Either that or someone’s computer is being naughty.  I clipped the above image from the Lubbock National Weather Service page.

I’ve complained about the west Texas wind on here a few times, but winds 110mph gusting to 125 is a bit much now!

As part of Lightning Safety Awareness Week, the National Weather Service Office in Lubbock would like to remind everyone of the dangers associated with lightning and provide some resources for your awareness efforts.

Lightning is a potential hazard to people outdoors and indoors and results in millions of dollars in economic losses each year. Lightning kills an average of 67 people in the United States each year, and is second only to flooding in terms of weather related fatalities. Exceeding the number of fatalities are the estimated 600-700 survivors that are left with debilitating health effects each year. West Texas sees a maximum of lightning in the late Spring and Summer months as thunderstorm develop across the southern High Plains.

Casualties are more likely to occur in open areas such as golf courses and playing fields, but lightning’s deadly strike can hit anytime during the year and in all segments of the nation. Lightning is a serious danger. With the information provided below, we hope you’ll learn more about lightning risks and how to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Now, in hindsight, I could not be happier that I did get out. While I didn’t experience much in the way of severe weather, I got yet another fantastic opportunity to work on my lightning shooting skills. As those that read regularly know, this was something new I was trying to learn this year since I finally got a digital camera capable of doing what I wanted to do.

I have always wanted to take lightning pics like those fantastic photographs some of my storm chaser friends have taken. I was originally inspired on lightning photography by some of the fantastic shots Warren Faidley has. But over the years, many a great storm photographer has come to light with some incredible lightning images.

One in particular is one of my more recent inspirations, lightning lady Susan Strom. She has some unbelievable photographs thanks to the unparalleled opportunities presented during the Arizona monsoon season.

Inspiration and some mentoring closer to home would be my best friend Graham Butler. He’s an outstanding photographer outside of lightning even, and could easily have a career in it, even though he doesn’t believe me when I tell him that. He got me started on the right foot when I got my Canon Rebel XTI and I took it from there.

Tonight presented me with one of the most outstanding and longest lasting presentation of nature’s fireworks I have seen in a very long time. Initially I sat just NE of the Lubbock International Airport and shot 67 images of CGs crashing down into the City of Lubbock. All but two of them had at least one CG in the shot. Of course, some were better than others. The lightning show lasted the nearly hour drive home and then almost another hour after that. The only thing that stopped me from shooting more was the rain.

I finally got to the point tonight I am satisfied that I am ready to move on from the kit lens that came with the camera to something much better. I am still not on the level of those I admire, but I am making significant progress I think.

I don’t know, what do you guys think? These are just 5 of my favorites from tonight. I also have a couple from the other night I need to get up too when I get the chance. Click on the image to get the full size one. My blog scrunches them down for some reason.

Chasing today northeast of Lubbock, Texas.  Quick synopsis: we have a low in the Texas Panhandle between Lubbock and Amarillo, with a boundary extending off to the east, and a drylline extending back to the south/southwest.  While temperatures across the area are at or around 100F, dewpoints in that area have managed to stay in the upper 50s F.  Towers are already building in that general vicinity, and while wind profiles throughout the atmosphere aren’t as strong as I’d like, there is significant directional shear.  While I’m expecting mainly high-based storms with hail and high wind potential, a tornado/landspout or two isn’t out of the question, given the directional shear and boundaries in the area.

The LIVE ChaseCam will be active here within the next hour or two.

So earlier today I looked at things, though the potential was at least a little better than yesterday for a supercell in the SE TX Panhandle, but elected to save the gas and stay home and get some much needed work done on some other paying projects. Believe it or not, my target WAS actually Clarendon, because of a NW to SE boundary across there and the more backed surface winds.

A little later, some stuff started popping up around home area, and I decided the decision was a good once, because I might have to go out and chase for the TV Station. Turned out to be nothing but summer thundershowers, which had the nice effect of cooling it off here at my home, down now to 92F from 104F earlier!

Meanwhile, I am watching the big honkin’ supercell up by Clarendon with a wicked hook on it (in the radar image above), probably dropped at least one tornado already and appears to be cycling…and I would have been there. I know Steve went NE, I hope maybe Jason is on the storm so I can at least see some pics later. If you are Jason, when you read this…you need a streaming cam man!

Meanwhile I sit and watch and listen to the fire department run on lightning started grass fires in the area. *sigh*

As expected, not a whole lot came from the storms yesterday.  Even though I tried, I couldn’t even find a single piece of hail.  The big show was the mammatus as the sun was setting, which made for some striking contrast.  My friends Steve Miller of the Texas variety and Jason Boggs where out in the area too and got some great mammatus shots of their own from different perspectives.

