A prolific severe weather day was documented by several stations within the West Texas Mesonet domain, as well as several storm spotters. The most notable storm from the event produced several tornadoes, including a large, long-track tornado near Olton, as well as seperate tornadoes that directly impacted the community of Tulia. Below are some photographs taken of the various tornadoes that occurred.


This photo was taken by Abby and Kevin Walter as the Olton-Hart tornado moved north of HWY 70 in northwestern Hale County. This tornado lasted approximately 30 minutes.
    
These photos were captured by Todd Lindley of the National Weather Service in Lubbock of the Olton tornado.
    
These images were collected by Erin Shaw as the Tulia tornado developed and passed through the town.
      
National Weather Service (Lubbock) aerial photographs provided by Tulia PD Zane Price and WTAM PD Darrin Davis.

Base Reflectivity images from the Lubbock National Weather Service radar are shown below for times when the Olton tornado (first image) and Tulia tornado (second image) were ongoing. Click on the images for larger version.

   

Also available is a Radar Base Reflectivity Loop from 6:00 p.m. CDT thru 9:00 p.m. CDT (the animation is large, ~9 MB).


Several West Texas Mesonet stations sampled portions of the severe thunderstorms that passed through the area. Several meteograms are displayed below. Click on the thumbnails for a full-sized image.


MORTON 1ENE: This station measured impacts from hail accumulation on temperature readings and a small heatburst during secondary convective development along the pacific front.


AMHERST 1NE: This station measured impacts from large hailstones and hail accumulation from the first supercell of the day. The mesocyclone passed southeast of the station.


OLTON 6S: The tornadic supercell passed approximately 5 miles north of the station, though the storm shows obvious effects in the station pressure data.


HEREFORD 2NW: The core of a supercell possessing large hail passed over the station. This was followed by an intriguing heat burst with strong winds.

   
TULIA 2ENE: The tornado produced by this supercell passed 1 mile west of the station. Compare the station pressure data to those collected during the McLean tornado less than a month earlier.


CLARENDON 2WSW: The same supercell that produced the Tulia tornado passed to the west of this station, followed by new storm development.


FLOYDADA 2NNE: Severe wind gusts from the storms that developed over Lubbock during the early evening moved NE over this station.


SILVERTON 7ESE: The last gasp of severe weather for the day left the Silverton station with some interesting pressure data.


The National Weather Service in Lubbock has created a Severe Weather Events Page highlighting this tornadic event.