A historic dust storm engulfed much of the South Plains this afternoon resulting in dust storm conditions (visibilities at or below 1/2 mile in blowing dust) at the Lubbock International Airport for the longest duration since December 16, 1977. The culprit for this exceptional dust storm was a surface cyclone rapidly deepening in far southwest Kansas ahead of a vigorous upper level trough exiting the southern Rockies. Along the southern periphery of this trough, a deep layer wind maximum overspread the Texas South Plains during the afternoon behind a Pacific cold front. Initially, a layer of thick high clouds prevented these winds from mixing to the surface behind the front, but as the late morning and afternoon wore on, these clouds departed and allowed high winds with frequent gusts around 60 mph to stir up extensive blowing dust on the Caprock. The highest wind gusts as measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet developed in Lubbock and Floyd Counties where peak wind gusts of 66 and 72 mph were recorded, respectively. Visibilities fell abruptly to 1/2 mile or less in many rural areas, with near-zero visibility at times as documented by TV news reporters along Interstate 27 in southern Hale and northern Lubbock Counties. These conditions contributed to a deadly 25-vehicle pileup on I-27 just south of New Deal. One man was fatally injured and at least 17 others suffered injuries of varying severity. Law enforcement promptly closed the interstate in both directions for several hours. Also, a mobile triage unit from UMC Hospital was dispatched for the first time ever to assist with accident victims as flight-for-life helicopters were grounded due to the high winds. Several flights at Lubbock International Airport were grounded until wind and visibility improved by early evening. This significant dust storm was forecast exceptionally well by meteorologists at the Lubbock NWS who provided residents with just over seven hours notice that dangerously low visibilities from blowing dust were inevitable by midday. For some cell phone users in the region, the newly-developed Commercial Mobile Alert System alerted them for the first time of life-threatening weather.
A list of severe wind gusts measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet and Automated Surface Observing Systems follows:
66 mph at Lubbock International Airport (Lubbock County)...62 mph at Wolfforth (Lubbock County)...61 mph at Reese Center (Lubbock County)...60 mph at Denver City (Yoakum County)...59 mph at Lubbock (Lubbock County), O'Donnell (Lynn County), Roaring Springs (Motley County), and Memphis (Hall County)...58 mph at Abernathy (Hale County), Floydada (Floyd County), Turkey (Hall County), Silverton (Briscoe County), Olton (Lamb County), and White River Lake (Crosby County).

High Wind in LUBBOCK, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 12:55:00 to 19-DEC-12 12:55:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 51.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site 3WNW Lubbock.

High Wind in LUBBOCK, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 13:00:00 to 19-DEC-12 13:00:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 53.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site at Reese Center. A meteorologist on site estimated visibility as low as 100 meters in blowing dust.

High Wind in LUBBOCK, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 13:05:00 to 19-DEC-12 13:40:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 54.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

The Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site located 6SSW Wolfforth measured wind gusts of 61 mph and 62 mph at 1305 CST and 1340 CST, respectively.

High Wind in FLOYD, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 13:15:00 to 19-DEC-12 13:15:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 50.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site 2NNE Floydada.

High Wind in HALL, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 13:35:00 to 19-DEC-12 13:35:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 50.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site 2WSW Turkey.

High Wind in YOAKUM, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 14:00:00 to 19-DEC-12 14:00:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 52.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site 7WNW Denver City.

High Wind in CASTRO, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 14:01:00 to 19-DEC-12 14:01:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 50.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Measured by a KVII-TV schoolnet site in Hart.

High Wind in MOTLEY, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 14:35:00 to 19-DEC-12 14:35:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 51.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site 3N Roaring Springs.

High Wind in PARMER, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 15:31:00 to 19-DEC-12 15:31:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 51.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Measured by a KVII-TV schoolnet site in Lazbuddie.

High Wind in BRISCOE, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 17:50:00 to 19-DEC-12 17:50:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 50.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site located 7ESE Silverton.

High Wind in LAMB, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 18:15:00 to 19-DEC-12 18:15:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 50.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site located 6S Olton.

High Wind in CROSBY, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 21:20:00 to 19-DEC-12 21:20:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 50.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site located 6NW White River Lake.

High Wind in HALL, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 22:10:00 to 19-DEC-12 22:10:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 51.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site located 1NE Memphis.

High Wind in LUBBOCK, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 13:00:00 to 19-DEC-12 13:07:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 57.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

The Lubbock ASOS measured wind gusts of 61 mph at 1300 CST and 66 mph at 1307 pm CST.

Dust Storm in HALE, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 12:35:00 to 19-DEC-12 18:30:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Newspaper

Duration of dust storm conditions estimated using mesonet wind data. Although the lowest visibility at the Plainview Airport was only 1 mile (likely due to sheltering by urbanization farther west), visibility in rural areas of Hale County (particularly near open fields) was reported to be near zero at times.

Dust Storm in BAILEY, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 13:30:00 to 19-DEC-12 17:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Broadcast Media

Dust storm conditions were reported by KAMC news in Muleshoe. The duration of this event was estimated using mesonet wind data.

High Wind in HALE, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 12:50:00 to 19-DEC-12 12:50:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 50.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Measured by a Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site located 5ENE Abernathy.

Dust Storm in SWISHER, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 14:31:00 to 19-DEC-12 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: County Official

A city official in Happy reported dust storm conditions with visibility as low as a few hundred feet at times. Duration of the event was estimated using mesonet wind observations.

Dust Storm in HOCKLEY, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 12:00:00 to 19-DEC-12 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Broadcast Media

Event duration estimated using mesonet wind data.

Dust Storm in LAMB, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 11:30:00 to 19-DEC-12 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Event duration estimated using mesonet wind data.

Dust Storm in TERRY, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 14:30:00 to 19-DEC-12 17:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Event duration estimated using mesonet wind data.

Dust Storm in LUBBOCK, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 13:00:00 to 19-DEC-12 18:38:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 1.00M
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Official NWS Observations

A significant dust storm swept into Lubbock County early this afternoon and did not release its grip until shortly after 1830 CST. Officially, dust storm conditions (visibility at or below 1/2 mile) were observed by the Lubbock Airport weather observers for 5 hours and 38 minutes making this the longest duration dust storm at the airport since December 16, 1977. Westerly winds sustained around 40 mph with gusts at times as high as 66 mph created dangerously low visibility particularly in rural areas. Near-zero visibility along a stretch of Interstate 27 in northern Lubbock County contributed to a 27 car pile-up near New Deal that fatally injured a 63 year old man and injured 17 others, some severely. Due to the hazardous winds, flight-for-life helicopters were grounded. Some of the injured were transported to the Lubbock UMC Hospital via a newly acquired mobile triage unit. An unknown number of less significant vehicle accidents were reported throughout the city of Lubbock and also along Highway 84 near Slaton. At the Lubbock Airport, all air traffic was suspended during the afternoon resulting in additional stress for holiday travelers. Widespread power outages were noted primarily in northern sections of Lubbock and also in Levelland after high winds damaged power lines. The high winds also created sporadic instances of minor property damage. Much of this damage consisted of damaged fences, fallen tree limbs, and damage to outdoor Christmas lights and lawn decorations. These damages along with the total economic impacts will likely push combined losses to $1 million.

High Wind in LYNN, TEXAS
From 19-DEC-12 13:25:00 to 19-DEC-12 13:25:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 51.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site near O'Donnell.