An upper level weather system passed through the region bringing windy conditions. Sustained winds at or above 35 mph was common across mainly the western portion of the Oklahoma Panhandle during the late morning through mid afternoon.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
An upper level weather system passed through the region bringing windy conditions. Sustained winds at or above 35 mph was common across mainly the western portion of the Oklahoma Panhandle during the late morning through mid afternoon.
The following is a list of sustained winds at or greater than 40 mph: 43 mph sustained wind 2 miles east of Goodwell (Texas County) and 41 mph sustained wind 3 miles south-southeast of Boise City (Cimarron County).
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 Dec 23, 12:25 PM CST, 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1225 PM CST TUE DEC 23 2014
.UPDATE...
EXPANDED HIGH WIND WARNING TO INCLUDE THE SW TX PANHANDLE AND
EXTENDED WIND PRODUCTS IN TIME THROUGH MIDNIGHT AS LATEST GUIDANCE
SUGGESTS GUSTINESS WILL LAST BEYOND SUNSET.
SIMPSON
&&
.AVIATION...18Z TAFS
MAIN CONCERN IN THE TAF PERIOD CONTINUES TO BE WINDS. KAMA HAS HAD
THE STRONGEST WINDS SO FAR AND AN AVIATION WEATHER WARNING HAS BEEN
EXTENDED THROUGH 06Z. DID EXTEND THE STRONG WIND GROUPS A LITTLE
LATER IN THE EVENING AS WINDS MAY NOT DIE OFF AS EARLY AS PREVIOUSLY
EXPECTED. LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE AT KGUY OFF AND ON THROUGH THE
AFTERNOON WITH TEMPO IFR VSBYS NOTED.
SIMPSON
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 533 AM CST TUE DEC 23 2014/
AVIATION...
12Z TAF CYCLE
GRADIENT WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE AFTER 15Z TODAY AT ALL THREE
TAF SITES WITH NORTH AND NORTHWEST WINDS 10 TO 20 KNOTS WITH HIGHER
GUSTS PRIOR TO 15Z TODAY...AND THEN INCREASING TO AROUND 30 TO 40
KNOTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS AFTER 15Z TODAY. AN AVIATION WEATHER WARNING
IS IN EFFECT AT THE AMARILLO AIRPORT FROM 15Z TODAY TO 00Z
WEDNESDAY. WIND SPEEDS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH TO AROUND 15 TO 25
KNOTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS AFTER 00Z WEDNESDAY AND THEN AROUND 10 TO 15
KNOTS BY 06Z WEDNESDAY. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH THE TAF
FORECAST PERIOD.
SCHNEIDER
PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 440 AM CST TUE DEC 23 2014/
DISCUSSION...
HIGH WIND LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON IS THE PRIMARY
CONCERN FOR THIS FORECAST ISSUANCE. OTHER CONCERNS INCLUDE THE
POSSIBILITY OF BLOWING DUST...AND POTENTIAL FOR ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS ON CHRISTMAS DAY (SEE FIRE WEATHER DISCUSSION BELOW).
A STRONG UPPER LEVEL JET MAX IS LOCATED ON THE UPSTREAM SIDE OF DEEP
TROUGH AND IS POSITIONED OVER NEW MEXICO EARLY THIS MORNING. FURTHER
EAST...A SURFACE LOW IS LOCATED OVER THE WESTERN GULF COAST REGION
AND A SURFACE HIGH WILL STRENGTHEN ALONG THE ROCKIES UNDER
INCREASINGLY CONFLUENT UPPER LEVEL FLOW. STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT
WILL EXIST BETWEEN THE TWO. BELT OF STRONG MEAN FLOW IN CORE OF JET
STREAK WILL BE POSITIONED OVER THE AREA TODAY AND WITH MODEST MIXING
INTO THIS LAYER THERE WILL BE AN INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF GUSTS
REACHING HIGH WIND CRITERIA THROUGH AFTERNOON. A FEW CONCERNS EXIST.
1.) HOW ROBUST/DEEP WILL MIXING BE IN THE ABSENCE OF INSOLATION DUE
TO PERSISTENT CLOUDS. 2.) THE OVERALL WEAKENING OF UPSTREAM JET MAX.
NAM HAS BEEN LOWER WITH SURFACE-700 MB WINDS COMPARED TO THE GFS.
OTHER GUIDANCE GENERALLY SPLITS THE DIFFERENCE ON MAGNITUDE WITH SOME
MINOR SPATIAL VARIATION NOTED AS WELL.
HAVE WENT AHEAD AND UPGRADED THE HIGH WIND WATCH TO A HIGH WIND
WARNING...ALBEIT A MARGINAL EVENT WITH SOME POTENTIAL TO NOT
MATERIALIZE. ALSO ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY FOR MUCH OF THE REST OF THE
FORECAST AREA WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE EASTERNMOST COUNTIES NEAR
THE OKLAHOMA BORDER. ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN RELATIVELY DRY
AND WITH GUSTS SO STRONG AREAS OF BLOWING DUST AND REDUCED
VISIBILITY MAY BECOME A CONCERN BY AFTERNOON...PARTICUARLY ACROSS THE
OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE AND THE NORTHWEST PORTION OF THE TEXAS PANHANDLE.
STEEP LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND MOISTURE SHOULD RESULT IN A DIURNAL
UPSWING IN COVERAGE OF CONVECTIVE RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS PRIMARILY
THE EASTERN HALF OF THE AREA. THIS IS SUPPORTED BY CONVECTION
ALLOWING GUIDANCE / HIGH RESOLUTION MODELS. INDIVIDUAL CONVECTIVE
SHOWERS COULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED HIGHER GUSTS EVEN OUTSIDE OF THE HIGH
WIND WARNING AND WIND ADVISORY.
