Thunderstorm Wind in Garza County, Texas

A Texas Tech University West Texas mesonet site near Graham measured intermittent severe wind gusts from 2051 CST through 2204 CST. A peak wind gust of 67 mph was measured at 2133 CST.

A retreating warm front and eastward moving dryline combined to create explosive thunderstorm development on the afternoon of the eighth lasting through the late evening hours. Very strong surface moisture was in place over the Rolling Plains and when coupled with cool mid level temperatures, created strong atmospheric instability. Thunderstorms initially developed over the southeastern Texas Panhandle early in the afternoon and quickly moved east into southwestern Oklahoma. A much strong complex of supercell thunderstorms moved southeastward out of the central Texas Panhandle creating widespread damaging wind gusts and very large hail. Most of this activity was concentrated across the extreme southeastern Texas Panhandle into the Rolling Plains. An NSSL research team measured a wind gust of 90 mph near the town of Lesley (Hall County). This same storm would go on to produce wind gusts near 80 mph and minor wind damage across Cottle County. More scattered thunderstorm activity developed across the Rolling Plains producing severe hail in excess of two inches in diameter.