Thunderstorm Wind in Dawson County, Texas

A thunderstorm moved across Dawson County and produced wind damage in and near Lamesa. Significant wind damage was discovered on the north and northeast sides of Lamesa, Texas. The damage swath included multiple uprooted trees, downed or leaning power poles, metal roofs/carports lifted or bent, some homes missing shingles or roof damage due to uprooted trees, and several damaged metal buildings and travel trailers. All of this damage was oriented in a northwest direction. After re-analysis of radar data and evaluation of eye-witness accounts, the damage was determined to be the result of an intense downburst that developed as an approaching outflow boundary interacted with an approaching supercell thunderstorm at roughly 7:45 pm CDT. The survey team estimated peak wind speeds to be between 110 to 120 mph. It was also determined that the overturned irrigation pivots, south of Lamesa, resulted from 70 to 80 mph winds behind the approaching outflow boundary. The total damage estimate between the thunderstorm winds and flooding is around 10 million dollars.

An upper level trough was over Arizona and New Mexico. A cold front was stalled across portions of Southeast New Mexico and the northern Permian Basin. Hot temperatures were in place ahead of the cold front. An area of low pressure was across the northwestern Permian Basin and a dryline attached to the low extended southward to Pecos County and the Big Bend region. The airmass ahead of the front and east of the dryline was moist and very unstable. There was less moisture at the surface than higher in the atmosphere so this lead to the potential of strong, damaging winds. Wind shear was enhanced near the front. These conditions lead to the development of thunderstorms that produced strong, damaging winds and hail and a landspout tornado across portions of West Texas.