Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2014

Tornado Warning 15, NWS Amarillo, TX

July 16, 2014Oldham County, Potter County, Texas

NWS Amarillo, TX issued this tornado warning at Jul 16, 2014, 9:01 PM CDT for Oldham County, Potter County, Texas. It was in force for 15 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Jul 16, 2014, 9:01 PM CDT (02:01 UTC)
Expired: Jul 16, 2014, 9:16 PM CDT
In force: 15 min
Issued by: NWS Amarillo, TX
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Oldham County, TX, Potter County, TX

The radar

The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 51 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:05 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this tornado warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Jul 16, 3:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), launched 00:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 52 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 1693 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -70 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1142 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 168 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 284 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.9
Supercell composite: 17.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

789 
WFUS54 KAMA 170201
TORAMA
TXC359-375-170245-
/O.NEW.KAMA.TO.W.0015.140717T0201Z-140717T0245Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
901 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2014

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AMARILLO HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN POTTER COUNTY IN THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS...
  NORTHEASTERN OLDHAM COUNTY IN THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS...

* UNTIL 945 PM CDT

* AT 856 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS SEVERE
  STORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF BOYS RANCH...OR 24 MILES
  SOUTHWEST OF DUMAS. DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED THIS SEVERE STORM MOVING
  EAST AT 25 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM INCLUDE...
  VALLEY DE ORO...      BOYS RANCH...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3562 10226 3562 10187 3542 10192 3547 10228
TIME...MOT...LOC 0201Z 275DEG 20KT 3555 10214

$$

SIMPSON

1 follow-up statement

454 
WWUS54 KAMA 170216
SVSAMA

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
916 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2014

TXC359-375-170226-
/O.CAN.KAMA.TO.W.0015.000000T0000Z-140717T0245Z/
OLDHAM TX-POTTER TX-
916 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2014

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN POTTER AND NORTHEASTERN
OLDHAM COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE CIRCULATION WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED AND NO 
LONGER POSES AN IMMEDIATE TORNADO THREAT.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THIS 
AREA FOR STRONG WINDS AND LARGE HAIL.

LAT...LON 3562 10226 3562 10187 3542 10192 3547 10228
TIME...MOT...LOC 0216Z 275DEG 20KT 3554 10204

$$

SIMPSON

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Amarillo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Jul 16, 7:02 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 16, 7:02 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
702 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2014

.AVIATION...00Z TAFS

ACTIVE TAF PERIOD IS EXPECTED. THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT ALL THREE
SITES THIS EVENING AND STRONG WIND GUSTS ARE VERY POSSIBLE. LOW
CLOUDS WILL FOLLOW THE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SECOND HALF OF THE
NIGHT AND THESE LOW CLOUDS WILL LIKELY LINGER THROUGH A GOOD PART OF
THE DAY THURSDAY.

SIMPSON
&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 338 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2014/

UPDATE...
TEXT PRODUCTS UPDATED FOR WATCH VALID UNTIL 9 PM.

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 312 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2014/

SHORT TERM...
THROUGH TONIGHT: FOR OUR FORECAST THOUGHTS THROUGH 12 AM, SEE OUR
EARLIER AFTERNOON AFD. THE MCS WILL LIKELY MOVE OUT OF OUR FORECAST
AREA BY 2 AM. OUR BIGGEST UNCERTAINTY IS HOW MUCH REDEVELOPMENT WILL
OCCUR IN ITS WAKE. THESE WELL ORGANIZED CONVECTIVE COMPLEXES TEND TO
HAVE A STABILIZING EFFECT UPSTREAM. HOWEVER, WITH THE SHORTWAVE
TROUGH STILL SO FAR BACK TO OUR NORTHWEST, HEIGHT FALLS WITH THE
APPROACHING TROUGH WILL INHIBIT ANY VEERING WITH THE LOW-LEVEL JET.
FURTHERMORE, THESE FACTORS AND ISENTROPIC ASCENT ALONG THE FRONT
COULD OFFSET THE STABILIZING EFFECT OF THE MCS SO THAT SHOWERS AND
STORMS MAY CONTINUE TO REDEVELOP OVERNIGHT. IF THIS INDEED OCCURS,
NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED, BUT HEAVY RAIN WILL EXACERBATE THE
PREVIOUS HEAVY RAINS THAT FALL WITH THE MCS THIS EVENING. LOCATIONS
WITHIN 50 MILES ON EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM BOISE CITY TO SHAMROCK
WILL BE MOST FAVORED FOR HEAVY RAIN.

