Special Weather Statement, NWS Amarillo, TX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
716 PM CDT Wed May 28 2025

...New UPDATE...

.UPDATE...
Issued at 714 PM CDT Wed May 28 2025

Severe thunderstorms continue to move east/southeast across the
northern Panhandles early this evening. The storms are capable of
producing large hail, damaging winds, and a tornado or two are
still possible. Storms have produced wind gusts up to 60 to 65 mph
and hail up to golf ball size across Beaver county. We have
expanded the Tornado Watch to include the northeastern Texas
Panhandle due to the potential for severe storms to reach that
area through 10 PM this evening.

Muscha

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...
Issued at 144 PM CDT Wed May 28 2025

- Strong to severe storms are expected in at least the northeast
  half of the Panhandles this afternoon-evening, with all hazards
  of severe weather possible.

- Environment will be favorable for quick spin up tornados within
  lines of storms that may be hard to detect due to range from
  radar.

- Lower chances for storms Thu-Sun, but then a more active
  pattern resumes next work week with better daily thunderstorm
  chances.

&&

.SHORT TERM ...
(This evening through Thursday night)
Issued at 144 PM CDT Wed May 28 2025

Bottom line: A weather system will cause thunderstorms this
afternoon and evening with possible MCS formation this evening
that can cause tornados, large hail, damaging winds, and flooding
rains.

A weather system is slowly moving south across the southern
plains today bringing another round of active weather for the
panhandles. The southward movement of the weather system will drag
a little jet energy into the area. This will be coupled with a
building of a ridge to the SW which will push a different piece of
jet energy into the area. The combination of these features will
provide the upper level diffluence and exhaustion for todays
active weather. Ahead of the weather system clearing conditions
will allow for daytime heating leading to increasingly unstable
conditions. This will lead to 1500 to 3000 J/kg cape developing across
the panhandles this afternoon to evening. Further the weather
system will draw up copious amounts of low level Gulf moisture
across the panhandles. All these features will lead to the
development of rain showers and thunderstorms in the panhandles
this afternoon and evening. These thunderstorms during the early
to mid afternoon hours favor a more discrete storm form to
supercells. However the dynamics during this time are still
increasing so the chances for severe weather is less during this
time. As the afternoon progresses and more so during the evening
around 6pm the dynamics ramp up across the panhandles with
increasing shear and helicity. The environment during this time
will shift that thunderstorms will favor the formation of lines.
This may cumulative with the formation of a squall line to full
fledged meso- convective system (MCS) that passes NW to SE across
the panhandles. During the evening a low level jet sets up that
will increase low level helicity to over 400 and 0-3 km shear of
30 to 40kt ahead of MCS. This will support an increasingly
favorable environment for the formation of tornados as the evening
drags on. Given the linear nature of convection this tornados may
favor quick spin up of QLCS while still allowing for book end
vortices and LEWPs that can produce stronger longer lasting
tornados. With such unstable conditions updrafts today will be
capable of supporting large hail which will be capable of reaching
or even surpassing 2 inches in size. Also the linear nature of
the storms is indicative that they will be able to cause strong
gusts fronts with damaging winds. With ample gulf moisture fueling
this event the PW within the lines of storms can reach or even
exceed 1.25 inches, especially in the NW portions of the
panhandles. This much available water will allow the storms to
produce heavy rainfall that can either lead directly to flash
flooding from intense rainfall or flooding from excessive rainfall
over already wet ground. This activity will persist through the
evening and into overnight hours until the MCS departs to the SE
in OK proper and N Texas. Following the passage of the
thunderstorms a cold front passes across the panhandles during the
overnight hours. The passage of the cold front will lead to the
formation of a low level cloud deck across the panhandles. This
deck will persist through much of Thursday morning and even into
the early Thursday afternoon which will help to limit some daytime
heating. Still the weather system will be present over the
southern plains still creating unstable conditions. This will
allow for a low chance of afternoon and evening rain showers and
thunderstorms to form. Currently the post frontal environment of
Thursday is not favorable for the formation of strong to severe
storms but these cannot be fully ruled out. Thursday will also be
much cooler compared to today with a 10 to 15 degree drop in the
temperatures.

SH

&&

.LONG TERM ...
(Friday through next Tuesday)
Issued at 144 PM CDT Wed May 28 2025

The wet weather pattern is increasingly likely to remain across
the panhandles for the weekend and into next week. The large scale
pattern for the weekend still favors a broad NW flow to weak
ridging across the southern plains. This will allow for moisture
to remain across the panhandles and for the passage of weather
systems. As such there will be a chance for rain showers
and thunderstorms each day through the weekend into next week.
There is already hints that the dry line may make it return to the
panhandles by mid next week which can act as a further focus of
rain showers and thunderstorms.

SH

&&

.AVIATION...
(00Z TAFS)
Issued at 458 PM CDT Wed May 28 2025

A weather continues to impact the panhandles this afternoon and
evening causing bands of rain showers and thunderstorms. Current
activity is in the northern panhandles which will then move NW to
SE over the panhandles impacting all terminals. The storms will
bring degrading conditions of MVFR to even IFR both through low
cloud bases and reduction in visibility due to rainfall. Some of
the storms may become strong to severe producing damaging wind
gusts, large hail, and even tornados. The lines of storms may be
long making it difficult to fly around them even if you dont plan
on landing at any panhandle terminal. Once the lines of rain
showers and thunderstorms pass a low level cloud deck will have a
high chance of settling across the panhandles with continued MVFR
to IFR conditions. This cloud deck will then persist through the
rest of the morning hours and even into the early afternoon before
lifting and breaking out. There is then a low chance for rain
showers and thunderstorms of which the chances are not high enough
to reflect in the current TAFs.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Amarillo TX                53  69  52  77 /  50  10  30  10
Beaver OK                  50  69  49  79 /  90  10  10   0
Boise City OK              47  66  48  82 /  60  20  20  10
Borger TX                  56  71  54  81 /  60  10  20  10
Boys Ranch TX              54  70  52  81 /  60  10  30  10
Canyon TX                  54  69  52  77 /  40  10  30  10
Clarendon TX               56  69  53  74 /  50  10  20  10
Dalhart TX                 49  67  49  80 /  70  10  20  10
Guymon OK                  49  68  48  80 /  80  10  20  10
Hereford TX                54  72  53  79 /  30  10  40  10
Lipscomb TX                53  69  50  78 /  80  10  10   0
Pampa TX                   54  68  52  77 /  60  10  20  10
Shamrock TX                56  69  52  76 /  60  10  20  10
Wellington TX              58  71  54  76 /  50  20  20  10

&&

.AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...None.
OK...None.
&&

SHORT TERM...98
LONG TERM....98
AVIATION...98

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
153 PM CDT Wed May 28 2025

OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-317-290700-
Cimarron-Texas-Beaver-Dallam-Sherman-Hansford-Ochiltree-Lipscomb-
Hartley-Moore-Hutchinson-Roberts-Hemphill-Oldham-Potter-Carson-
Gray-Wheeler-Deaf Smith-Randall-Armstrong-Donley-Collingsworth-
Palo Duro Canyon-
153 PM CDT Wed May 28 2025

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Texas and Oklahoma
Panhandles.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight.

Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected to form in the Panhandles
this afternoon and evening. Large hail, damaging winds, heavy
rainfall, and a tornado may occur with these storms.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

Thunderstorms will be possible each day Thursday through Tuesday.
The probability for widespread severe thunderstorms is low at
this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is requested for the later afternoon and
evening.

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