Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2015
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 1, NWS Amarillo, TX
NWS Amarillo, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 31, 2015, 5:18 PM CDT for Gray County, Texas. It was in force for 27 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
- Mar 31, 2015, 5:18 PM CDT (22:18 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 31, 2015, 5:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 27 min
- Issued by
- NWS Amarillo, TX
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
County Gray County, TX
The radar
The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 74 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:20 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 severe thunderstorm 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 nearest sounding before it
Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 73 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2881 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 18 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -6 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 12 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
792 WUUS54 KAMA 312218 SVRAMA TXC179-312245- /O.NEW.KAMA.SV.W.0001.150331T2218Z-150331T2245Z/ BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 518 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AMARILLO HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... CENTRAL GRAY COUNTY IN THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS... * UNTIL 545 PM CDT * AT 516 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LEFORS...OR 13 MILES SOUTH OF PAMPA...AND MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF CENTRAL GRAY COUNTY. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A BUILDING. && LAT...LON 3544 10087 3531 10081 3531 10100 3537 10103 TIME...MOT...LOC 2218Z 257DEG 11KT 3535 10094 $$ 14
2 follow-up statements
493 WWUS54 KAMA 312230 SVSAMA SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 530 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015 TXC179-312245- /O.CON.KAMA.SV.W.0001.000000T0000Z-150331T2245Z/ GRAY TX- 530 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL GRAY COUNTY UNTIL 545 PM CDT... AT 529 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LEFORS...OR 14 MILES SOUTH OF PAMPA... MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. * LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE... MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF CENTRAL GRAY COUNTY. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...PLEASE CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 8 0 6 3 3 5 1 1 2 1. && LAT...LON 3532 10095 3539 10098 3544 10087 3531 10081 TIME...MOT...LOC 2230Z 257DEG 11KT 3536 10090 $$ 14
004 WWUS54 KAMA 312240 SVSAMA SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 540 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015 TXC179-312245- /O.CON.KAMA.SV.W.0001.000000T0000Z-150331T2245Z/ GRAY TX- 540 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL GRAY COUNTY UNTIL 545 PM CDT... AT 537 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LEFORS...OR 14 MILES SOUTH OF PAMPA... MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. * LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE... MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF CENTRAL GRAY COUNTY. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...PLEASE CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 8 0 6 3 3 5 1 1 2 1. && LAT...LON 3532 10094 3539 10097 3541 10086 3533 10082 TIME...MOT...LOC 2240Z 257DEG 11KT 3537 10086 $$ 14
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at Mar 31, 4:41 PM CDT, 37 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 31, 4:41 PM CDT, 37 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
441 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015
.DISCUSSION...
PRIMARY FORECAST CONCERNS INCLUDE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL THROUGH THIS
EVENING AND AGAIN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...ALONG WITH
ELEVATED TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY.
CONVECTION IS TRYING TO GET GOING LATE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS PORTIONS
OF THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN TX PANHANDLE. DECENT INSTABILITY IS IN
PLACE ACROSS THE EASTERN TX PANHANDLE WHERE STRONG DIURNAL
HEATING...STEEP MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES...AND SURFACE DEWPOINTS AROUND
50F HAVE YIELDED 0-1 KM MLCAPES OF 1000-2000 J/KG. THIS INSTABILITY
COMBINED WITH 30 KTS OF EFFECTIVE BULK SHEAR WILL SUPPORT STORM
ORGANIZATION...AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME SEVERE HAIL AND WINDS LATE
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MAIN QUESTION IS THE DEGREE OF
FORCING...WHICH REMAINS RATHER WEAK. DIURNAL HEATING HAS ERODED MUCH
OF THE CAP THIS AFTERNOON...ALTHOUGH MESOANALYSIS DATA SHOWS SOME
WEAK CIN REMAINING IN THE EASTERN PANHANDLES WHERE THE BETTER
MOISTURE/INSTABILITY EXISTS. WEAK SURFACE CONVERGENCE AND/OR WEAK
SOUTHEAST LOW-LEVEL FLOW ASSOCIATED WITH A SURFACE LOW SOUTH OF THE
AREA MAY BE ENOUGH TO AID CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT HOWEVER. FARTHER
WEST...DEWPOINTS HAVE MIXED INTO THE 20S AND 30S...LIMITING ANY
CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL. COULD HOWEVER SEE A VIRGA SHOWER DRIFT INTO THE
FAR NORTHWEST PANHANDLES OFF THE RATON MESA THIS EVENING. EXPECT ANY
STORMS TO DISSIPATE BY MID TO LATE EVENING AS DAYTIME HEATING IS
LOST.
