Scattered thunderstorms developed over the eastern New Mexico Plains during the afternoon hours of the 25th. These storms developed along a dryline stretching from southern New Mexico to the central Oklahoma Panhandle.
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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.
Scattered thunderstorms developed over the eastern New Mexico Plains during the afternoon hours of the 25th. These storms developed along a dryline stretching from southern New Mexico to the central Oklahoma Panhandle. The low level convergence along the dryline allowed the storms to overcome low level capping inversions and tap into elevated instability that was in place across the Texas Panhandle. The thunderstorms moved to the east eventually becoming self-sustaining shortly after entering the southwestern Texas Panhandle. While over Oldham and Deaf Smith Counties these storms produced sub-severe hail across both counties. As the storms moved into Potter and Randall Counties, they encountered a more capped environment which caused the main thunderstorm to collapse. The cold pool created by this storm collapsed allowed thunderstorms to persist well into Potter and Randall Counties where reports of sub-severe hail and wind were reported to the National Weather Service in Amarillo (Potter County). A stronger capping inversion over Armstrong and Carson Counties quickly suppressed residual convection.
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 May 25, 6:08 PM CST, 1 hour 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 708 PM CDT SAT MAY 25 2013 .UPDATE... HAVE UPDATED GRAPHICAL FORECASTS...INCREASING THUNDERSTORM POPS/COVERAGE SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN AND WESTERN SECTIONS OF PANHANDLES. LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS DETECTED BY KAMA 88D OVER EASTERN NEW MEXICO IS BEING SUPPORTED BY MODEST SHORTWAVE TROF AS IT MOVES TOWARD RICHER MOISTURE AND HIGHER INSTABILITY. UPDATED TEXT PRODUCTS WILL BE ISSUED SHORTLY. COCKRELL && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 406 PM CDT SAT MAY 25 2013/ DISCUSSION... REGIONAL VISIBLE SATELLITE SHOWS SMALL CU DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE SOUTHWESTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE WHILE CONVECTION HAS DEVELOPED ALONG THE NEW MEXICO MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO. THIS DEVELOPMENT WAS FAIRLY CAPTURED BY THE TTU WRF. WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT IS THAT THERE REMAINS A CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION ALONG THE WESTERN HALF OF THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE. ALSO GIVEN THE ELEVATED INSTABILITY AND WEAK DEEP LAYER SHEAR AN ISOLATED STRONG TO LOW END SEVERE STORM MAY BE POSSIBLE. ANY CONVECTION THAT MAY FORM SHOULD END BY MIDNIGHT. SUNDAY WILL BE A DAY TO KEEP AN EYE ON AS FAR AS FIRE WEATHER IS CONCERNED. THE DRYLINE IS EXPECTED TO ONCE AGAIN RETURN TO THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES AND DROP RELATIVE HUMIDITIES BELOW 15 PERCENT ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN TEXAS AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. THIS WILL LEAD TO ELEVATED AND CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR SUNDAY AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...THE ONGOING DROUGHT HAS LIMITED FUEL LOADING IN THIS AREA...AND THE RECENT RAINS FROM LAST NIGHT HAS PROVIDED DECENT MOISTURE TO WHAT FUELS THERE ARE. ANOTHER WRENCH IN THE MACHINE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL MOISTURE FROM ANY STORMS THAT COULD MAKE IT INTO THAT AREA TONIGHT. SHOULD THIS AREA RECEIVE NO RAIN TONIGHT THEN A FIRE WEATHER WATCH OR EVEN A RED FLAG WARNING MAY BE NEEDED FOR SUNDAY AFTERNOON. MONDAY COULD ALSO BE A DAY WHERE ELEVATED TO NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS OCCUR...BUT THERE WILL ALSO BE RAIN CHANCES ACROSS THE EASTERN TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. SHOULD ANY OF THESE SHOWERS DEVELOP FURTHER WEST THAN CURRENTLY FORECASTS THEN FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS COULD BE GREATLY HINDERED. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY LOOK TO BE THE TIME FRAME WITH THE GREATEST PRECIPITATION CHANCES AS WELL AS POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER. WITH THAT BEING SAID THE SEVERE THREAT MAY BE SLIGHTLY LESS THAN WHAT APPEARED YESTERDAY. MEDIUM RANGE MODELS ARE BEGINNING TO CONVERGE ON A CONSENSUS AS TO THE TRACK OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH BUT STILL DISAGREE ON EXACT TIMING. TREND WISE THE ECMWF HAS TRENDED BACK TOWARD THE GFS ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE SYSTEM SO HAVE LEANED MUCH CLOSER TO THE GFS RATHER THAN THE GFS. WITH THIS EVOLUTION AN OPEN WAVE WILL DROP OVER NEVADA AND UTAH DURING THE DAY ON TUESDAY. A LEADING SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE PANHANDLES SPARKING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE MAIN WAVE MOVES TO THE PANHANDLES AND TAKES ON A VERY SLIGHT NEGATIVE TILT. THIS ORIENTATION WOULD PLACE THE DRY SLOT ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE WHILE CONVECTION FIRES ACROSS THE REST OF THE PANHANDLES. CAPE VALUES AT THIS TIME RANGE FROM 1500 TO 2200 J/KG WITH DEEP LAYER SHEAR OF 35 TO 40 KT. BUFR SOUNDINGS SHOW A WEAK CAP WHICH COULD BE THE SAVINGS GRACE TO KEEP SEVERE