Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2016

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 92, NWS Amarillo, TX

May 16, 20164 counties in Texas

NWS Amarillo, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 16, 2016, 8:37 PM CDT for 4 counties in Texas. It was in force for 53 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: May 16, 2016, 8:37 PM CDT (01:37 UTC)
Expired: May 16, 2016, 9:30 PM CDT
In force: 53 min
Issued by: NWS Amarillo, TX
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 1.5 in
Wind: 70.0 mph

Counties Carson County, TX, Gray County, TX, Hutchinson County, TX, Roberts County, TX

The radar

The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 92 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:36 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 16, 9:10 PM CDT	TSTM WND GST 70	Miami, TX	STRONG GUST FRONT AHEAD OF STORM BROUGHT 70 MPH WINDS. TIME ESTIMATED FROM DOPPLER RADAR

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched one storm report to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 33 minutes after it went out.

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
May 16, 2:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	11 hr
May 16, 5:58 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	3 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), launched 00:00Z, 1.6 hours before the alert went out and 92 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: 1214 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -133 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1620 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 69 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 240 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 349 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.3
Supercell composite: 16.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

238 
WUUS54 KAMA 170137
SVRAMA
TXC065-179-233-393-170230-
/O.NEW.KAMA.SV.W.0092.160517T0137Z-160517T0230Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
837 PM CDT MON MAY 16 2016

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AMARILLO HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN CARSON COUNTY IN THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS...
  ROBERTS COUNTY IN THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS...
  NORTHERN GRAY COUNTY IN THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS...
  SOUTHEASTERN HUTCHINSON COUNTY IN THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS...

* UNTIL 930 PM CDT

* AT 836 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 15 MILES NORTH OF
  SKELLYTOWN...OR 18 MILES NORTHEAST OF BORGER...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35
  MPH.

  HAZARD...70 MPH WIND GUSTS AND PING PONG BALL SIZE HAIL. 

  SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED. 

  IMPACT...EXPECT SOME TREE DAMAGE. DAMAGE IS LIKELY TO MOBILE 
           HOMES...ROOFS...AND OUTBUILDINGS. PEOPLE AND ANIMALS 
           OUTDOORS WILL BE INJURED. EXPECT HAIL DAMAGE TO ROOFS...
           SIDING...WINDOWS...AND VEHICLES. 

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  PAMPA...MIAMI...LEFORS...LORA AND CODMAN. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
BUILDING.

&&

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT.

LAT...LON 3526 10057 3569 10134 3602 10109 3581 10054
      3532 10054
TIME...MOT...LOC 0136Z 299DEG 32KT 3579 10111 

HAIL...1.50IN
WIND...70MPH
 
$$

BRB

1 follow-up statement

507 
WWUS54 KAMA 170220
SVSAMA

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
920 PM CDT MON MAY 16 2016

TXC233-170230-
/O.CAN.KAMA.SV.W.0092.000000T0000Z-160517T0230Z/
HUTCHINSON TX-
920 PM CDT MON MAY 16 2016

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN HUTCHINSON COUNTY
IS CANCELLED...

THE STORMS WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED
AREA. THEREFORE THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT.

LAT...LON 3526 10057 3560 10117 3563 10112 3563 10109
      3565 10108 3586 10068 3581 10055 3532 10054
TIME...MOT...LOC 0220Z 302DEG 25KT 3571 10058 3553 10097 

$$

TXC065-179-393-170230-
/O.CON.KAMA.SV.W.0092.000000T0000Z-160517T0230Z/
CARSON TX-ROBERTS TX-GRAY TX-
920 PM CDT MON MAY 16 2016

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 PM CDT
FOR NORTHEASTERN CARSON...SOUTHERN ROBERTS AND NORTHERN GRAY
COUNTIES...

AT 920 PM CDT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM NEAR LORA TO PAMPA...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

HAZARD...70 MPH WIND GUSTS AND HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL. 

SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED. 

IMPACT...EXPECT SOME TREE DAMAGE. DAMAGE IS LIKELY TO MOBILE HOMES...
         ROOFS...AND OUTBUILDINGS. HAIL DAMAGE TO VEHICLES IS 
         EXPECTED. 

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
PAMPA...MIAMI...LEFORS...LORA AND CODMAN. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
BUILDING.

&&

LAT...LON 3526 10057 3560 10117 3563 10112 3563 10109
      3565 10108 3586 10068 3581 10055 3532 10054
TIME...MOT...LOC 0220Z 302DEG 25KT 3571 10058 3553 10097 

HAIL...1.25IN
WIND...70MPH
 
$$

BRB

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 May 16, 6:42 PM CDT, 1 hour 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 16, 6:42 PM CDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
642 PM CDT MON MAY 16 2016

.Aviation...00z tafs

Flying conditions will degrade and remain poor overnight behind a
cold front that is knocking on the door. Thunderstorms will affect
KDHT and KGUY over the next few hours but KAMA should remain tstorm-
free...barely. Winds will be fairly staunch out of the NE through
most of the period. Cigs will drop to LIFR overnight and slowly
struggle through the day Tuesday to make it back to MVFR by the
afternoon.

