High Wind in Texas, April 10, 2011

Name: High Wind in Texas, April 10, 2011
Start: 2011-04-10T09:49
End: 2011-04-10T13:30
Location: Texas

April 10, 2011 · NWS AMA · 9 events in 5 counties and zones

A Pacific cold front moved across the southwest, central and eastern Texas Panhandle around midday to early afternoon which resulted in strong and gusty west to southwest winds. These high winds did cause some damage in the south central Texas Panhandle, however no injuries were reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $4,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS AMA wrote it up.

What forecasters said that day

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 Apr 10, 5:27 AM CST, 4 hours 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 10, 5:27 AM CST, 4 hours 22 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
627 AM CDT SUN APR 10 2011

.AVIATION...
A PACIFIC COLD FRONT WILL TRACK EAST ACROSS THE TAF SITES THIS
MORNING CAUSING WESTERLY WINDS 25 TO 35 KNOTS WITH GUSTS OF NEAR 40
TO 45 KNOTS. AN AVIATION WEATHER WARNING FOR KAMA WILL BE ISSUED
SHORTLY. WINDS WILL BECOME NORTHWESTERLY AND THEN NORTHERLY THIS
EVENING AFTER 02Z TO 05Z MONDAY AFTER A SURFACE TROUGH OR SECONDARY
FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVES THROUGH. WINDS WILL DIMINISH TO AROUND 10 TO
15 KNOTS AFTER ABOUT 02Z MONDAY OR SO. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL
WITH MAINLY HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS EXPECTED.

SCHNEIDER

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 426 AM CDT SUN APR 10 2011/

DISCUSSION...
MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS THIS MORNING ONCE AGAIN ARE CRITICAL FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND STRONG WINDS TODAY.

WELL DEFINED DRYLINE HAS RETREATED WESTWARD IN THE EASTERN STACK OF
COUNTIES TONIGHT. DEWPOINTS HAVE CLIMBED INTO THE MID/UPPER 50S
ALONG A LINE FROM LIPSCOMB TO WELLINGTON IN THE EASTERN TEXAS
PANHANDLE. DEWPOINTS GENERALLY REMAIN IN THE 20S ACROSS THE REST OF
THE FORECAST AREA. CONVECTION HAS ATTEMPTED TO FIRE OVER THE LOW
ROLLING PLAINS JUST SOUTH OF THE CWA BUT HAS QUICKLY WEAKENED. WILL
HANG ON TO SOME LOW END THUNDERSTORM CHANCES THROUGH 12Z IN THE
EASTERN ZONES WHERE THE BETTER MOISTURE AND ELEVATED INSTABILITY IS
LOCATED.

THE SLUG OF 50 DEWPOINTS WILL QUICKLY BE SHUNTED EAST OF THE
PANHANDLES THIS MORNING AS PACIFIC FRONT RACES ACROSS THE REGION
INTO OKLAHOMA. BY 18Z...BELIEVE THAT SINGLE DIGIT DEWPOINTS WILL BE
SITUATED IN THE WESTERN ZONES WITH TD/S IN THE MID/UPPER TEENS
LOCATED IN THE EASTERN ZONES. TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER TODAY IN
WAKE OF PACIFIC FRONT WITH LOWER 60S IN THE WESTERN ZONES TO UPPER
70S IN THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS PANHANDLE. THE VERY DRY AIR COUPLED WITH
STRONG SOUTHWEST TO WESTERLY WINDS WILL BRING ANOTHER DAY OF
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. POTENT UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVING
OUT OF FOUR CORNERS REGION INTO THE PLAINS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
BRINGING THESE STRONG WINDS TO THE AREA TODAY. CORE OF 500MB MID
LEVEL WINDS OF 90 TO 100 KNOTS WILL BE TRANSLATING EASTWARD ACROSS
THE PANHANDLES TODAY. HOWEVER...LIKE YESTERDAY...BOTH THE NAM/GFS
SHOW STRONGEST SWATH OF 60 TO 65 KNOT 700MB WINDS QUICKLY SHIFTING
EASTWARD INTO WESTERN OKLAHOMA DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS. NOT
OVERLY CONFIDENT THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE ABLE TO MIX DOWN TO THE
SURFACE BEHIND PAC FRONT TO SUPPORT WIDESPREAD 40 MPH SUSTAINED
WINDS OR 58 MPH GUSTS. BUT TODAY WILL BE WINDY REGARDLESS WITH
SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS RIGHT AROUND 35 MPH WITH SOME GUSTS BETWEEN 50
AND 55 MPH ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN TEXAS
PANHANDLE. WILL BE ISSUING A WIND ADVISORY FOR THE CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE TODAY. WILL RETAIN THE BLOWING DUST MENTION
IN THE WEATHER GRIDS ACROSS ALL OF THE AREA TODAY. VISIBILITIES MAY
BE RESTRICTED AT TIMES BUT LOW CONFIDENCE OF VSBYS BEEN REDUCED TO 1
MILE WILL PRECLUDE ISSUING A BLOWING DUST ADVISORY. FOR LOCATIONS
ACROSS THE NORTHERN ZONES...BELIEVE THAT WINDS WILL BE SLIGHTLY
LOWER AS GRADIENT RELAXES A BIT. ALSO...COLD FRONT MAY BE MOVING A
LITTLE QUICKER THAN PREVIOUSLY ANTICIPATED AND MAY VERY WELL BE
ENTERING THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE BETWEEN 21Z AND 00Z. COLD FRONT WILL
CONTINUE TO PUSH THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE PANHANDLES TONIGHT.

UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVES EAST OF THE PANHANDLES TONIGHT WITH BETTER
CHANCES OF LIGHT PRECIPITATION NORTH OF THE REGION. DRY FORECAST
WILL CONTINUE FOR TONIGHT. COLDER TEMPS EXPECTED TONIGHT WITH TEMPS
POSSIBLY FLIRTING WITH THE FREEZING MARK IN THE NORTHWESTERN ZONES.
WILL FOREGO A FREEZE WATCH THOUGH AND PASS CONCERN ON TO THE DAY
SHIFT. TEMPS WILL BEGIN TO REBOUND HEADING INTO MONDAY AND TUESDAY
AS SHORTWAVE RIDGING WILL PREVAIL. LEE SIDE SURFACE TROUGH WITH
INCREASINGLY SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL HELP BOOST TEMPS BACK UP TO MID
70S TO NEAR 80S FOR TUESDAY.

NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE EXTENDED PART OF THE
FORECAST. UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE NORTH OF THE REGION
WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. BOTH THE EURO/GFS CLOSE OFF UPPER
LEVEL SYSTEM AS IT SHIFTS EAST OF THE PANHANDLES WHICH SHOULD KEEP
THE AREA DRY.

TAB

FIRE WEATHER...
CRITICAL TO EXTREMELY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
ACROSS ALL OF THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES TODAY. SOUTHWEST TO
WEST WINDS WILL INCREASE BETWEEN 30 AND 35 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS AS
MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES FALL BETWEEN 8 AND 15 PERCENT. A
COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PANHANDLES LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING AND MOVE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE
AREA TONIGHT. THIS COULD AGGRAVATE ANY ONGOING WILDFIRES AS WINDS
WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST.

TAB

&&

.AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...RED FLAG WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM CDT THIS
     EVENING 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.

     WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING
     FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: ARMSTRONG...CARSON...
     COLLINGSWORTH...DEAF SMITH...DONLEY...GRAY...HARTLEY...
     HEMPHILL...HUTCHINSON...MOORE...OLDHAM...POTTER...RANDALL...
     ROBERTS...WHEELER.

OK...RED FLAG WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM CDT THIS
     EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: BEAVER...CIMARRON...TEXAS.

&&

11/10

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 10, 6:46 AM CST, 3 hours 3 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
746 AM CDT SUN APR 10 2011

OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-102300-
CIMARRON-TEXAS-BEAVER-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB-
HARTLEY-MOORE-HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON-
GRAY-WHEELER-DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH-
746 AM CDT SUN APR 10 2011

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL STRENGTHEN TODAY TO SPEEDS OF 30 TO 35
WITH GUSTS NEAR 55 MPH. A WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE. BLOWING DUST WILL REDUCE
VISIBILITIES TODAY.

THE STRONG WINDS...COMBINED WITH LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AND DRY
GRASSES WILL LEAD TO CRITICAL AND EXTREMELY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACROSS ALL OF THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES TODAY. A
RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL OF THE PANHANDLES FROM 11 AM
THROUGH 9 PM TODAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS IS EXPECTED ON TUESDAY ACROSS ALL OF
THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

AREA FIRE MANAGERS AND EMERGENCY OFFICIALS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR CRITICAL
FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TODAY...AND FOR ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS ON TUESDAY.

SCHNEIDER

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Hutchinson

When: April 10, 9:49 AM CST to 9:51 AM CST
Where: Hutchinson forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 35.840, -101.355 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Potter

When: April 10, 10:47 AM CST to 10:49 AM CST
Where: Potter forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 35.401, -101.894 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Roberts

When: April 10, 11:22 AM CST to 11:24 AM CST
Where: Roberts forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 35.839, -100.813 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Gray

When: April 10, 11:25 AM CST to 11:27 AM CST
Where: Gray forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 35.401, -100.813 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Hutchinson

When: April 10, 11:30 AM CST to 11:32 AM CST
Where: Hutchinson forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 35.840, -101.355 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Gray

When: April 10, 11:35 AM CST to 11:37 AM CST
Where: Gray forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 35.401, -100.813 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Deaf Smith

When: April 10, 11:37 AM CST to 11:39 AM CST
Where: Deaf Smith forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 34.966, -102.605 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Potter

When: April 10, 11:57 AM CST to 11:59 AM CST
Where: Potter forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 35.401, -101.894 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Potter

When: April 10, 1:28 PM CST to 1:30 PM CST
Where: Potter forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $4,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.401, -101.894 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

There was a report of a few power poles being blown down near the intersection of Western Street and Olsen Boulevard in Amarillo Texas. No injuries were reported.

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 2011 Every state in 2011 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, April 2011

Sources

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: 305218, 305219, 305220, 305222, 305223, 305224, 305226, 305227, 305228.