Supercell thunderstorms developed during the evening hours over the Southern High Plains. These thunderstorms split multiple times, and the left moving supercells took a north-northeast trajectory to enter the Texas Panhandle.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
Supercell thunderstorms developed during the evening hours over the Southern High Plains. These thunderstorms split multiple times, and the left moving supercells took a north-northeast trajectory to enter the Texas Panhandle. One particular cell split and intensified over the city of Pampa, Texas (Gray County). Multiple reports were received due to this storm with a maximum hail size of golf ball, some minor vehicle damage at a high school football game, and no 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 Oct 12, 5:26 PM CST, 2 hours 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 626 PM CDT FRI OCT 12 2012 .AVIATION... A RATHER COMPLEX TAF PACKAGE WITH FLUCTUATING CEILINGS AND POTENTIAL FOR CONVECTION AT THE TERMINALS. CURRENTLY DHT IS THE ONLY TERMINAL AT MVFR WITH THE REST AT VFR. HOWEVER CEILINGS HAVE BEEN BOUNCING FROM MVFR TO VFR AND BACK OVER THE PAST FEW HOURS. THIS WILL LIKELY BE THE TREND AS WE GO THROUGH THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE NEXT CONCERN WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR CONVECTION AT THE TERMINALS. SO FAR CONVECTION HAS REMAINED AWAY FROM THE TERMINALS BUT THIS IS LIKELY TO CHANGE SOON...AT LEAST FOR AMA...WITH NEW CONVECTION DEVELOPING JUST NORTHWEST OF LUBBOCK. AS FOR DHT AND GUY CONVECTION SHOULD HOLD OFF UNTIL AROUND MIDNIGHT AS A PACIFIC FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE PANHANDLES. AS THESE STORMS IMPACT THE TERMINALS CEILINGS COULD DETERIORATE BRIEFLY TO IFR. HOWEVER LEFT MENTION OF IFR OUT OF PREVAILING CONDITIONS SINCE MODELS HAVE HAD A POOR DEPICTION OF CONDITIONS. TAF AMENDMENTS ARE LIKELY. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 347 PM CDT FRI OCT 12 2012/ DISCUSSION... ..TODAY... CURRENTLY ISOLATED SHOWERS ARE MOVING NE ACROSS THE PANHANDLES. THESE STORMS HAVE REMAINED IN CHECK AND BELOW SEVERE CRITERIA. THESE STORMS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE OUT OF THE AREA AND THE QUESTION THEN TURNS TO WHEN IS THE NEXT ROUND OF PRECIPITATION GOING TO IMPACT THE AREA. MODELS HAVE NOT DONE WELL LEADING UP TO TODAY...MOST OF THEM DID NOT PICK UP ON THE PRECIP THIS MORNING BUT ARE COMING INTO AGREEMENT THAT THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE SOUTH AND WEST OF OUR CWA AS THIS IS WHERE BEST DAYTIME HEATING HAS OCCURRED AND THE MOST UNSTABLE AIR IS. THERE IS STILL A POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE STORMS OR AN ISOLATED TORNADO FORMING IN OUR CWA BUT STORMS WILL HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME OVERCOMING A RELATIVELY STABLE AIR MASS. BELIEVE STORMS WILL HOLD OFF UNTIL THE UPPER LEVEL LOW NEARS THE ARE LATE TONIGHT. ..TONIGHT... AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW NEARS THE TX/NM BORDER STORMS LOOK TO ENTER OUR AREA A LITTLE BEFORE MIDNIGHT. HAVE PUT SOME FAITH IN THE HRRR ON HELPING TO DETERMINE WHEN AND WHERE PRECIP WILL OCCUR AS IT HAS HAD THE BEST HANDLE ON THE ONGOING SHOWERS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THESE STORMS ALSO HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF BECOMING SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE PRIMARY HAZARD. AGAIN...A TORNADO IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION BUT IS UNLIKELY AT THIS POINT. SHOWERS SHOULD QUICKLY SWEEP ACROSS THE AREA WITH THE FRONT FOLLOWING BEHIND THEM. SOME LOCATIONS COULD EXPERIENCE SOME FLOODING IF STORMS OVERNIGHT DECIDE TO POUR ON AN AREA THAT ALREADY RECEIVED RAINFALL THIS MORNING...HOWEVER WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED TO OCCUR DUE TO THE FAST MOTION OF THESE STORMS. ..WEEKEND... SOME SHOWERS COULD LINGER INTO THE AFTERNOON ON SATURDAY NEAR THE TX/OK BORDER BEHIND THE FRONT...BUT AFTER SATURDAY CHANCES FOR PRECIP DRY UP THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. WINDS WILL INCREASE AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS WITH THE UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVING ACROSS NEBRASKA AND KANSAS DURING THE DAY. WINDS OUT OF THE WEST WILL INCREASE BUT SHOULD REMAIN BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA. ..NEXT WEEK... YET ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL MOVE NEAR THE AREA EARLY NEXT WEEK AND THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE