The combination of a surface cold front stretched across the central Texas Panhandle and weak upper level divergence lead to the development of thunderstorms during the afternoon hours of the 8th. These thunderstorms intensified quickly in an area of modest instability and moderate deep layer shear.
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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.
The combination of a surface cold front stretched across the central Texas Panhandle and weak upper level divergence lead to the development of thunderstorms during the afternoon hours of the 8th. These thunderstorms intensified quickly in an area of modest instability and moderate deep layer shear. Once sufficiently organized, the thunderstorms advanced eastward ahead of the cold front producing scattered hail reports in Collingsworth and Wheeler Counties. As these thunderstorms entered western Oklahoma, they encountered a stronger capped environment. Without the additional forcing provided by the front they quickly diminished.
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 8, 2:07 PM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 307 PM CDT WED MAY 8 2013 .SHORT TERM... DRY LINE HAS STALLED IN THE FAR EASTERN PANHANDLES...GENERALLY ALONG A LINE FROM BEAVER...TO CANADIAN TO JUST EAST OF CLARENDON. WHILE THIS WAS ORIGINALLY THOUGHT TO BE THE HIGHEST RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER FOR TODAY...AN ADDITIONAL AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT HAS DEVELOPED. THOUGH CAPE VALUES ARE MODEST IN THE POST FRONTAL REGION...GENERALLY 500 TO 1000 J/KG ML CAPE...BULK SHEAR VALUES ARE NEAR OR GREATER THAN 30 KTS. WHILE NOT INCREDIBLY IMPRESSIVE...THESE SHEAR VALUES SHOULD BE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO FOR SOME SUSTAINED UPDRAFTS ESPECIALLY WITH THE ENHANCED LOW LEVEL OROGRAPHIC LIFT. MEANWHILE...EAST OF THE DRYLINE...STILL CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS. CAPE VALUES IN THIS REGION ARE CONSIDERABLY HIGHER...ABOVE 1000 J/KG...SHEAR IS CONSIDERABLY WEAKER...20 TO 25 KT. THIS COMBINED WITH LCLS AT OR ABOVE 2000 FT AGL SHOULD KEEP THE TORNADO THREAT MINIMAL OVER THE PANHANDLES. STORMS AHEAD OF THE DRYLINE SHOULD NOT STAY IN THE PANHANDLES VERY LONG. WHILE STORMS IN THE UPSLOPE/POST-FRONTAL REGIME COULD CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF THE EVENING...THOUGH EXPECT THE STORMS TO BECOME ELEVATED VERY QUICKLY AFTER SUNSET. THUS THE SEVERE THREAT COULD SHIFT TO A HAIL THREAT ONLY AFTER SUNSET. .LONG TERM... MUDDLED PATTERN CONTINUES AS LONG AS THE BROAD UPPER LEVEL LOW REMAINS TO OUR SOUTHWEST. WITH THE 12Z UPPER AIR ANALYSIS...THE LOW SHOWED CONSIDERABLE SIGNS OF WEAKENING AND FILLING AS COMPARED TO YESTERDAY. EVEN WITH THIS...WILL CONTINUE TO GENERALLY BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH THROUGH AT LEAST TOMORROW NIGHT. TOMORROW AND TOMORROW NIGHT...DESPITE THE TROUGH BEING OVER THE REGION AND REASONABLE MOISTURE CONTENT OVER THE REGION...THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY ON STORM CHANCES FOR TOMORROW. FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...THE BROAD UPPER LEVEL LOW FINALLY STARTS TO DIG SOUTHWEST AWAY FROM THE REGION...THOUGH HOW QUICKLY THIS WILL OCCUR IS STILL UP FOR DEBATE. BY THE LATEST NAM SOLUTION...THE REGION WILL BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF SHORT WAVE RIDGING BY FRIDAY MORNING. FOR MOST OF THE OTHER MODELS...THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN UNTIL AT LEAST FRIDAY NIGHT. REGARDLESS OF WHEN THIS OCCURS...ONCE THE RIDGE BEGINS TO BUILD OVER US...THE PRECIPITATION CHANCES EFFECTIVELY END FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. && .FIRE WEATHER... ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. AFTER TONIGHT HOWEVER...COOLER WEATHER AND INCREASING MOISTURE SHOULD PRECLUDE ANY ELEVATED OR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AMARILLO TX 50 72 49 70 49 / 10 20 20 20 10 BEAVER OK 54 73 48 71 48 / 40 20 30 10 5 BOISE CITY OK 48 67 45 69 47 / 30 30 30 20 10 BORGER TX 52 74 51 72 52 / 20 20 20 10 10 BOYS RANCH TX 49 74 52 72 46 / 10 20 20 20 20 CANYON TX 49 74 51 71 45 / 10 20 20 20 20 CLARENDON TX 54 76 53 71 52 / 10 20 20 10 10 DALHART TX 46 69 46 68 45 / 20 30 30 20 10 GUYMON OK 50 71 48 72 49 / 30 30 30 10 5 HEREFORD TX 47 73 51 69 46 / 5 20 20 30 20 LIPSCOMB TX 55 74 50 71 48 / 40 20 30 10 5 PAMPA TX 51 71 49 70 50 / 20 20 20 10 10 SHAMROCK TX 55 77 53 72 51 / 20 20 30 10 10 WELLINGTON TX 56 80 54 74 55 / 20 20 30 10 10 && .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. OK...NONE. && 03/16
