The month of February was another dry month for the Texas Panhandle, with the most notable precipitation event being a band of early February snow that fell mostly in the southern Texas Panhandle. Short term precipitation deficits worsened especially in the eastern Panhandle, increasing the coverage of Severe drought in that area.
Every event with a place to put it; 15 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.
The month of February was another dry month for the Texas Panhandle, with the most notable precipitation event being a band of early February snow that fell mostly in the southern Texas Panhandle. Short term precipitation deficits worsened especially in the eastern Panhandle, increasing the coverage of Severe drought in that area. Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3) Drought conditions continued in the western Texas Panhandle. A small area of Extreme (D4) Drought conditions remained in the central Texas Panhandle, with some improvement seen in this area after the February snowfall. Parts of the northeast Texas Panhandle remained below Severe (D2) Drought rating. Amarillo recorded 0.36 inches of precipitation for the month (0.20 inches below normal), Dalhart recorded 0.08 inches of precipitation (0.32 inches below normal), and Borger recorded 0.31 inches of precipitation (0.31 inches below normal).
Winter wheat struggled under the cold and dry weather pattern, with drought-stressed wheat facing temperatures that were 2 to 4 degrees cooler than normal. Soil moisture was rated mostly short to very short by month's end, and center pivots were being used to water some wheat. Stocker cattle placement was limited due to the poorly performing wheat planted for grazing, according to the Texas A&M Agrilife Program. The poor health of range and pasture land lead to concerns for blowing dust if strong winds occurred. Upper soil zones remained drier than normal in the Texas Panhandle but were driest across the eastern parts. Deeper soil zones ranged from less than 30 to around 50 percent of normal in the western Texas Panhandle, but values of 70 to 90 percent of normal were scattered across the eastern Texas Panhandle. The Palmer Drought Severity Index improved slightly to a rating of Moderate Drought conditions for the Texas Panhandle. Countywide burn bans were supported in most counties.
Stream flows across the majority of the Panhandle were at below normal to much below normal levels, causing Moderate to Severe Hydrologic Drought especially in the southern Texas Panhandle. The reservoirs of Palo Duro and Greenbelt Lake were below 5 percent and 15 percent capacity respectively, and Lake Meredith was at zero percent capacity. Water watches for several public water systems persisted through February while voluntary to mandatory mild water restrictions have been enacted.
Economic losses due to the drought through February were predominately the result of supplemental watering, winter wheat losses, reduction of cattle herd sizes, and supplemental feed for cattle on drought-thinned rangeland and pastures.
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 Jan 31, 11:00 PM CST, 1 hour earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 1100 PM CST FRI JAN 31 2014 .AVIATION... LOW CLOUDS IN THE MVFR RANGE OVER THE CENTRAL OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE WILL PUSH SOUTHWEST OVER THE DHT TAF SITE BY 09Z. SOME LOW CLOUDS MAY MAKE A RUN AT THE AMA TAF SITE...BUT ONLY PUT IN A SCT MVFR GROUP AS CONFIDENCE IS NOT VERY HIGH ON LOW CLOUDS AT AMA. LOW CLOUDS SHOULD THEN DISSIPATE BY MID MORNING. ANY PRECIP TONIGHT WILL REMAIN EAST OF THE TAF SITES. NORTHEAST WINDS MAY PICK UP INTO THE 10 TO 15 KNOT RANGE AFTER SUNRISE ON SATURDAY. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THAT ANY MORE PRECIP WILL HOLD OFF UNTIL AFTER 06Z SUNDAY. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 611 PM CST FRI JAN 31 2014/ UPDATE... UPDATED FOR 00Z AVIATION DISCUSSION. AVIATION.../00Z TAFS/ KAMA...GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. CONFIDENCE IS TOO LOW TO INCLUDE MVFR CEILINGS AT THIS POINT...ALTHOUGH IF THEY DID DEVELOP...IT WOULD BE BETWEEN 10Z- 15Z. FOR KGUY AND KDHT...CONFIDENCE IS MUCH HIGHER THAT MVFR CEILINGS WILL DEVELOP THROUGH 15Z AS MVFR CEILINGS ARE ALREADY NEARBY ACROSS SW KANSAS AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA. BRIEF WINTRY PRECIPITATION MAY OCCUR THROUGH 12Z ALTHOUGH BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE TOO ISOLATED AND RATHER LIGHT TO MENTION IN THE TAF AT THIS TIME. KNS DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 338 PM CST FRI JAN 31 2014/ THE ANNOYING COLD FRONT IS CURRENTLY SOUTH OF THE AREA NEAR LUBBOCK AND WITH IT TEMPERATURES TODAY HAVE BEEN CONSIDERABLY COLDER THAN PREVIOUSLY FORECASTED. MOST LOCATIONS IN THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE STRUGGLED TO REACH THE THIRTIES WHILE SOME ARE CURRENTLY BELOW FREEZING. AS POINTED OUT IN PREVIOUS UPDATE...CUMULUS IS SPOTTED DEVELOPING ON VISIBLE SATELLITE IN NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO HEADING TOWARDS THE PANHANDLES. WILL HAVE TO KEEP A CAREFUL EYE ON THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE AND NORTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE TONIGHT AS OUR FIRST CHANCE OF WINTER WEATHER ARRIVES. LOOKING AT FORECAST SOUNDINGS A WARM LAYER OFF THE SURFACE LOOKS TO BE DEEP ENOUGH TO SUPPORT FREEZING RAIN OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. HI RES MODELS ALSO