Simpson
&&

.Prev Discussion... /Issued 609 PM CDT MON MAY 16 2016/

..Tornado Watch 177 in effect for the northwestern Texas Panhandle
through 10 PM CDT tonight...

Update...Severe Thunderstorms with a history of producing tornadoes
are located in Dallam County in the northwest Texas Panhandle.
Favorable mesoscale environment in place ahead of these storms have
prompted an issuance of Tornado Watch 177 for the northwestern Texas
Panhandle counties through 10 PM CDT tonight. All residents in the
area should have an ability to receive alerts as these storms
continue to move east to southeast at 35 MPH.

Bieda

Prev Discussion... /Issued 332 PM CDT MON MAY 16 2016/

Mesoscale Update...19z special sounding analysis and update...

A severe thunderstorm was located in Union County in ne NM and this
storm is meandering ESE. This storm/other storms will likely grow
upscale into a severe cluster that will move ese across the northern
half of the Panhandles with hail to golf balls and damaging winds the
greatest threats. This re-affirms the scenario discussed in the 1235
PM mesoscale AFD.

An interesting and potentially concerning boundary has formed and can
be analyzed from Quitaque-Silverton-Happy-Umbarger-Vega-Romero. This
baroclinic zone is a result of the very stable airmass (66F at KAMA)
over much of the ern half of the TX Panhandle meeting with sfc
temps in the 80s in the sw TX Panhandle (83F at Hereford). The 19z
KAMA sounding modified for conditions along the boundary results in a
narrow corridor of 2000+ J/kg MLCAPE in a more favorably sheared
environment than that of the nrn Panhandles. While convective
initiation in this area is much more conditional and uncertain, IF
(again a big if) a supercell was to form on or encounter this
boundary, the conceptual model for low level mesocyclogenesis along a
boundary may be met in a classic way. The cool side of this nearly
stationary boundary is modifying thermodynamically and Bunker's
right moving storm motion would result in mostly streamwise ingestion
of horizontal vorticity and a reasonably long residence time with the
potential for a storm to ride the boundary. Think that the overall
chance of a supercell forming on or encountering this boundary is
low, but it is an area that will be watched closely through the
evening, especially given that this corridor includes a population of
about 250,000 people.

Outside of the narrow corridor along and 30 miles to the ne of the
boundary, the tornado threat looks less.

Simpson/Beat

Short Term...Today and Tonight...See mesoscale update above for
details on severe thunderstorm potential. Current thinking is that
convection that has recently developed in southeast Colorado should
expand and eventually accelerate southeast as an MCS with wind and
hail the main threat. The more difficult part of the forecast is
further south along sharpening boundary. 19z sounding has been
launched and a mesoscale discussion talking about this observation
will be written and sent shortly. Convection should move east of the
area after midnight with only low chances lingering in post-frontal
northeasterly flow beneath rising mid-level heights.

BRB

Long Term...Tuesday through Sunday night...A slow moving upper level
low will dig down into the desert southwest on Tuesday, becoming an
open trough on Wednesday and moving across the combined Panhandles on
Thursday. The prior passage of a cold front will keep the area under
cold air advection, with high temperatures on Tuesday through
Thursday expected to be about 20 to 25 degrees below normal for this
time of year. Overcast skies on all days with overrunning moisture
flow into the area will help keep a lid on instability on Tuesday,
though the passage of the cold core low on Wednesday and Thursday may
bring a chance for isolated to scattered thunderstorms with shower
activity. At this time, concern for severe weather is limited during
this period.

A ridge of high pressure will move over the combined Panhandles and
bring a brief respite from shower and thunderstorm activity on
Friday. Skies should clear around midday Friday, with high
temperatures expected to be in the mid 70s to mid 80s areawide.
A long wave trough with associated upper low will push across the
Great Basin during the weekend. An approaching cold front on Saturday
will once again bring low level moisture advection to the region,
bringing the potential for thunderstorms on Saturday. Progression of
this system may be slow enough that a chance for thunderstorm
activity may persist through Sunday night. Based on the progged setup
of this system, there is some indication that a dry line could set up
in eastern New Mexico and far western portions of the combined
Panhandles Saturday and Sunday. Assessing instability parameters,
there is potential for 1000-1500 J/kg of MLCAPE with 0-6 km bulk
shear being a limiting factor as present guidance only shows 20-30
kts. We will continue to monitor the development of this pattern, as
this will be when the next chance of strong to severe weather may
exist.

Bieda

&&

.AMA Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
TX...NONE.
OK...NONE.