ON WEDNESDAY...AN UPPER TROUGH WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN
ROCKIES AND PLAINS...WITH A TRAILING TROUGH ALONG THE WEST COAST. A
RESULTANT INCREASE IN MID/UPPER FLOW WILL PROMOTE LEE CYCLOGENESIS
OVER THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS WITH SURFACE TROUGHING EXTENDING SOUTH
THROUGH THE PANHANDLES. THE DRYLINE WILL MIX EASTWARD THROUGH THE
EASTERN PANHANDLES DURING THE AFTERNOON...AIDED BY DRY DOWNSLOPE
SOUTHWEST WINDS. STILL UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHETHER THE DRYLINE WILL MIX
ALL THE WAY INTO WESTERN OK BEFORE ANY STORMS INITIATE OR HANG UP IN
THE EASTERN PANHANDLES. GIVEN THIS UNCERTAINTY...HAVE INSERTED SOME
SLIGHT CHANCE POPS IN THE EASTERN ZONES WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. VERY STRONG HEATING WILL LIKELY ERODE MUCH IF NOT ALL OF
THE CAP...BUT FORCING AGAIN APPEARS WEAK AND NOT WELL-FOCUSED. THE
DRYLINE LOOKS FAIRLY DIFFUSE...ALTHOUGH SOME WEAK LOW-LEVEL
CONVERGENCE IS PROGGED...BUT THE STRONGER UPPER DYNAMICS WILL REMAIN
TO OUR NORTH. IF STORMS ARE ABLE TO FORM IN THE EASTERN
PANHANDLES...EXPECTED INSTABILITY AND SHEAR SUPPORT SOME STRONG TO
MARGINALLY SEVERE CONVECTION. WEST OF THE DRYLINE...FIRE WEATHER
CONCERNS WILL BE THE STORY /DETAILS BELOW/. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL
LIKELY APPROACH RECORDS AS THEY SOAR INTO THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S.
A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...USHERING IN SLIGHTLY
COOLER CONDITIONS FOR THURSDAY. A MUCH STRONGER COLD FRONT WILL COME
THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...WITH HIGHS ONLY EXPECTED TO REACH THE 50S
AND LOWER 60S ON FRIDAY AS A 1025 MB SURFACE HIGH BUILDS IN BEHIND
THE FRONT. COULD SEE A FEW RAIN SHOWERS ACROSS THE OK PANHANDLE
THURSDAY NIGHT AS DYNAMICS WITH AN UPPER TROUGH SCRAPE THE AREA. LOWS
EXPECTED TO FALL INTO THE 30S IN MOST LOCATIONS FRIDAY NIGHT...WITH A
FROST OR FREEZE POSSIBLE FOR AT LEAST PARTS OF THE AREA.
TEMPERATURES WILL REBOUND OVER THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS
QUASI-ZONAL UPPER FLOW/LOW-AMPLITUDE RIDGING EVENTUALLY GIVES WAY TO
SOUTHWEST FLOW DOWNSTREAM OF A WESTERN UPPER TROUGH. IT LOOKS LIKE
ANY THUNDERSTORM CHANCES DURING THIS TIME WILL REMAIN EAST OF THE
PANHANDLES.
KB
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
ELEVATED TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS
WESTERN AND CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE PANHANDLES ON WEDNESDAY.
TEMPERATURES WILL WARM SOME 20 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE /AND NEAR RECORD
VALUES/ WITH A PRONOUNCED THERMAL RIDGE IN PLACE...LEADING TO RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES OF 8 TO 15 PERCENT WEST OF THE DRYLINE. SOUTHWEST WINDS OF
15 TO 25 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS MAY BE SOMEWHAT MARGINAL ACROSS PARTS
OF THE AREA FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS DUE TO A SURFACE
TROUGH ACROSS THE AREA...BUT THIS WILL BE OFFSET SOME BY THE VERY
WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS...THUS A FIRE WEATHER WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED.