PANHANDLES ON TUESDAY. HOWEVER...VERY LITTLE MOISTURE WILL BE PRESENT AND LOOKS TO HAVE LITTLE IMPACT ON TEMPS. TEMPS WILL REMAIN NEAR NORMAL THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. MOULTON FIRE WEATHER... ELEVATED OR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY DISTRIBUTED RAIN TO MUCH OF THE PANHANDLES TODAY AND OVERNIGHT MORE SHOWERS SHOULD BRING ADDITIONAL RAIN TO THE PANHANDLES. WINDS ARE FORECASTED TO BE BETWEEN 20 TO 30 MPH ON SATURDAY...HOWEVER RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES LOOK TO REMAIN ABOVE 15 PERCENT. WINDS WILL CALM DOWN SATURDAY NIGHT AND REMAIN LIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. && .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. OK...NONE. && 14/02
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 640 PM CDT FRI OCT 12 2012 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-131100- CIMARRON-TEXAS-BEAVER-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB- HARTLEY-MOORE-HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON- GRAY-WHEELER-DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH- 640 PM CDT FRI OCT 12 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT ACROSS THE OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS ALSO POSSIBLE...MAINLY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE UNTIL 2 AM CDT SATURDAY. IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINFALL MAY RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLOODING OR FLASH FLOODING. CAUTION IS ADVISED ON AREA LAKES THROUGH TONIGHT DUE TO BREEZY SOUTHEAST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE READY FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION THIS EVENING. ANDRADE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 706 PM CDT FRI OCT 12 2012 TXZ017-018-130045- ARMSTRONG TX-RANDALL TX- 706 PM CDT FRI OCT 12 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN ARMSTRONG AND SOUTHEASTERN RANDALL COUNTIES UNTIL 745 PM CDT... AT 700 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WAYSIDE...OR 27 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CANYON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... WAYSIDE... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. LAT...LON 3505 10154 3483 10120 3474 10135 3474 10173 TIME...MOT...LOC 0006Z 222DEG 17KT 3469 10162 14
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 754 PM CDT FRI OCT 12 2012 TXZ013-014-018-130130- ARMSTRONG TX-CARSON TX-GRAY TX- 754 PM CDT FRI OCT 12 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN ARMSTRONG...SOUTHEASTERN CARSON AND WESTERN GRAY COUNTIES UNTIL 830 PM CDT... AT 751 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 2 MILES EAST OF CLAUDE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... CLAUDE... THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 40 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 99 AND 113. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. LAT...LON 3542 10126 3533 10097 3503 10128 3509 10141 TIME...MOT...LOC 0054Z 213DEG 38KT 3512 10131 14
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 759 PM CDT FRI OCT 12 2012 TXZ013-017-018-130130- ARMSTRONG TX-CARSON TX-RANDALL TX- 759 PM CDT FRI OCT 12 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN ARMSTRONG... SOUTHWESTERN CARSON AND EASTERN RANDALL COUNTIES UNTIL 830 PM CDT... AT 756 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF PALO DURO CANYON...OR 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CLAUDE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... WASHBURN... THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 40 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 85 AND 97. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. LAT...LON 3538 10155 3532 10131 3498 10156 3501 10168 TIME...MOT...LOC 0100Z 205DEG 40KT 3506 10159 14
The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 72 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:33 UTC.
3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail up to golf ball size was reported to cover the ground near the WalMart in Pampa.
A trained storm spotter reported ping pong ball size hail just north of Pampa.
The Pampa Emergency Manager reported hail up to quarter size at the Pampa High School football game. Minor vehicle damage was reported at the stadium, and no injuries were reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, October 2012
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: 414833, 414835, 414836.