Severe wind gusts and spotty rainfall
7 May 2021
Broken line of high-based showers and thunderstorms approaching Lubbock Friday evening (7 May). The picture is looking west from South Lubbock at 8:18 pm.�
Broken line of high-based showers and thunderstorms approaching Lubbock Friday evening (7 May). The picture is looking west from South Lubbock at 8:18 pm. 
 

A weak mid-level disturbance, improved moisture aloft and strong heating caused scattered high-based showers and thunderstorms to develop Friday afternoon. As temperatures soared into the lower 90s, thunderstorms initially developed over the higher terrain of eastern New Mexico, while additional activity formed further east, across the western Texas Panhandle.
 
Lubbock WSR-88D base reflectivity loop valid from 4:28 pm to 10:41 pm on Friday (7 May 2021).
Lubbock WSR-88D base reflectivity loop valid from 4:28 pm to 10:41 pm on Friday (7 May 2021).
 
The hot and relatively dry lower levels beneath the high cloud bases were conducive to a lot of evaporation, which acted to limit rainfall and enhance downburst winds. The result was several swaths of strong to severe winds as the activity progressed eastward across the Texas Panhandle and western and central South Plains through the evening hours. 
 
Peak wind gusts measured by the West Texas Mesonet on Friday, 3 May 2021.
Peak wind gusts measured by the West Texas Mesonet on Friday, 3 May 2021.
 
Several West Texas Mesonet sites measured wind gust near and in excess of 60 mph, including a peak gust of 73 mph near Levelland. The stronger gusts were often associated with decaying showers and thunderstorms, and often resulted in only minimal rainfall. One more intense thunderstorm did briefly produce hail around quarter size near Halfway, though that storm quickly weakened as it spread eastward into more stable air. 
 
Radar-estimated and bias-corrected rainfall from 7 May 2021.
Radar-estimated and bias-corrected rainfall from 7 May 2021. The rain totals measured by the West Texas Mesonet on the 7th can be FOUND HERE.
 

A final band of showers and thunderstorms spread across the western and central South Plains late Friday evening. By this time, low levels had cooled modestly and more of the light rain made it to the ground. Although rain totals were relatively light, much of the southwest Texas Panhandle and western and central South Plains did receive a little rain. The biggest rainfall winner in the region was around Tatum, where the West Texas Mesonet site recorded 0.82 inches. 

The preliminary storm reports collected on May 7th can be found below.

Preliminary Storm Reports from May 7th

 

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
813 AM CDT SAT MAY 08 2021

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0630 PM     TSTM WND GST     2 NE DIMMITT            34.57N 102.29W
05/07/2021  M61 MPH          CASTRO             TX   MESONET

0630 PM     TSTM WND GST     3 N HART                34.42N 102.11W
05/07/2021  M59 MPH          CASTRO             TX   MESONET

0635 PM     TSTM WND GST     2 SSW MULESHOE          34.21N 102.74W
05/07/2021  M68 MPH          BAILEY             TX   MESONET

0651 PM     TSTM WND GST     9 WSW EARTH             34.19N 102.56W
05/07/2021  M59 MPH          LAMB               TX   MESONET

0738 PM     HAIL             HALFWAY                 34.19N 101.95W
05/07/2021  E1.00 INCH       HALE               TX   PUBLIC

            TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR

0740 PM     TSTM WND GST     3 N PLAINS              33.23N 102.84W
05/07/2021  M61 MPH          YOAKUM             TX   MESONET

0754 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 S EUNICE              34.46N 101.77W
05/07/2021                   SWISHER            TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

            DOWNED UTILITY LINE

0800 PM     TSTM WND GST     4 S LEVELLAND           33.53N 102.36W
05/07/2021  M73 MPH          HOCKLEY            TX   MESONET

0858 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST REESE CENTER            33.61N 102.05W
05/07/2021  M59 MPH          LUBBOCK            TX   MESONET

0907 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 6 NNE LUBBOCK           33.67N 101.82W
05/07/2021  M58 MPH          LUBBOCK            TX   ASOS