WEATHER LIMITED. BUT SHOULD THE SYNOPTIC FORCING OVERCOME THIS CAP THEN WE COULD BE LOOKING AT A ORGANIZED CONVECTION WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND AS THE PRIMARY THREATS ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE. AS STATED YESTERDAY KEEP ANY EYE ON THIS PORTION OF THE FORECAST AS IT WILL LIKELY CHANGE AS WE GET CLOSER TO THESE DAYS. FLOW ALOFT BECOMES MORE ZONAL THURSDAY AND FRIDAY TO LIMIT PRECIP CHANCES. INTO THE WEEKEND. FIRE WEATHER... ELEVATED TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE. THE DRYLINE WILL MOVE INTO THE PANHANDLES AND DROP RELATIVE HUMIDITIES FOR THIS AREA BELOW 15 PERCENT WHILE 20 FOOT WINDS FROM THE SOUTHWEST INCREASE TO 15 TO 20 MPH. GIVEN THE LOW FUEL LOADS DUE TO THE ONGOING DROUGHT...THE PRECIP LAST NIGHT IN THIS AREA...AND THE POTENTIAL FOR PRECIP TONIGHT HAS LEAD TO SOME CONCERN WHERE A FIRE WEATHER PRODUCT WILL BE NEEDED DUE TO THE GOOD STATE OF FUELS. WITH THAT SAID IF PRECIP DOES NOT OCCUR TONIGHT THEN A FIRE WEATHER WATCH OR RED FLAG WARNING MAY BE NEEDED FOR THIS TIME FRAME. ELEVATED TO NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE MONDAY FOR THE WESTERN HALF OF THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AGAIN DROPPING BELOW 15 PERCENT AS 20 FOOT WINDS INCREASE TO 15 TO 20 MPH. ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER MAY BE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON TUESDAY AS RELATIVE HUMIDITIES DROP BETWEEN 15 AND 20 PERCENT WITH 15 TO 20 MPH 20 FOOT WINDS. THE ONLY CONCERN FOR THE FIRE POTENTIAL FOR TUESDAY WILL BE THE POSSIBILITY FOR SHOWERS TO DEVELOP FURTHER WEST THAN CURRENTLY FORECAST. && .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. OK...NONE. && 11/03
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 720 PM CDT SAT MAY 25 2013 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-261230- CIMARRON-TEXAS-BEAVER-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB- HARTLEY-MOORE-HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON- GRAY-WHEELER-DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH- 720 PM CDT SAT MAY 25 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SCATTERED TO ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING ACROSS MAINLY THE WESTERN HALF OF THE OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES. STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE... WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF THE OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...PRIMARILY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. IF STORMS DEVELOP...A FEW MAY BECOME STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. ELEVATED TO POSSIBLY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS MAY OCCUR ACROSS WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES ON SUNDAY... MONDAY...TUESDAY...WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY DUE TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH WITH SOME HIGHER GUSTS ALONG WITH FORECAST MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES OF 10 TO 20 PERCENT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ACROSS THE WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE READY FOR LIMITED ACTIVATION THIS EVENING. AREA FIRE MANAGERS AND EMERGENCY OFFICIALS ACROSS WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES SHOULD BE ALERT FOR ELEVATED TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ON SUNDAY...MONDAY...TUESDAY...WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. COCKRELL
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
641 PM CDT SAT MAY 25 2013
TXZ011-012-016-260045-
DEAF SMITH TX-OLDHAM TX-POTTER TX-
641 PM CDT SAT MAY 25 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EXTREME NORTHWESTERN POTTER...
OLDHAM AND DEAF SMITH COUNTIES UNTIL 745 PM CDT...
AT 637 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 11 MILES SOUTH OF
NARA VISA TO 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BELLVIEW...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.
HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
VEGA... HEREFORD... WILDORADO...
SIMMS... GLENRIO... BOYS RANCH...
BOOTLEG... ADRIAN...
THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 40 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 1 AND 48.
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY...TURN AROUND DONT DROWN.
LAT...LON 3474 10304 3485 10305 3554 10304 3554 10215
3476 10232 3474 10233
TIME...MOT...LOC 2341Z 270DEG 35KT 3545 10305 3474 10320
KJSThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A line of thunderstorms moved out of eastern New Mexico and into the Texas Panhandle. As the storms moved over the city of Bootleg (Deaf Smith County), the fire department reported nickel size hail. The line moved quickly to the east, and only produced pea size hail.
A line of thunderstorms moved over the town of Bushland. This line encountered a stronger capped environment which caused the strongest cell to collapse. The outflow from this cell collapse was measured to be 61 mph by the KVII Schoolnet site in Bushland (Potter County). No thunderstorm wind damage was reported in associated with this gust. The outflow allowed thunderstorms to continue moving to the east but no further severe reports were received.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2013
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: 454337, 454338.