Thunderstorm Wind — Dickens, Texas

2024-05-16 · near Mc Adoo, Dickens, Texas

Event narrative

A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near McAdoo measured severe wind gusts from 0157 CST through 0158 CST. A peak wind gust of 67 mph was measured at 0158 CST.

Wider weather episode

A storm system emerging from the Four Corners region, in combination with a southward sagging cold front, served as triggers for thunderstorm development across the southern High Plains on the afternoon of the 15th. Initial thunderstorm development occurred along a frontal boundary that extended from southwest Oklahoma into the northwestern South Plains and southeast New Mexico. Hot conditions south of the front and modest moisture levels led to high-based thunderstorms. The atmosphere was characterized by inverted-V soundings which led to strong to severe wind gusts with the dry sub-cloud layer in place. Strong outflow winds helped spark additional thunderstorms as the activity propagated eastward. These outflow winds raced well ahead of the cluster of thunderstorms producing severe wind gusts. After a relative lull in storm coverage and intensity late on the 15th, additional rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms moved across the northern South and Rolling Plains through early in the morning on the 16th.

High wind gusts from the Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet network are below:

74 mph at Wolfforth (Lubbock County),

69 mph at New Home (Lynn County), and

58 mph at White River Lake (Crosby County).

View location on OpenStreetMap → (33.7701, -101.0000)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1167527. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.