A wildfire started around 2115 CST approximately eight miles east of Wellington. The time of initiation was estimated.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS AMA wrote it up.
A wildfire started around 2115 CST approximately eight miles east of Wellington. The time of initiation was estimated. The wildfire was caused by a lightning strike and consumed between four hundred and five hundred acres. No structural damage or injuries were reported.
The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at Jun 8, 5:56 PM CST, 3 hours 19 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 656 PM CDT SUN JUN 8 2008 .AVIATION... COLD FRONT PLAYING HAVOC WITH WINDS THIS AFTERNOON. IT APPEARS FRONT HAS TEMPORARILY LIFTED NWD PAST KAMA AS SEEN BY RETURN TO GUSTY SW WINDS. FRONT TEMPORARILY STATIONARY ACROSS NRN TX PNHDL AND SHOULD PUSH SWD AGAIN LATER THIS EVENING...AND NEW TAFS WRITTEN WITH THIS VIEWPOINT IN MIND. MOST OF THE PRECIP HAS BEEN WELL E OF TAF SITES AND NOT SURE HOW MUCH WILL AFFECT THEM...SO HAVE ONLY INCLUDED CB MENTION AT THIS TIME. WILL CLOSELY MONITOR RADAR TRENDS THIS EVENING WITH AMENDMENTS PSBL. EXPECT POST FRONTAL LOW CLOUDS TO DEVELOP LATE TNGT AND EARLY MONDAY...THEN ERODING FAIRLY QUICKLY TOWARDS LATE MONDAY MORNING. ANDRADE && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 315 PM CDT SUN JUN 8 2008/ DISCUSSION... COLD FRONT LYING ACROSS TX PNHDL WITH TCU READILY SEEN ON VISIBLE SATELLITE. HAVE INCREASED POPS TNGT OVER SERN HALF OF FCST AREA DUE TO EXPECTED POSITION OF COLD FRONT AND STRONG MSTR FLUX CONVERGENCE ANTICIPATED WITH SECONDARY SURGE. HAVE RETAINED MENTION OF SVR TSTMS TNGT...AND HAVE CALLED FOR HEAVY RAIN IN ERN ZONES...WHERE HAVE ALSO HIGHLIGHTED HAIL AND WIND THREAT. ON MON...HAVE INCREASED POPS OVER ERN ZONES...AND HAVE SPREAD FARTHER W DUE TO SLOWER MOVEMENT OF MID-LEVEL TROF. MON EXPECTED TO BE MUCH COOLER IN POST FRONTAL AMS. SELY WINDS RESUME LATE MON AFTN...THEN SWLY AND SLY WINDS INCREASE ON TUE AND WED AS SFC TROF/DRYLINE DEVELOP. HAVE RETAINED LOW POPS WED AFTN AND WED EVE ACROSS ERN ZONES...WHERE DRYLINE MAY BECOME ACTIVE. NEW GFS DEPICTS FROPA WED NGT...FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER WEAK FROPA THU NGT. NO POPS WITH THESE FEATURES. ELY AND SELY WINDS RESUME FRI AND SAT. 03 COCKRELL FIRE WEATHER... EXPECTING GOOD COVERAGE OF WETTING RAINS THRU TNGT...BUT LIGHTNING MAY POSE PROBLEMS. WINDS ON MON EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT TO MODERATE... INCREASING SLIGHTLY DURING AFTN AND EVE. TUE AND WED EXPECTED TO BE WINDY. RH VALUES EXPECTED TO REMAIN ABOVE 15 PCT ON TUE...BUT MAY FALL INTO CRITICAL VALUES ON WED. VARYING WINDS WITH FROPA WED NGT AND THU NGT EXPECTED TO NOT BE OF EXCESSIVE SPEEDS. INCREASING SELY WINDS ON SAT WILL BE MOIST. 03 && .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. OK...NONE. &&
TEXAS/OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 1000 PM CDT SUN JUN 8 2008 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-091100- ARMSTRONG-BEAVER-CARSON-CIMARRON-COLLINGSWORTH-DALLAM-DEAF SMITH- DONLEY-GRAY-HANSFORD-HARTLEY-HEMPHILL-HUTCHINSON-LIPSCOMB-MOORE- OCHILTREE-OLDHAM-POTTER-RANDALL-ROBERTS-SHERMAN-TEXAS-WHEELER- 1000 PM CDT SUN JUN 8 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. .DAY ONE... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THE REST OF TONIGHT ACROSS THE OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES AS A COLD FRONT AND MINOR UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. ANY STORMS THAT FORM ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN JUST BELOW SEVERE LEVELS AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS...WHICH MAY RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLOODING OR FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES MONDAY AND AGAIN WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW SEVERE LEVELS AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. ANDRADE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
