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Late June and early July brings rounds of thunderstorms |
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Supercell thunderstorm tracking over open land in Terry County on Tuesday evening (23 June 2026). The picture is courtesy of Joe Ponce. |
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Tuesday, June 23rd, kicked off a stretch of active weather for the West Texas region that persisted through much of the rest of the month and into early July. Intense heating, sufficient moisture, a southwestward moving outflow enhanced front and decent wind shear (by summer standards) combined to produce several severe thunderstorms that tracked southeastward across the area on Tuesday. |
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| "RGB-True Color" satellite loop valid from 6:17 pm to 6:56 pm on Tuesday (23 June 2026). | |||
| The initial storms formed along and immediately behind the advancing front/boundary mid-afternoon, with additional thunderstorms developing in the triple digit heat across the western South Plains during the late afternoon. There was sufficient wind shear to cause several of the high-based storms to organize and begin to rotate. These supercell thunderstorms went on to generate large hail, damaging winds and heavy rain as they advanced southeastward. | |||
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| Large hail that fell in Abernathy (left) and Levelland (right) on Tuesday evening (23 June 2026). The images are courtesy of Roxanna Rodriguez and Veronica Salinas, respectively. | |||
| Hail as large as golf balls were reported near Childress with the earliest activity shortly after midday. However, the more widespread "show" occurred later in the day, where golf ball size hail fell near Abernathy, Meadow and Levelland during the evening hours. Hail as large as baseballs was reported on the southwest side of Levelland, at the Country Club, shortly after 8 pm. | |||
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| Lubbock WSR-88D radar animation valid from 6:01 pm to 7:36 pm on Tuesday (23 June 2026). Additional Lubbock radar animations can be found at:3:34 pm to 5:57 pm on Tuesday; and 4:06 pm to 6:27 pm on Tuesday. | |||
| In addition to the hail, severe and damaging wind gusts emanated from the most intense storms. A wind gust as high as 71 mph was measured at the Lubbock Airport, while several other West Texas Mesonet (WTM) sites across the South Plains, Rolling Plains and southern Texas Panhandle measured gusts of 60 to 70 mph. | |||
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| [left] A beautiful sunset, with illuminated mammatus, near Hale Center on Tuesday evening (23 June 2026). The picture is courtesy of Jim Tang. [right] Thunderstorm wind damage that occurred near Sundown on Tuesday. The image is courtesy of Myriah Baty, relayed by Jacob Riley. | |||
| Unfortunately, the fierce winds inflicted damage in spots, including toppling an RV onto a car near Sundown (see the picture above), tore the roof off a church west of Levelland and damaged or destroyed a couple of outbuildings near Lorenzo (see the pictures below). On the positive side, welcome rainfall did fall in several swaths. | |||
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| Thunderstorm wind damage near Lorenzo on Tuesday evening (23 June 2026). The images are courtesy of Chris Boger. Two additional pictures of damage, also from Chris Boger, can be viewed HERE and HERE. | |||
| The next day, Wednesday (June 24th), brought another round of storms to the region. This activity moved out of eastern New Mexico late in the evening, with the most intense storms tracking across the northwestern South Plains and southern Texas Panhandle through the overnight hours. Outflow winds downed trees and power lines in Littlefield shortly after 10 pm, where it also rolled a travel camper, injuring a person in the process. The strongest storm went on to generate a peak wind gust of 74 mph as it passed the Happy WTM site and Vigo Park WTM site shortly after midnight. | |||
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| Lubbock WSR-88D radar animation valid from 6:03 pm to 10:38 pm on Thursday (25 June 2026). | |||
| Following the early morning thunderstorms, and a welcome lull, more numerous storms visited the South Plains region Thursday evening (25 June). Triple digit heat again fueled the initial activity over the central South Plains, while additional storms leaked out of New Mexico. The strongest of the high-based activity generated powerful winds, gusting as high as 73 mph at the Friona WTM, 85 mph at the Plainview WTM and 110 mph at the Slaton WTM! | |||
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| Peak wind gusts measured by the West Texas Mesonet (WTM) on Thursday evening (25 June 2026). | |||
| The severe winds caused damage at the Slaton WTM, as can be seen below. Amazingly, aside from the damage near Slaton, damage reports received by the National Weather Service (NWS) on this active evening were limited. | |||