You know, the funny thing about this year, some of the pictures I have been most happy with and want to make prints to put up on the walls haven’t been tornadoes at all. In some cases, weren’t even severe storms.

Things look interesting for a chase in the eastern TX panhandle this Father’s Day, but I really have a lot of work I need to get done, so I am going to pass on it today and watch it from Steve’s Live ChaseCam.

Wasn’t really planning on getting out today, as I have a lot of work to get done, but it appears a severe threat in my area is underway so I need to get out and chase for the TV station.

Wind fields throughout the atmosphere are weak, but directional shear is good and moisture isn’t bad for this time of year on the Caprock, with dewpoints in the 50’s west and low 60s off the Caprock.  With a dryline and boundary across the area.

Initiation is already underway near Amarillo and trying to get going along the dryline on the TX/NM border.  I am headed out the door for areas northwest of Lubbock, in the Parmer/Castro/Bailey/Lamb county areas, see what gets going.

I’ll have the LIVE ChaseCam up when I get in the area.  Not expecting much in the way of tornadoes, but rather some high based supercells with some gorilla hail possible and probably some damaging winds. However, with supercells in play, you never know, we may get a spinning surprise.  I’ve had good days before out here on similar setups.

Today we are finally receiving a much needed break in the record 100F+ temps we have been having lately, if not the wind. The last couple of days were a real blow torch with not only high temps, but high winds and dust to go along with it. Temps today a good 10 degrees cooler than they have been, in the low 90sF, but winds are still up just enough to kick up a little dust.

The Lubbock, Texas area averages about 9 days each year over 100F degrees.
Greatest number of days in one month with Max Temp 100+ degrees
19 - June 1990
17 - July 1940

Most consecutive 100+ days
12 - June 23 - July 4 1980
11 - June 24 - July 4 1994
10 - June 10 - June 19 1924

Most consecutive 90+ days
81 - June 4 - August 23 1934

While we didn’t break any of the records there, it’s been plenty hot and the vegetation is really showing it!

This weekend may hold a storm or two on Saturday and even better chance Sunday, but with the upper air energy well to the north, I wouldn’t expect much more than a typical summertime storm. Could be good for some lightning however.

I am actually excited to get the chance to get out and do a little yard work without sweltering away. Those 100+ days, it’s still in the 90s after dark! At least now it’s cool enough in the mornings and evenings to get out and to something.

I realize for you northerners, low to mid 90s still seems awful hot, but it’s not all that bad out here on the edge of the desert.

A major severe weather event is set to unfold today across a large portion of the center of the country. I’ve been debating about chasing today since last night. Why a debate? Storm speeds. Expected 50-60 mph in fact. Extremely difficult, even impossible to keep up with, even in best of terrain and road networks.

I am going to go out on a limb here with my forecast and downplay the widespread significant tornado threat forecast by the SPC and some NWS offices. From what I have read, they expect a great potential for long track, violent tornadoes. My gut feeling is screaming at me SQUALL LINE, which generally isn’t conducive to that type of tornadic activity. I hope for the sake of those living in the risk area, I am right.

Oh, I think there will be plenty of tornado reports, but I just don’t see the long track, long lived tornado potential, despite the huge amount of shear today. Generally speaking, those sorts of tornadoes come from deviant moving, discrete supercells. There could be some embedded supercells in the squall line, that may produce some, maybe even some violent, tornadoes, but I think they will be relatively short lived.

What I really expect to see is the dryline light up all the way down through Oklahoma nearly all at once. I think the shear is so significant, any storm will have an extremely difficult time to get rooted enough to turn right and slow down. I expect individual cells in the line to rapidly (50-60 mph!) move NNE , training within the line, and the line progressing eastward much more slowly.

I actually feel like the greatest threat today is widespread, straight line wind damage. There could be some very significant damage occur from this today in many locations, and may end up making the bulk of severe weather reports today.

All in all, don’t let my amateur forecast dissuade you from paying close attention to the weather situation for today, it’s a doosy, and demands a close eye. Any severe storms out there will be on you before you know it, heed the tornado warnings with immediate action.

As for me, most likely I will sit this one out. The cost of gas, and the fact I am sick of fast moving storms this year, really make it a deal breaker for chasing today. Watching storms fly by and getting a 5 minute view of them, isn’t really appealing.

It’s currently 104F at the nearby mesonet station.   Yesterday reached 105F officially at the mesonet station and 106F here at my house.

Storm season has now shifted to the central and northern plains, a tad ahead of schedule, and our summer heat has arrived early.  Walking out the door is like a blast furnace, it saps every bit of energy out of you nearly immediately.

No end in site either, looks like over 100F temps for at least a week or more!