JACKSON

LONG TERM...
THE REMNANTS OF OVERNIGHT CONVECTION WILL POSSIBLY STILL BE OVER THE
EASTERN TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE THURSDAY MORNING. THE MAIN
HAZARD WILL BE HEAVY RAIN LEADING TO FLASH FLOODING. THESE STORMS
AND ASSOCIATED CLOUDINESS WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE AREA IN
THE 70S WITH A FEW SPOTS ACROSS THE NORTHEASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE
THAT MAY STAY IN THE UPPER 60S.

CHANGE WILL BE IN THE FORECAST FRIDAY AS A STRONG RIDGE BUILDS TO
DOMINATE THE WEATHER PATTERN WELL INTO NEXT WEEK. OVERALL THE
PANHANDLES SHOULD REMAIN DRY HOWEVER THERE WILL BE A COUPLE OF
WINDOWS FOR RAIN CHANCES TO SNEAK INTO THE PANHANDLES. THIS FIRST
WINDOW WILL BE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY ACROSS THE OKLAHOMA
PANHANDLE AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE WHILE THE RIDGE AXIS SHIFTS
WESTWARD. HAVE INTRODUCED LOW POPS SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT TO
ACCOUNT FOR THIS CHANCE. THE NEXT WINDOW WILL BE TUESDAY AS A VORT
MAX ROTATES AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE. THE AREA WHICH COULD
GET SOME RAIN WITH THIS WINDOW IS THE EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE. HAVE
LEFT POPS OUT FOR THIS TIMEFRAME AS MEDIUM RANGE MODELS DISAGREE ON
TIMING AND POTENTIAL CHANCES NEXT WEEK. HIGHS WHILE UNDER THE RIDGE
WILL BE IN THE 80S AND 90S. WITH DEW POINTS IN THE 50S AND 60S, IT
COULD FEEL A BIT MUGGY.

14

&&

.AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: ARMSTRONG...CARSON...COLLINGSWORTH...DALLAM...DEAF
     SMITH...DONLEY...GRAY...HANSFORD...HARTLEY...HEMPHILL...
     HUTCHINSON...LIPSCOMB...MOORE...OCHILTREE...OLDHAM...
     POTTER...RANDALL...ROBERTS...SHERMAN...WHEELER.

OK...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: BEAVER...CIMARRON...TEXAS.

&&

09/06

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 16, 9:01 PM CDT, 0 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
901 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2014

OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-171100-
CIMARRON-TEXAS-BEAVER-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB-
HARTLEY-MOORE-HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON-
GRAY-WHEELER-DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH-
901 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA
PANHANDLES.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT ACROSS THE PANHANDLES WITH SEVERE
WEATHER POSSIBLE...MAINLY THROUGH MIDNIGHT. THE MAIN HAZARDS WILL BE
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS UP TO 65 MPH AND LARGE HAIL UP TO 2 INCHES...WITH
AN ISOLATED TORNADO ALSO POSSIBLE.

HEAVY RAINFALL LEADING TO FLASH FLOODING IS ANTICIPATED THIS EVENING
AND ESPECIALLY OVERNIGHT AS 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAINFALL WITH LOCALLY
HIGHER AMOUNTS IS EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL POSSIBLY BE ONGOING THURSDAY MORNING
WITH POTENTIALLY HEAVY RAINFALL LEADING TO FLASH FLOODING POSSIBLE.

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP ACROSS THE PANHANDLES SATURDAY
NIGHT AND ACROSS THE EASTERN OKLAHOMA SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...BUT
STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS AND SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED
FOR ACTIVATION FOR SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH LATE THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT
FOR FLASH FLOODING.

SCHNEIDER

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 16, 6:46 PM CDT, 2 hours 15 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
646 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2014

OKZ001-TXZ001-170030-
CIMARRON OK-DALLAM TX-
646 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2014

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN DALLAM AND WESTERN
CIMARRON COUNTIES UNTIL 730 PM CDT...

AT 644 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING WESTERN
CIMARRON AND NORTHWESTERN DALLAM COUNTIES FROM NEW MEXICO. THESE
STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE FROM 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF KENTON TO
7 MILES EAST OF CLAYTON...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  WHEELESS...           KENTON...             FELT...
  BLACK MESA PARK...    TEXLINE...

THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN
EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV
STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 3700 10258 3618 10264 3631 10305 3650 10305
      3651 10301 3700 10301 3700 10300 3701 10275
TIME...MOT...LOC 2345Z 269DEG 11KT 3692 10291 3648 10305

LINDLEY

Local storm report, Jul 16, 7:02 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
702 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0641 PM     HAIL             10 W GRUVER             36.27N 101.59W
07/16/2014  E1.00 INCH       HANSFORD           TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

EVENT NUMBER AMA1400599

14

Local storm report, Jul 16, 7:21 PM CDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
721 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0719 PM     HAIL             STRATFORD               36.34N 102.07W
07/16/2014  E1.50 INCH       SHERMAN            TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

EVENT NUMBER AMA1400600

14

Local storm report, Jul 16, 7:26 PM CDT, 1 hour 35 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
726 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0723 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 S STRATFORD           36.29N 102.07W
07/16/2014                   SHERMAN            TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

            POWER LINES DOWN ON HIGHWAY 287

&&

EVENT NUMBER AMA1400601

14

Special weather statement, Jul 16, 7:37 PM CDT, 1 hour 24 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
737 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2014

OKZ001-170115-
CIMARRON OK-
737 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2014

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CIMARRON COUNTY UNTIL 815 PM
CDT...

AT 736 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 11 MILES NORTHEAST
OF BLACK MESA PARK TO 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BOISE CITY...MOVING EAST
AT 10 MPH.

HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  BOISE CITY...         KEYES...              GRIGGS...
  FELT...               BLACK MESA PARK...

THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN
EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV
STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 3698 10207 3651 10206 3651 10282 3700 10300
TIME...MOT...LOC 0037Z 269DEG 9KT 3696 10274 3664 10242

LINDLEY

Special weather statement, Jul 16, 8:34 PM CDT, 27 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
834 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2014

TXZ006-007-011-012-016-170215-
DEAF SMITH TX-HARTLEY TX-MOORE TX-OLDHAM TX-POTTER TX-
834 PM CDT WED JUL 16 2014

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN POTTER...EASTERN
OLDHAM...SOUTHWESTERN MOORE...SOUTHEASTERN HARTLEY AND NORTHERN DEAF
SMITH COUNTIES UNTIL 915 PM CDT...

AT 830 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES SOUTH OF
HARTLEY TO 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF ADRIAN...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  VEGA...               BOYS RANCH...         ADRIAN...
  CHANNING...

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 40 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 16 AND 44.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.

TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN.

LAT...LON 3568 10197 3493 10250 3528 10281 3587 10241
TIME...MOT...LOC 0133Z 316DEG 28KT 3578 10234 3529 10267

SIMPSON

The office that day

Everything else NWS Amarillo, TX issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 16, 7:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	AMA	Dallam, Sherman	60 min
Jul 16, 7:04 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	AMA	Sherman	26 min
Jul 16, 7:29 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	AMA	Dallam, Sherman	46 min
Jul 16, 7:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	AMA	Dallam, Hartley, Hutchinson, Moore, Sherman	66 min
Jul 16, 8:09 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	AMA	Dallam, Hartley, Moore, Sherman	3 hr
Jul 16, 8:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	AMA	Hartley, Moore	48 min
Jul 16, 8:34 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	AMA	Oldham	41 min
Jul 16, 8:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	AMA	Hartley, Moore, Oldham, Potter	73 min
Jul 16, 9:27 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	AMA	Hutchinson, Potter	48 min
Jul 16, 9:33 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	AMA	Carson, Gray, Hutchinson, Roberts	3 hr
Jul 16, 9:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	AMA	Deaf Smith, Randall	92 min
Jul 16, 9:45 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	AMA	Potter, Randall	3 hr
Jul 16, 10:19 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	AMA	Potter, Randall	4 hr
Jul 16, 10:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	AMA	Deaf Smith, Oldham	34 min
Jul 16, 10:35 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	AMA	Deaf Smith, Oldham	4 hr
Jul 16, 10:40 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	AMA	Collingsworth, Donley, Gray, Hemphill, Lipscomb, Ochiltree and 2 more	3 hr
Jul 16, 10:55 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	AMA	Armstrong, Carson, Donley, Gray	3 hr
Jul 16, 11:48 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	AMA	Randall	3 hr
Jul 17, 3:16 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	AMA	Randall	3 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 2014 Every tornado warning in 2014 Tornadoes in 2014

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.