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Another day brought another round of thunderstorms, this time a line that moved out of eastern New Mexico late Friday evening (26 June 2026), and swept across much of the region through the overnight hours. |
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| Lubbock WSR-88D radar animation valid from 8:39 pm on Friday to 12:40 am on Saturday (26-27 June 2026). | |||
| Strong to severe winds were common with this activity as it traversed the region. Wind gusts from 50 to 60+ mph were measured at many locations, with a peak gust of 70 mph measured by the Plainview WTM. | |||
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| Peak wind gusts measured by the West Texas Mesonet before (left) and after (right) midnight on Friday night (26-27 June 2026). | |||
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Shower and thunderstorm coverage and intensity were muted the following few days, though it was not completely quiet. No severe weather was observed during the day or evening on Saturday or at all on Sunday, despite scorching temperatures. |
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| Lubbock WSR-88D radar animation valid from 7:12 pm to 10:05 pm on Monday (29 June 2026). | |||
| The pendulum swung back to the more active side on Monday evening (29 June 2026) as a cluster of thunderstorms traversed the central South Plains and southeastern Texas Panhandle. Mostly sub-severe wind gusts (below 58 mph) accompanied this activity, though the Floydada WTM measured a peak gust of 66 mph. | |||
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| Peak wind gusts measured by the West Texas Mesonet on Monday (29 June 2026). | |||
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More intense thunderstorms followed on the final day of June, which brought wind gusts of 60+ mph to the Lesley, Brownfield, Olton, Hart and Wolfforth WTM sites. The peak wind gust of the day was 73 mph, measured near Lesley shortly after 3 pm. In addition to the wind, heavy rain created flooding west of New Home, as well as on the south Loop 289 in Lubbock. Early July brought more of the same, with severe-caliber winds reported in Friona and Post on the 1st, large hail (golf ball size in Dimmitt) and high winds targeting the northwest South Plains on the 4th, and quarter to golf ball size hail impacting the Roaring Springs and Dougherty area on the 5th A list of the preliminary storm reports collected over this active late June and early July stretch can be found below. |
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Preliminary Local Storm Report...Summary
National Weather Service Lubbock TX
1047 PM CDT Tue Jun 23 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0104 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 2 NNE Childress 34.46N 100.20W
06/23/2026 M59 MPH Childress TX Mesonet
0112 PM Hail 1 NNW Childress 34.44N 100.22W
06/23/2026 M1.75 Inch Childress TX Public
0117 PM Hail 1 NW Childress 34.44N 100.23W
06/23/2026 M1.75 Inch Childress TX Public
0123 PM Hail 1 W Childress 34.44N 100.23W
06/23/2026 E0.50 Inch Childress TX Public
Report from mPING: Half-inch (0.50 in.).
0127 PM Hail Childress 34.42N 100.21W
06/23/2026 E1.00 Inch Childress TX Public
Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).
0143 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 11 S Kirkland 34.23N 100.07W
06/23/2026 M68 MPH Cottle TX Public
0204 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 2 SSE Hackberry 33.90N 100.13W
06/23/2026 M58 MPH Cottle TX Mesonet
0531 PM Hail 5 SSW Lockney 34.05N 101.46W
06/23/2026 E1.00 Inch Floyd TX Public
Social media photo from Sandhill area south
of Lockney. Time estimated from radar.
0535 PM Hail 1 WSW Sudan 34.06N 102.54W
06/23/2026 E1.25 Inch Lamb TX Public
Social media report of hail up to half
dollar size near Sudan. Time and location
estimated from radar.
0540 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 4 ESE Petersburg 33.84N 101.54W
06/23/2026 M64 MPH Floyd TX Storm Chaser
0555 PM Hail Sudan 34.07N 102.52W
06/23/2026 M1.00 Inch Lamb TX Public
0619 PM Hail 3 W Ralls 33.67N 101.43W
06/23/2026 E1.25 Inch Crosby TX Public
Report from mPING: Half Dollar (1.25 in.).
0624 PM Hail 3 SE Cotton Center 33.96N 101.96W
06/23/2026 E1.00 Inch Hale TX Public
Social media photo. Time and location
estimated from radar.
0629 PM Hail 1 W Ralls 33.68N 101.40W
06/23/2026 E1.00 Inch Crosby TX Public
Social media report of a few quarter size
stones in Ralls.
0649 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 NE Lorenzo 33.70N 101.50W
06/23/2026 Crosby TX Public
Barn/shed blown over road and another larger
one down with the attachment tossed into the
road.
0656 PM Hail Abernathy 33.84N 101.85W
06/23/2026 E1.00 Inch Hale TX Public
Social media photo. Location estimated from
radar.
0657 PM Hail Abernathy 33.84N 101.85W
06/23/2026 E1.75 Inch Hale TX CO-OP Observer
Time estimated from radar.
