Powerful cold front brings strong winds, dust and chilly temperatures
14-15 January 2022

An intensifying storm system dropping through the center of the nation brought a prolonged period of wind to West Texas in mid-January 2022. Initially, in advance of the system, gusty, warm and dry westerly winds spread across the South Plains on Friday (14 January). Temperatures soared into the 60s and 70s, while the winds and dry air raised the fire danger, along with areas of blowing dust.

A strong cold front moved through during the afternoon and evening hours, switching the winds around to the north and carrying much colder air on even stronger winds. Blowing dust peaked Friday evening, along and behind the frontal passage, while temperatures tumbled into the 20s by early Saturday (15 January). The dusty, windy and blustery conditions resulted in a very unpleasant evening and night.

Stout northerly winds continued to blow Friday night and through much of Saturday, generally peaking during the overnight hours, before finally diminishing Saturday evening as the storm system shifted off to the east. Highs only reached the 40s on Saturday, and it felt even colder thanks to the persistent wind. Then, when the winds finally diminished, temperatures dropped into the teens that night, with a few single digits found across the sandy soils of the southwest Texas Panhandle and northwestern South Plains.

The preliminary storm reports collected over this windy mid-January can be found below.