ARE COMING INTO AGREEMENT WITH THIS AS WELL...AMOUNTS LOOK TO BE LESS THAN 0.05 INCHES OF ICE AND IF IT SWITCHES OVER TO SNOW IT SHOULD BE LESS THAN AN INCH ACROSS THE NORTH. WE TAKE A BIT OF A BREAK ON SATURDAY AS THE SYSTEM OFF TO OUR WEST MOVES CLOSER AND THE PANHANDLES GETS DRY SLOTTED. LOOKS LIKE SOME OF THE BEST CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS WILL OCCUR OVERNIGHT SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. AS THE OPEN WAVE MOVES CLOSER TO US THERE IS A BIT MORE LIFT TO WORK WITH. HOWEVER WILL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON DRY AIR MOVING IN FROM THE NORTHEAST WHICH MIGHT HINDER PRECIP CHANCES AS THE MORNING WEARS ON. STILL THINK AREAS BETWEEN LUBBOCK TO WICHITA FALLS TO DALLAS HAVE SOME OF THE BEST CHANCES TO SEE WINTER PRECIPITATION. SINCE THE SYSTEM LOOKS TO BE MOVING RELATIVELY QUICKLY LOOKS LIKE THE PANHANDLES SHOULD MISS MOST OF THE PRECIP...HOWEVER IF WE DO SEE ANY LOOKS TO BE IN THE FORM OF SNOW TOWARDS THE SOUTHEAST AND LESS THAN AN INCH. MONDAY LOOKS QUIETER AS THE PANHANDLES ARE BETWEEN TWO SYSTEMS. TUESDAY LOOKS MORE INTERESTING AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVES CLOSER TO THE AREA AND THIS SYSTEM HAS MORE MOISTURE TO WORK WITH. THINK THE HEAVIEST PRECIP WILL BE IN THE MAIN BODY OF OKLAHOMA BUT ITS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION SOME PLACES IN THE PANHANDLES COULD SEE 2 INCHES OF SNOW. ALSO OF CONCERN ON TUESDAY IS WINDS BEHIND A FRONT PICK UP AND COULD LEAD TO BLOWING SNOW. WILL HAVE TO SEE IF THE WINDS AND SNOW HAPPEN AT THE SAME TIME BUT WILL DEFINITELY KEEP AN EYE ON IT AS EVEN WITH POTENTIAL WINDS AT 20 TO 30 MPH AND LIGHT SNOW CAN STILL LEAD TO PROBLEMS WITH TRAVELING. ANOTHER QUIETER DAY AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY AS WE HOPSCOTCH BETWEEN SYSTEMS. STILL CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY WITH THIS SYSTEM THIS FAR OUT...BUT MODELS HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY HINTING THAT WINTER WEATHER COULD BE IN THE AREA ON THURSDAY. GFS AND EURO ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER WITH THE GFS BEING SLOWER AND DRIER WHILE THE EURO IS FASTER AND WETTER. RIGHT NOW I AM HEDGING MY BET TOWARDS THE EURO BUT WILL WAIT AND SEE WHAT MODEL DOES BETTER WITH THE TWO SYSTEMS ON SUNDAY AND TUESDAY AND WILL PROBABLY TREND THE FORECAST TOWARDS THAT MODEL. MOULTON FIRE WEATHER... COLD FRONT IS STILL SITUATED SOUTH OF THE AREA AND WITH IT LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AND HIGHER WINDS ARE SOUTH OF THE AREA AS WELL. NO ELEVATED OR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL REMAIN ABOVE 20 PERCENT. && .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. OK...NONE. && 15/17
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 343 PM CST FRI JAN 31 2014 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-010900- CIMARRON-TEXAS-BEAVER-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB- HARTLEY-MOORE-HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON- GRAY-WHEELER-DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH- 343 PM CST FRI JAN 31 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR LIGHT SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN OVER THE OKLAHOMA AND THE NORTHERN AND TEXAS PANHANDLES TONIGHT. ACCUMULATIONS OF A DUSTING TO LESS THAN AN INCH OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE AND ACCUMULATIONS OF LESS THAN 0.05 INCHES OF FREEZING RAIN ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. SNOW WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY ACROSS MOST OF THE OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES. ANY ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LES THAN TWO INCHES. SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. IT REMAINS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE IF THERE WILL BE ANY ACCUMULATIONS WITH THIS ROUND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
15 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Extreme Drought (D3) as depicted on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Severe Drought (D2) as depicted on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Severe Drought (D2) as depicted on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Extreme Drought (D3) as depicted on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Extreme Drought (D3) as depicted on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Severe Drought (D2) as depicted on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Severe Drought (D2) as depicted on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Extreme Drought (D3) as depicted on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Extreme Drought (D3) as depicted on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Severe Drought (D2) as depicted on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Severe Drought (D2) as depicted on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Extreme Drought (D3) as depicted on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Severe Drought (D2) as depicted on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Severe Drought (D2) as depicted on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Severe Drought (D2) as depicted on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, February 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: 504633, 504634, 504635, 504636, 504637, 504638, 504639, 504640, 504641, 504642, 504643, 504644, 504645, 504646, 504647.