0711 PM Hail Meadow 33.33N 102.21W
06/23/2026 E1.75 Inch Terry TX Public
Delayed report from social media. Time
estimated from radar.
0711 PM Hail 2 SSE Abernathy 33.82N 101.84W
06/23/2026 E1.75 Inch Lubbock TX Public
Social media photo shows a few stones close
to golf ball size. Time estimated from
radar.
0720 PM Hail 2 SE Hart 34.37N 102.09W
06/23/2026 E0.70 Inch Castro TX CO-OP Observer
Time estimated from radar. Hail size
estimated by observer.
0723 PM Hail 4 E Wolfforth 33.51N 101.94W
06/23/2026 E0.75 Inch Lubbock TX Public
Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.).
0724 PM Hail 5 S Lubbock 33.52N 101.86W
06/23/2026 E0.75 Inch Lubbock TX Public
Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.).
0736 PM Hail 2 SE Hart 34.37N 102.09W
06/23/2026 E1.00 Inch Castro TX CO-OP Observer
Corrects time of previous hail report from 2
SE Hart.
0737 PM Hail 1 W Happy 34.73N 101.88W
06/23/2026 E1.25 Inch Swisher TX Public
Report from mPING: Half Dollar (1.25 in.).
0740 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 10 WSW Guthrie 33.57N 100.48W
06/23/2026 M58 MPH King TX Mesonet
0741 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 10 WSW Guthrie 33.57N 100.48W
06/23/2026 M61 MPH King TX Mesonet
0746 PM Hail 3 S Whitharral 33.69N 102.33W
06/23/2026 E2.00 Inch Hockley TX Public
Social media photo shows a few irregularly
shaped stones near 2 inches in diameter.
Time estimated from radar.
0755 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 2 SSW Levelland 33.55N 102.37W
06/23/2026 M63 MPH Hockley TX AWOS
0802 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 4 S Levelland 33.53N 102.36W
06/23/2026 M60 MPH Hockley TX Mesonet
0805 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 6 S Olton 34.09N 102.12W
06/23/2026 M65 MPH Lamb TX Mesonet
0808 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 6 S Olton 34.09N 102.12W
06/23/2026 M70 MPH Lamb TX Mesonet
0813 PM Hail Levelland 33.58N 102.37W
06/23/2026 M1.75 Inch Hockley TX Public
Multiple reports of golf-ball sized hail in
Levelland.
0813 PM Hail 1 SW Levelland 33.57N 102.37W
06/23/2026 M2.75 Inch Hockley TX Public
Baseball sized hail reported at Levelland
Country Club.
0821 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 4 NNE Shallowater 33.74N 101.97W
06/23/2026 M61 MPH Lubbock TX Mesonet
0833 PM Hail 1 WNW Levelland 33.59N 102.38W
06/23/2026 E2.50 Inch Hockley TX CO-OP Observer
Time estimated by radar. Hail size estimated
by observer.
0834 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 1 N Lubbock Int. Airpor 33.67N 101.82W
06/23/2026 M71 MPH Lubbock TX ASOS
Additional gusts ranging from 59 to 66 mph
from 830 to 840 PM. ASOS station KLBB
Lubbock.
0840 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 6 N Sundown 33.54N 102.49W
06/23/2026 Hockley TX Public
Camper blown over on top of car. Timing was
estimated by radar. Occurred sometime
between 8:30p-8:45p.
0840 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 7 W Levelland 33.57N 102.49W
06/23/2026 Hockley TX Public
Roof on church blown completely off. Time
estimated from radar. Occurred sometime
between 8:30p-8:45p.
0926 PM Hail Brownfield 33.18N 102.27W
06/23/2026 E1.00 Inch Terry TX CO-OP Observer
Time estimated by radar. Hail size estimated
by observer.
0928 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 8 SW Sundown 33.39N 102.61W
06/23/2026 M59 MPH Cochran TX Mesonet
0930 PM Hail Brownfield 33.18N 102.27W
06/23/2026 M1.50 Inch Terry TX Law Enforcement
0937 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 4 SE Lubbock 33.54N 101.81W
06/23/2026 M58 MPH Lubbock TX Mesonet
0948 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 2 NE Slaton 33.46N 101.62W
06/23/2026 M59 MPH Lubbock TX Mesonet
1045 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 1 N O'Donnell 32.98N 101.83W
06/23/2026 M62 MPH Lynn TX Mesonet
Additional gusts ranging from 58 to 60 mph
measured from 1042 PM to 1046 PM.
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