ELEVATED TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP
ACROSS WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE TEXAS PANHANDLE AGAIN ON THURSDAY. A
STRONGER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...BRINGING A
WIND SHIFT TO THE NORTH BUT ALLEVIATING FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR
FRIDAY. HOWEVER...A RETURN TO WARM...DRY...BREEZY CONDITIONS IS
EXPECTED OVER THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...BRINGING A RETURN OF
FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS.
KB
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
AMARILLO TX 52 89 50 81 41 / 5 10 10 5 5
BEAVER OK 50 89 47 73 38 / 5 20 20 5 20
BOISE CITY OK 47 88 43 71 34 / 5 5 5 5 20
BORGER TX 55 90 52 80 42 / 5 10 10 5 10
BOYS RANCH TX 49 92 48 81 39 / 0 5 5 5 5
CANYON TX 51 89 50 82 40 / 5 5 5 5 5
CLARENDON TX 54 89 55 85 44 / 10 20 20 5 5
DALHART TX 45 88 44 77 37 / 5 5 5 5 10
GUYMON OK 49 90 46 71 38 / 0 10 10 5 20
HEREFORD TX 49 88 49 82 39 / 5 5 5 0 5
LIPSCOMB TX 55 88 51 76 42 / 5 20 20 5 10
PAMPA TX 53 89 50 78 40 / 5 10 10 5 10
SHAMROCK TX 54 89 54 84 46 / 20 20 20 5 5
WELLINGTON TX 57 90 57 87 49 / 20 20 20 5 5
&&
.AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY
EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: ARMSTRONG...CARSON...
DALLAM...DEAF SMITH...HANSFORD...HARTLEY...HUTCHINSON...
MOORE...OLDHAM...POTTER...RANDALL...SHERMAN.
OK...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY
EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: CIMARRON...TEXAS.
&&
15/08Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 31, 4:48 PM CDT, 30 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 448 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-011100- CIMARRON-TEXAS-BEAVER-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB- HARTLEY-MOORE-HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON- GRAY-WHEELER-DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH- 448 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE THROUGH THIS EVENING. A FEW STORMS COULD BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE ACROSS THE EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...WITH HAIL UP TO PING PONG BALL SIZE AND WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS ACROSS THE EASTERN PANHANDLES WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. IF STORMS DEVELOP...THEY COULD BE STRONG TO SEVERE...WITH QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. ELEVATED TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL PANHANDLES ON WEDNESDAY DUE TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS...AND MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES OF 8 TO 15 PERCENT. ELEVATED TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS MAY AGAIN DEVELOP ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE WESTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE ON THURSDAY. FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS WILL LIKELY RETURN TO MUCH OF THE AREA OVER THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED ACROSS THE EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE THIS EVENING. AREA FIRE MANAGERS AND EMERGENCY OFFICIALS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR ELEVATED OR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. KB
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Mar 31, 5:04 PM CDT, 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 504 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015 TXZ013-014-312245- CARSON TX-GRAY TX- 504 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EXTREME EASTERN CARSON AND CENTRAL GRAY COUNTIES UNTIL 545 PM CDT... AT 503 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES SOUTH OF KINGSMILL...OR 14 MILES SOUTH OF PAMPA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... LEFORS... THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO 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 3552 10084 3534 10072 3528 10106 3538 10111 TIME...MOT...LOC 2205Z 246DEG 13KT 3535 10099 14
The office that day
Everything else NWS Amarillo, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 3:40 PM CDT | Fire Weather Watch | AMA | Armstrong, Carson, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Hansford, Hartley and 6 more | 13 hr |
| Mar 31, 5:04 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | AMA | Gray | 41 min |
| Mar 31, 5:20 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | AMA | Gray | 25 min |
| Mar 31, 5:22 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | AMA | Lipscomb | 23 min |
| Mar 31, 5:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Hemphill, Lipscomb | 53 min |
| Mar 31, 5:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Gray, Wheeler | 51 min |
| Mar 31, 5:42 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | AMA | Roberts | 33 min |
| Mar 31, 6:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Lipscomb | 29 min |
| Mar 31, 6:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Gray, Hemphill, Wheeler | 22 min |
| Mar 31, 6:28 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | AMA | Hemphill | 47 min |
| Mar 31, 6:35 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | AMA | Collingsworth | 25 min |
| Mar 31, 6:47 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | AMA | Gray | 28 min |
| Mar 31, 6:57 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | AMA | Collingsworth | 48 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 2015Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2015
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.