West Texas Prepares For Hurricane Force Winds, Fire Danger and Blowing Dust Friday

Most of Texas will see breezy conditions on Friday, but in portions of West and Northwest Texas, the wind is expected to really blow.

For those living in West Texas and the Panhandle, Thursday will be a good day to move in outdoor furniture, potted plants, and anything else that could blow around. Personally, I've got a couple of chairs outside that love to move around when gusts go higher than 25 mph, these winds on Friday will be much more intense.

Dangerously High Winds in Texas Friday

One of the latest forecasts put out by Texas Storm Chasers shows that from the Panhandle to the South Plains, and into the Big Country will see very high winds on Friday.

Some forecast models are showing wind gusts on the South Plains and into the Panhandle hitting anywhere from 65-75 mph on Friday. Some could see wind gusts above 80 mph.

Blowing Dust Likely

In West Texas, we all know that when the wind blows, the dust seems to follow. Last week we saw a major dust storm in Lubbock and around the South Plains. Friday could be even worse with the possibility of limited visibility when driving.

Fire Danger Threat for Texas on Friday

One of the latest fire danger maps for Friday shows that much of the state will be under an "extreme" fire danger ratings. This area covers the South Plains, West Texas, much of the Panhandle, the Valley, and stretches to along I-35 as you can see below.

Some schools have already begun announcing closures due to the extreme wind conditions. New Deal ISD and Southland ISD both announced that school closures for Friday, March 14 according to KAMC.

The City of Lubbock announced that city landfills will be closed Friday.