High Winds and Blowing Dust Expected this Afternoon

The South Plains and Texas Panhandle are under a Red Flag Warning today due to continued dry conditions and the high winds that are expected this afternoon.  Also, the western and northern portions of the South Plains and most of the Texas Panhandle is under a High Wind Warning until 7p tonight.

Sustained winds will be between 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph. Blowing dust is also expected to impact driving conditions across the region.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
559 AM CST TUE FEB 28 2012

...STRONG WINDS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA LATER TODAY...

.A POTENT STORM MOVING INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS LATER TODAY WILL
CAUSE STRONG WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OVER MOST OF THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SWEEP ACROSS THE
PANHANDLE AND ADJACENT NORTHWESTERN SOUTH PLAINS WHERE DAMAGING
WINDS ARE POSSIBLE. WINDS ELSEWHERE WILL STILL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO
CAUSE HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS WITH BUFFETING CROSS WINDS AND
AREAS OF BLOWING DUST. THE DENSE FOG EARLY THIS MORNING WAS
THINNING QUICKLY WITH THE ONSET OF GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS.

PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BAILEY-LAMB-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FRIONA...BOVINA...DIMMITT...HART...
TULIA...MULESHOE...LITTLEFIELD...OLTON
559 AM CST TUE FEB 28 2012

...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM
CST THIS EVENING...
...DENSE FOG ADVISORY IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LUBBOCK HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM CST
THIS EVENING. THE DENSE FOG ADVISORY HAS BEEN CANCELLED. THE HIGH
WIND WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* TIMING...THE STRONG WINDS WILL DEVELOP LATE THIS MORNING AND
  PERSIST THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING.

* WINDS...SOUTHWEST TO WESTERLY WINDS FROM 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS
  TO 60 MPH.

* IMPACTS...WINDS MAY RESULT IN DAMAGE ON TUESDAY...ESPECIALLY TO
  LIGHT STRUCTURES AND UTILITIES. DRIVING MAY BECOME HAZARDOUS...
  ESPECIALLY IF DRIVING HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES ON NORTH TO SOUTH
  ORIENTED HIGHWAYS. AREAS OF BLOWING DUST WITH SIGNIFICANTLY
  REDUCED VISIBILITY ARE LIKELY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT IS EXPECTED
OR OCCURRING. SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH OR GUSTS
OF 58 MPH OR MORE CAN LEAD TO PROPERTY DAMAGE.