&&

9/17

Hazardous weather outlook, May 16, 6:10 PM CDT, 2 hours 27 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
610 PM CDT MON MAY 16 2016

OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-171115-CIMARRON-TEXAS-BEAVER-DALLAM-SHERMAN-
HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB-HARTLEY-MOORE-HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-
HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON-GRAY-WHEELER-DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-
ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH-603 PM CDT MON MAY 16 2016

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWESTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE
THROUGH 10 PM CDT TONIGHT...
...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE TEXAS AND
OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES THROUGH 10 PM CDT TONIGHT...

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS PANHANDLE
THROUGH 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS
IN EFFECT FOR THE COMBINED PANHANDLES THROUGH 10 PM CDT THIS
EVENING. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH A HISTORY OF PRODUCING TORNADOES
ARE LOCATED IN DALLAM COUNTY OVER THE NORTHWEST TEXAS PANHANDLE
MOVING EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THESE STORMS HAVE A HISTORY OF
PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. ANY AND ALL STORMS THAT
FORM AND MOVE ACROSS THE COMBINED PANHANDLES WILL BRING A RISK OF
LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND TORNADOES THROUGH TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE TEXAS AND
OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. WIDESPREAD SEVERE
WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME...BUT SOME STORMS COULD BE
STRONG TO SEVERE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED THROUGH TONIGHT...WITH EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT GROUPS RECOMMENDED FOR ACTIVATION IF THEY HAVE NOT
ALREADY DONE SO. SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT GROUPS SHOULD
MONITOR FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION WEDNESDAY
THROUGH SUNDAY.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 16, 8:15 PM CDT, 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
815 PM CDT MON MAY 16 2016

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

0802 PM     HAIL             25 E PERRYTON           36.39N 100.35W
05/16/2016  E1.00 INCH       LIPSCOMB           TX   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

CORRECTED COUNTY/STATE...LOCATION

EVENT NUMBER AMA1600327

MJG

Local storm report, May 16, 8:18 PM CDT, 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
818 PM CDT MON MAY 16 2016

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

0802 PM     HAIL             25 SSW PERRYTON         36.06N 100.97W
05/16/2016  E1.00 INCH       OCHILTREE          TX   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

CORRECTED COUNTY/STATE...LOCATION

EVENT NUMBER AMA1600327

MJG

Local storm report, May 16, 8:27 PM CDT, 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
827 PM CDT MON MAY 16 2016

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

0743 PM     HAIL             3 NE SPEARMAN           36.23N 101.16W
05/16/2016  E1.50 INCH       HANSFORD           TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

EVENT NUMBER AMA1600329

MJG

Local storm report, May 16, 8:29 PM CDT, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
829 PM CDT MON MAY 16 2016

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

0822 PM     HAIL             1 N MASTERSON           35.65N 101.96W
05/16/2016  E1.00 INCH       MOORE              TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

&&

EVENT NUMBER AMA1600330

MJG

Local storm report, May 16, 8:31 PM CDT, 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
831 PM CDT MON MAY 16 2016

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

0830 PM     HAIL             MASTERSON               35.64N 101.96W
05/16/2016  E1.00 INCH       MOORE              TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

EVENT NUMBER AMA1600331

MJG

Local storm report, May 16, 8:33 PM CDT, 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
833 PM CDT MON MAY 16 2016

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

0831 PM     HAIL             3 S MASTERSON           35.59N 101.96W
05/16/2016  E2.50 INCH       POTTER             TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

EVENT NUMBER AMA1600332

MJG

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 16, 7:01 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	AMA	Moore, Sherman	59 min
May 16, 7:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	AMA	Dallam, Hartley	42 min
May 16, 7:29 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	AMA	Moore	3 hr
May 16, 7:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	AMA	Hansford, Hutchinson, Ochiltree, Roberts	70 min
May 16, 7:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	AMA	Hartley, Moore, Oldham, Potter	80 min
May 16, 7:43 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	AMA	Hansford, Hutchinson	3 hr
May 16, 7:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	AMA	Hutchinson	56 min
May 16, 8:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	AMA	Hemphill, Lipscomb, Ochiltree, Roberts	72 min
May 16, 8:21 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	AMA	Ochiltree, Roberts	3 hr
May 16, 8:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	AMA	Carson, Potter	64 min
May 16, 8:56 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	AMA	Hemphill	34 min
May 16, 9:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	AMA	Potter	30 min
May 16, 9:20 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	AMA	Hemphill, Lipscomb, Roberts	3 hr
May 16, 9:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	AMA	Gray, Hemphill, Roberts, Wheeler	80 min
May 16, 9:29 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	AMA	Carson, Gray, Wheeler	3 hr
May 16, 9:29 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	AMA	Hemphill	16 min
May 16, 9:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	AMA	Armstrong, Carson, Donley, Gray	76 min
May 16, 10:24 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	AMA	Armstrong, Donley	3 hr
May 16, 10:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	AMA	Armstrong, Collingsworth, Donley, Gray, Wheeler	73 min
May 16, 11:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	AMA	Collingsworth, Donley	36 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 2016 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2016

Sources

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