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 233 PM CDT WED MAY 8 2013 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-091100- CIMARRON-TEXAS-BEAVER-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB- HARTLEY-MOORE-HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON- GRAY-WHEELER-DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH- 233 PM CDT WED MAY 8 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE AND NORTHERN AND EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WITH ANY STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL TO PING PONG BALL SIZED AND STRONG WINDS TO 60 MPH. ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL PANHANDLES THROUGH 9 PM THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF THE PANHANDLES THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. A FEW SHORT LIVED STRONG OR SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AFTERNOON IN THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLES. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WITH ANY OF THESE STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. AREA FIRE MANAGERS AND EMERGENCY OFFICIALS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR ELEVATED OR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THROUGH THIS EVENING. JOHNSON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
240 PM CDT WED MAY 8 2013
OKZ001-082030-
CIMARRON OK-
240 PM CDT WED MAY 8 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN CIMARRON COUNTY UNTIL 330
PM CDT...
AT 237 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT
A THUNDERSTORM WAS RAPIDLY DEVELOPING 5 MILES WEST OF WHEELESS...OR
22 MILES NORTHEAST OF CLAYTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
WHEELESS... KENTON... FELT...
BLACK MESA PARK...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
LAT...LON 3700 10265 3652 10261 3651 10301 3700 10301
3700 10300 3701 10278
TIME...MOT...LOC 1939Z 241DEG 14KT 3674 10297
JCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
403 PM CDT WED MAY 08 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0337 PM HAIL BLACK MESA PARK 36.85N 102.88W
05/08/2013 E0.88 INCH CIMARRON OK LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
EVENT NUMBER AMA1300422
JOHNSONSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 417 PM CDT WED MAY 8 2013 TXZ019-020-082145- COLLINGSWORTH TX-DONLEY TX- 417 PM CDT WED MAY 8 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR COLLINGSWORTH AND EASTERN DONLEY COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM CDT... AT 413 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF QUAIL...OR 17 MILES NORTH OF MEMPHIS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... QUAIL... DOZIER... THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. LAT...LON 3517 10047 3494 10013 3481 10054 3498 10059 TIME...MOT...LOC 2117Z 226DEG 18KT 3499 10052 JC
The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 117 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:32 UTC.
6 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
As a thunderstorm moved to the northeast across the southeastern Texas Panhandle, 7 miles north of the city of Quail (Collingsworth County) it produced hail up to the size of half dollar.
A thunderstorm moved across Wheeler County during the afternoon hours of the 8th. One mile south of Mobeetie (Wheeler County) a trained storm spotter reported golf ball size hail as the thunderstorm moved to the northeast.
A trained storm spotter observed a decaying thunderstorm producing nickel size hail seven miles east of Hedley (Donley County).
A trained storm spotter observed a thunderstorm seven miles north of Quail (Collingsworth County) producing half dollar size hail.
A thunderstorm moved over the city of Sherman (Wheeler County) during the afternoon hours of the 8th. While over the city, the thunderstorm produced hail up to the size of golf balls as reported by a trained storm spotter.
A thunderstorm moved over the city of Sherman (Wheeler County) during the afternoon hours of the 8th. While over the city, the thunderstorm produced hail up to the size of golf balls as reported by law enforcement.
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: 455098, 455099, 455100, 455101, 455102, 455103.