NWS Lubbock, TX 2017 Year End Summary

The map below highlights some of the more significant weather events that occurred across the area in 2017. Severe weather season kicked off a bit early with severe thunderstorms in late March, one of which produced an EF-1 tornado at Pitchfork Ranch. In April, a supercell thunderstorm moving from east-central Parmer County through much of Castro County produced numerous small tornadoes and one large tornado west of Dimmitt that was rated an EF-3. This was the strongest tornado reported to the west of I-27 in many years. May also was an active period with severe weather outbreaks in the western South Plains and also the southeast Texas Panhandle. Thunderstorm activity became more sporadic in June and July but severe hail and wind storms still produced some damage. August saw an intense thunderstorm impact the town of Turkey in Hall County. September and October, although relatively quiet overall, brought a couple of significant thunderstorm events, one which produced damaging winds at Petersburg and Cone, and another which resulted in flooding across portions of Hall and Childress Counties. 

 

Precipitation in 2017 varied greatly, but generally favored the northern areas, with lower totals with southern extent. The biggest winners were found across the southern Texas Panhandle, particularly over parts of Parmer, Castro, Hall and Motley Counties where totals in excess of 30 inches occurred. Rain totals were mixed across the central South Plains into the central Rolling Plains, varying from 16 to 25 inches. The southern South and Rolling Plains, on average, were the lowest, ranging from under 15 inches over parts of the southwest South Plains as well as around Jayton in the Rolling Plains, to just over 20 inches. 

Lubbock International Airport officially recorded 21.95 inches of precipitation, nearly three inches above the long-term average of 19.12 inches. This was fairly representative of the city of Lubbock, though the southeast portion of Lubbock County didn't fare as well. Slaton only recorded 16.77 inches for the year.

The map below shows the 2017 precipitation as a percent of the long-term average, or "normal". This image shows a dry region extending from the southern South Plains into the central and southern Rolling Plains. The driest areas with respect to normal were in and around Jayton as well as around Seminole where totals were less than 70 percent of average. On the other side of the spectrum, well above average precipitation, from 150 to 200 percent of normal, fell across the southwest Texas Panhandle into the northwest South Plains, from Muleshoe through Friona and Dimmitt.

The year started on a decent note with no drought in the South Plains or Rolling Plains, though severe drought (D2) was present over portions of the Texas Panhandle and North Texas. Through the course of the spring and summer portions of the Rolling Plains did stray into moderate and severe drought (D1-D2), while the South Plains generally remained drought free. Widespread heavy rain in August did vanquish the drought for the entire region. However, the year closed out on a dry note, with the final three months bringing very little rain. This allowed drought conditions to reemerge over much of northwest Texas.

The overall lack of drought and relatively regular precipitation (by West Texas' standards) through the course of 2017 helped maintain fairly steady lake and reservoir levels. Lake Alan Henry's water level held firm into May, but gradually decreased through the summer and fall, aside from a brief rise in September. Over the course of the year Lake Alan Henry's capacity fell from 95% in January to 86% by late December. White River Lake and Lake Mackenzie both experienced a slight decline over the course of the year, dropping from 25% to 20% and 18% to 17%, respectively. In contrast, Lake Meredith's water level held steady through the summer and then rose during the fall as water was released from Ute Lake upstream. As a result, Lake Meredith's levels rose from 23% of capacity to 41% over the course of the year.

2017 will go down in the books as the third warmest and 31st wettest year since records began in 1911 at Lubbock. Warm temperatures prevailed most of the year, with May and August being the only months to finish with below average mean temperatures. The warmest months, with respect to average, were February (+7.5°F), March (+7.3°F) and November (+4.7°F). The coolest months, with respect to average, were August (-2.6°F) and May (-0.2°F).

 

Precipitation was fairly steady through 2017, aside from two distinct dry stretches, one for much of May and June and a concluding stretch encompassing the final three months of the year. Though the two dry stretches were significant, the first part of the year coupled with several bursts of rainfall from mid-summer through mid-fall overcompensated and allowed the year to finish with above average rainfall. Snowfall was tough to come by in 2017 with the Lubbock Airport only record 0.5 inches total, 0.2 inches falling January 6th and the final 0.3 inches falling on the final day of the year. Trace amounts of snow were also observed in February and April. The Lubbock Airport recorded a total of 21.95 inches of precipitation for 2017, finishing just shy of 3 inches above average. Although the yearly precipitation finished on the high side of average only 5 months recorded above average precipitation (January, February, July, August and September), while December recorded no measurable precipitation. Six daily record rainfalls were set in 2017: 0.97 inches on January 15th; 0.87 inches on February 13th; 0.79 inches on April 12th; 1.25 inches on July 4th; 1.16 inches on July 31st; and 1.76 inches on August 1st. Over an inch of rain was recorded on four days at the Lubbock Airport in 2017: August 1st (1.76"); July 16th (1.76"); July 4th (1.25"); and July 31st (1.16").

The hottest temperature in 2017 was a scorching 112 degrees, reached on June 17th. This tied June 26, 2011 as the 2nd hottest reading on record, and was only 2 degrees shy of the all-time record of 114°F set on June 27, 1994. The high reached or exceed 105 degrees on one other occasion, June 29th, when it made it to 107°F. In all temperatures reached the triple digits on 11 occasions, which was close to the long term average of 10. On the other side of the pendulum, the coldest temperature of the year was 7 degrees, experienced January 7th. Only seven nights fell below 20°F for the entire year, three in early January and four in late December. Fourteen record highs were tied or set in 2017: 81°F on January 9th; 80°F on January 11th; 88°F on February 10th; 91°F on February 11th; 87°F on March 16th; 89°F on March 19th; 93°F on March 20th; 93°F on April 8th; 102°F on May 25th; 112°F on June 17th; 107°F on June 29th; 88°F on November 4th; 88°F on November 17th; and 84°F on November 24th. In addition, 9 record high minimum temperatures were set in 2017. No record low was set in 2017. One record low maximum temperatures was set in 2017; 23°F on January 6th.

The top portion of the below graph shows the daily high and low temperature distribution for 2017 at Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport. Most of the year we saw temperatures at or above average, with 10 of the 12 months finishing warmer than average. February and March were particularly warm, setting several record highs and both finishing over 7 degrees above average. Fortunately, the two months that finished below average were May and August, which not too many people complained about. Even with the overall warm year, there were a few cool stretches including one short but cold shot of Arctic air in early January which brought us the coldest reading of the year, a low of 7 degrees on January 7th. After the hottest day of the year, a whopping 112 degrees on June 17th, a cold front and then more regular rain through the remainder of the summer helped temper temperatures through July and August. Once things dried out in October temperatures varied more significantly though still generally ran on the warm side of average.