of strong winds gusts, frequent lightning, and large hail. However, confidence in the exact timing of storms still remains a bit low. Storms will track eastward, clearing KCDS by midnight. MVFR to IFR CIGs are forecasted to return to KLBB and KPVW by daybreak where they may persist through late morning. && .LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SHORT TERM...12 LONG TERM....30 AVIATION...12
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lubbock TX 1151 AM CDT Fri May 22 2026 TXZ021>044-231700- Parmer-Castro-Swisher-Briscoe-Hall-Childress-Bailey-Lamb-Hale-Floyd- Motley-Cottle-Cochran-Hockley-Lubbock-Crosby-Dickens-King-Yoakum- Terry-Lynn-Garza-Kent-Stonewall- 1151 AM CDT Fri May 22 2026 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 to develop across the Caprock early this afternoon where they will track eastward off the Caprock through late Friday evening. Some storms may become severe with main threats being golfball sized hail, strong wind gusts up to 70 mph, and localized heavy rainfall. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Daily chances for thunderstorms will continue through the weekend and into next week. Some storms may be strong to severe and may produce locally heavy rainfall. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed.
The Lubbock radar (KLBB), 71 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:36 UTC.
9 strong wind, 5 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Brownfield measured a wind gust of 58 mph.
LANDSPOUT. Location: 33.122, -101.670. A landspout was reported in rural Lynn county southeast of Tahoka.
LANDSPOUT. Location: 34.159, -101.699. Numerous storm chasers reported a brief landspout tornado near Plainview.
Numerous reports were received of a swath of hail that affected the west side of the city of Slaton. Hail ranged in size from penny size to golf ball size.
LANDSPOUT. Location: 33.886, -101.758. Several storm chasers reported a landspout tornado between Abernathy and Petersburg.
LANDSPOUT. Location: 34.309, -102.620. A landspout tornado was reported approximately six miles south of Lazbuddie.
LANDSPOUT. Location: 33.929, -102.195. A chaser on spotter network reported a landspout tornado west of Spade.
LANDSPOUT. Location: 34.267, -102.420. A storm chaser reported a landspout north of Earth.
Numerous storm chasers reported a swath of hail along Farm to Market Road 789 in Hale County. Hail ranged in size from quarters to as large as tennis balls. No damage was reported.
A storm chaser reported quarter size hail southeast of Lubbock International Airport.
LANDSPOUT. Location: 34.422, -102.066. A storm chaser reported a landspout northeast of Hart.
LANDSPOUT. Location: 34.262, -101.911. Local broadcast media relayed a report of a landspout near Edmonson.
Numerous storm chasers reported a short lived dusty tornado just west of Interstate 27 north of Abernathy. The tornado remained in an open field and caused no known damage.
LANDSPOUT. Location: 34.515, -101.917. A landspout was reported by a storm chaser in rural Swisher County.
Two supercell thunderstorms merged in eastern Hale County and remained nearly stationary for an hour before moving off to the northeast. Very heavy rainfall was observed with this thunderstorm. After the storm had moved away from the area, a storm chaser reported rushing water over Farm to Market Road 37 northwest of Petersburg.
Several storm chasers reported a swath of hail northwest of Petersburg. Hail ranged in size from half dollars to just over two inches in diameter. No damage was reported.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Silverton measured severe wind gusts from 1931 CST through 1932 CST. A peak wind gust of 62 mph was measured at 1932 CST.
A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Roaring Springs measured a severe wind gust of 58 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 historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 2026Warnings in Texas, May 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: 1330409, 1330416, 1330424, 1330428, 1330431, 1341210, 1330430, 1330432, 1330433, 1330434, 1330435, 1330436, 1330437, 1330512, 1341213, 1330514, 1330513, 1330515, 1330516.