FOR THE MID RANGE AND EXTENDED PERIODS AN ACTIVE SYNOPTIC SCALE
PATTERN WILL CONTINUE WITH PERIODIC WAVES TRAVERSING THE
REGION...THE STRONGEST OF WHICH WILL APPROACH THE AREA CHRISTMAS
DAY. PRECEEDING THIS SYSTEM UNSEASONABLY WARM AND WINDY CONDITIONS
WILL OCCUR. BY EARLY FRIDAY A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH BRINGING
MUCH COOLER CONDITIONS. LIMITED MOISTURE SHOULD RESULT IN A DRY
FRONTAL PASSAGE. MEDIUM RANGE MODELS ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT ON THE
PATTERN INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. A LONG WAVE POSITIVELY TILTED TROUGH
WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE CENTRAL CONUS BY MONDAY WITH FAST DEEP
WESTERLY FLOW ACROSS OUR REGION. BY LATE MONDAY OR TUESDAY AS ASCENT
FROM THE APPROACHING TROUGH AXIS NEARS AND MODEST MOISTURE RETURN
OCCURS...PRECIPITATION WILL BE POSSIBLE.
BRB
FIRE WEATHER...
DOWNSLOPING SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL RESULT IN UNSEASONABLY WARM
TEMPERATURES ON THURSDAY. COINCIDENTALLY RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES
MAY FALL BELOW 20 PERCENT ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA
PANHANDLES. 20 FOOT WINDS FROM THE SOUTHWEST WILL LIKELY EXCEED 15
MPH. THIS COMBINATION OF LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND GUSTY SOUTHWEST
WINDS WOULD RESULT IN ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS DEPENDING ON
THE STATUS OF FUELS. SOME UNCERTAINTY EXISTS SINCE THERE IS SOME
POTENTIAL FOR THICK CIRUSS TO LIMIT HEATING AND KEEP RELATIVE
HUMIDITY VALUES FROM FALLING TO CRITICAL LEVELS.
BRB
PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1111 PM CST MON DEC 22 2014/
AVIATION...
SOME LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS MAY STILL PASS OVER THE DHT TAF SITE EARLY
THIS MORNING. CIGS AND VISBYS MAY DROP INTO THE MVFR RANGE WITH THESE
SNOW SHOWERS. AMA AND GUY SHOULD REMAIN VFR THROUGH THE NIGHT. STRONG
NORTHERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP BY MID TO LATE MORNING. WINDS WILL
LIKELY GUST ABOVE 40 KNOTS AT ALL SITES. AN AVIATION WEATHER WARNING
MAY BE NEEDED FOR THE AMA TAF SITE. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE
TUESDAY EVENING. WRAP AROUND MOISTURE WILL SPILL SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE
TAF SITES DURING THE DAY ON TUESDAY...BUT STILL THINK CIGS WILL
REMAIN VFR.
&&
.AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: ARMSTRONG...CARSON...GRAY...HANSFORD...HUTCHINSON...
OCHILTREE...ROBERTS.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: DALLAM...DEAF SMITH...HARTLEY...MOORE...OLDHAM...
POTTER...RANDALL...SHERMAN.
OK...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: BEAVER.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: CIMARRON...TEXAS.
&&
09/08HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 1254 PM CST TUE DEC 23 2014 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-241200- CIMARRON-TEXAS-BEAVER-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB- HARTLEY-MOORE-HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON- GRAY-WHEELER-DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH- 1254 PM CST TUE DEC 23 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NORTH NORTHWEST WINDS BETWEEN 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS ABOVE 50 MPH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING ACROSS MOST OF THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE ACROSS THE WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE PANHANDLES...WHERE GUSTS COULD REACH 60 MPH. WINDS THIS STRONG WILL RESULT IN AREAS OF BLOWING DUSTS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE ON CHRISTMAS AFTERNOON AS BREEZY SOUTHWEST WINDS COMBINE WITH LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR LIGHT SNOW FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. IT REMAINS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE IF ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1127 AM CST TUE DEC 23 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1055 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 W DUMAS 35.86N 102.01W
12/23/2014 M63 MPH MOORE TX AWOS
&&
EVENT NUMBER AMA1400747
TASPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1129 AM CST TUE DEC 23 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1018 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 NE LAKE TANGLEWOOD 35.08N 101.75W
12/23/2014 M59 MPH RANDALL TX BROADCAST MEDIA
&&
EVENT NUMBER AMA1400748
TASPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1157 AM CST TUE DEC 23 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1150 AM HIGH SUST WINDS 2 NE LAKE TANGLEWOOD 35.08N 101.75W
12/23/2014 M50 MPH RANDALL TX BROADCAST MEDIA
&&
EVENT NUMBER AMA1400749
BJSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1159 AM CST TUE DEC 23 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1153 AM HIGH SUST WINDS 3 NNE UMBARGER 34.99N 102.08W
12/23/2014 M41 MPH RANDALL TX MESONET
&&
EVENT NUMBER AMA1400750
BJSThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A 41 mph sustained wind was measured at the Oklahoma Mesonet site located 3 miles south-southeast of Boise City at 2:00 PM CST. A wind gust of 56 mph was also recorded.
A 43 mph sustained wind was measured at the Oklahoma Mesonet site located 2 miles east of Goodwell at 2:00 PM CST. A wind gust of 56 mph was also recorded.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oklahoma in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, December 2014
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: 550319, 550320.