934 PM CDT SUN JUN 08 2008
..TIME.. ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE.. ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0917 PM FLASH FLOOD 3 NW BRISCOE 35.61N 100.33W
06/08/2008 WHEELER TX LAW ENFORCEMENT
HIGHWAY 83 CLOSED FROM FM 1046 NORTH TO HEMPHILL COUNTY
LINE WITH UP TO ONE FOOT OF WATER ON ROADWAY
&&
EVENT NUMBER 00545
JCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
935 PM CDT SUN JUN 08 2008
..TIME.. ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE.. ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 PM HAIL 1 W MOBEETIE 35.53N 100.46W
06/08/2008 M2.00 INCH WHEELER TX FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
&&
EVENT NUMBER 00546
TASSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 945 PM CDT SUN JUN 8 2008 TXZ019-020-090330- COLLINGSWORTH TX-DONLEY TX- 945 PM CDT SUN JUN 8 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN WESTERN COLLINGSWORTH AND SOUTHEASTERN DONLEY COUNTIES... AT 945 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES SOUTH OF CLARENDON MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE...STRONG WINDS...AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. JJB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 951 PM CDT SUN JUN 8 2008 TXZ009-013>015-090315- CARSON TX-GRAY TX-ROBERTS TX-WHEELER TX- 951 PM CDT SUN JUN 8 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN EXTREME EAST CENTRAL CARSON...NORTHERN GRAY...SOUTH CENTRAL ROBERTS AND EXTREME WEST CENTRAL WHEELER COUNTIES... AT 951 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF KINGSMILL MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. STORM INTENSITY IS INCREASING AND SEVERE WEATHER MAY DEVELOP RAPIDLY. KRAMAR
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 954 PM CDT SUN JUN 8 2008 TXZ011-012-016-017-090330- DEAF SMITH TX-OLDHAM TX-POTTER TX-RANDALL TX- 954 PM CDT SUN JUN 8 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN NORTHEASTERN DEAF SMITH...SOUTHEASTERN OLDHAM...WESTERN POTTER AND NORTHWESTERN RANDALL COUNTIES... AT 954 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF WILDORADO MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. ONE HALF INCH SIZE HAIL AND WINDS AROUND 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. KRAMAR
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 958 PM CDT SUN JUN 8 2008 TXZ017-018-090345- ARMSTRONG TX-RANDALL TX- 958 PM CDT SUN JUN 8 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHWESTERN ARMSTRONG AND SOUTHERN RANDALL COUNTIES... AT 958 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PALO DURO CANYON MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. UP TO ONE HALF INCH SIZE HAIL AND WINDS AROUND 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. PERSONS NEAR HAPPY AND WAYSIDE WILL BE IMPACTED BY THESE STORMS...WHILE PERSONS NEAR PALO DURO CANYON SHOULD ANTICIPATE THESE STORMS MOVING INTO THEIR AREA WITHIN THE NEXT HALF HOUR. JJB
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The time of initiation and the time the wildfire was contained were estimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, June 2008
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 110188.