Last Map Update: Wed, Aug 26, 2026 at 1:26:33 am CDT
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Local Weather History For August 24th...
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1979: Highly unusual for late summer in West Texas, a derecho, or long-lived complex of severe storms with destructive
winds, produced what arguably remains the most extensive and devastating hailstorm ever to strike such a large region of West Texas. This day was later dubbed "Black Friday" due to extraordinary crop losses from wind-driven hail. This southward-moving complex of thunderstorms ravaged an area 20-40 miles in width over a length of 200 miles from the southwest Texas Panhandle into the western South Plains before finally decaying southeast of Midland some eight hours later around 10:30 PM. Within this path laid a markedly intense area of damage whose length was nearly 100 miles with a width of 5-15 miles at times. All crops in this embedded hailswath were stripped clean and described as looking like fields in the dead of winter. Surprising is the fact that much of the hail was only 1/2 inch or less in diameter. However, when combined with ferocious straight-line winds at times estimated in excess of 90 mph and also the long residence time of these winds given the storms slow southward motion at 20 mph or less |
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