NWS Lubbock Weather Severe Weather and Heavy Rain Event 2 November 2016

Late Season Storms and Heavy Rain
2 November 2016

A double rainbow observed on the back side of the storms during the evening of 2 November 2016.

Impressive warmth, moisture and instability (by November standards) combined with a cold front and approaching upper level storm system to produce a round of strong and severe storms during the late afternoon and evening of the Wednesday, November 2nd. The storms erupted during the mid-afternoon from the eastern Texas Panhandle into the Rolling Plains and southern South Plains, then quickly moved eastward through the evening.

Regional radar animation valid from 4:18 to 5:28 pm on 2 November, 2016.

Regional radar animation valid from 3:18 to 4:28 pm on 2 November, 2016.

Early on, the strongest storms produced large hail and damaging wind gusts. O'Donnell reported hail as large as golf balls, while the nearby West Texas Mesonet Station also recorded a wind gust to 60 mph. The combination of the wind and hail knocked out windows in O'Donnell. A separate storm generated a wind gust to 66 mph at the Childress Airport. A list of the preliminary storm reports for the event can be FOUND HERE.

24-hour radar-estimated and bias-corrected rainfall totals ending on the morning of 3 November 2016. Click on the image for a zoomed in view on the South Plains region.

In addition to the severe weather, the storms dumped torrential rain. The heavy rain flooded roadways near Ralls and Childress. Rain totals of 1 to 2.50 inches were common from the southeast Panhandle through much of the Rolling Plains and the southern South Plains, with generally lighter totals further to the west on the Caprock. A few spots recorded in excess of 2.50 inches, including near Jayton, Snyder and north of Aspermont.