October saw below normal precipitation for much of the Texas Panhandle, though several episodes of rainfall did keep moisture in the Panhandle throughout the month. Most areas measured at least half an inch during the month, with scattered areas measuring as much as 4 to 5 inches.
Every event with a place to put it; 16 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.
October saw below normal precipitation for much of the Texas Panhandle, though several episodes of rainfall did keep moisture in the Panhandle throughout the month. Most areas measured at least half an inch during the month, with scattered areas measuring as much as 4 to 5 inches. Extreme (D3) Drought remained along a line from east of Dalhart to near Clarendon and in the extreme northeastern Panhandle. The southwestern Texas Panhandle remained a mix of Abnormally Dry (D0) to Moderate (D1) Drought conditions following rain from September and October, and areas surrounding Perryton improved to Moderate (D1) Drought conditions during October. Otherwise, the remainder of the Panhandles were rated at Severe (D2) Drought conditions. Amarillo recorded 1.08 inches of precipitation for the month (0.58 inches below normal), Dalhart recorded 1.01 inches of precipitation (0.46 inches below normal), and Borger recorded 0.85 inches of precipitation (0.87 inches below normal).
Soil moisture was rated mostly short to adequate during the month. Crops fared well during the month, and some development was even limited by too much rain and cloudiness. Rangeland and pasture continued to improve in some areas, but cattle herd sizes remained limited due to prolonged drought. Upper soil zones were mostly in the 10 to 30 percent full range, with locations in the western Panhandle generally drier. Deeper soil moisture was still below normal in much of the Texas Panhandle, but values were estimated to be greater than 150 percent of normal where rainfall had been most frequent over the previous few months. The Palmer Drought Severity Index indicated a rating of Moderate Drought to Near Normal conditions for the Texas Panhandle. Countywide burn bans were supported in several counties.
Stream flows across the Texas Panhandle ranged from near normal to below normal during October. The reservoirs of Lake Meredith and Palo Duro were near 5 percent and 2 percent capacity respectively, and Greenbelt Lake was below 13 percent capacity. Water watches for several public water systems persisted through October while voluntary to mandatory mild water restrictions were continued.
Economic losses due to the drought through October were predominantly the result of supplemental watering in the driest areas 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 Sep 30, 9:31 PM CST, 2 hours 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 1031 PM CDT TUE SEP 30 2014 .AVIATION... 06Z TAF CYCLE VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AT ALL THREE TAF SITES THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY. LIGHT SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST WINDS 5 TO 10 KNOTS OR LESS WILL BECOME NORTHWEST AND NORTH 5 TO 15 KNOTS AROUND 10Z TO 12Z WEDNESDAY AT THE GUYMON AND DALHART TAF SITES AFTER A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH...AND NORTHWEST TO NORTH 5 TO 15 KNOTS AT THE AMARILLO TAF SITE AROUND 12Z TO 14Z WEDNESDAY AFTER THE WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH. THE WINDS WILL VEER BACK AROUND TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST 5 TO 15 KNOTS AFTER 19Z TO 21Z WEDNESDAY AT ALL THREE TAF SITES. A MUCH STRONGER COLD FRONT IS THEN EXPECTED TO PUSH THROUGH THE DALHART AND POSSIBLY THE GUYMON TAF SITES BETWEEN 03Z AND 06Z THURSDAY SHIFTING THE WINDS BECK TO THE NORTH AND INCREASING TO AROUND 20 TO 30 KNOTS WITH GUSTS NEAR 35 KNOTS. THE STRONGER COLD FRONT IS THEN EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE AMARILLO TAF SITE SHORTLY AFTER THE TAF FORECAST PERIOD ENDS AT 06Z THURSDAY...OR LATER WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SCHNEIDER && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 636 PM CDT TUE SEP 30 2014/ AVIATION... 00Z TAF CYCLE VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE AT ALL THREE TAF SITES THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE DALHART AND GUYMON TAF SITES AROUND 10Z TO 12Z WEDNESDAY SHIFTING THE SOUTHWEST WINDS 5 TO 15 KNOTS OR LESS TO THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH. SOUTHWEST WINDS AT THE AMARILLO TAF SITE 5 TO 15 KNOTS OR LESS WILL ALSO SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH AROUND 13Z TO 15Z WEDNESDAY. SCHNEIDER PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 359 PM CDT TUE SEP 30 2014/ DISCUSSION... THE UPPER-LEVEL LOW WHICH PASSED BY YESTERDAY IS NOW LIFTING INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST...WITH A FEW WEAKER DISTURBANCES RIDING AROUND THE EDGES OF A WESTERN CONUS UPPER TROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. A SURFACE TROUGH IS STRETCHED NORTH-SOUTH ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE PANHANDLES...WITH DEW POINTS IN THE UPPER 30S WEST OF IT AND IN THE LOW 60S TO THE EAST. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS IN THE FAR EASTERN PANHANDLES THIS EVENING/TONIGHT WITH MODEST INSTABILITY AND SHEAR EXPECTED AS A WEAK DISTURBANCE APPROACHES FROM THE WEST THIS EVENING. A FEW STORMS COULD BE STRONG...WITH SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS POSSIBLE. ANY STORMY WEATHER SHOULD BE EAST OF THE PANHANDLES BY LATE TONIGHT...AND FOCUS THEN TURNS TOWARD A STRONG COLD FRONT NEARING THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE BY LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THIS FRONT WILL BE USHERED IN BY THE NEXT SHORTWAVE TROUGH DIGGING INTO THE PLAINS. IT LOOKS TO BE ON A SPEEDY PACE WHEN IT ARRIVES IN THE PANHANDLES...WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE LIKELY THROUGH AMARILLO BY 12Z THURSDAY. AS WITH MANY OF THESE COLD FRONTS...MOS GUIDANCE APPEARS TO UNDER-FORECAST WIND SPEEDS. THEREFORE THIS FORECAST LEANS MORE TOWARD THE RAW MODEL WINDS NEAR 20-25 KTS WITH AND BEHIND THE FRONT. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SUGGEST GUSTS COULD NEAR 30-35 KTS THURSDAY. THE FRONT SHOULD BE GOOD TO KNOCK TEMPERATURES DOWN ABOUT 15 DEGREES FROM RECENT DAYS...BUT WILL CARRY VERY LITTLE CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION. IN THE OK PANHANDLE AND FAR NORTHERN TX PANHANDLE...COULD SEE A FEW LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS WITH CLOSER PROXIMITY TO THE UPPER FORCING. AFTER THE COLD FRONT THURSDAY...MOSTLY QUIET WEATHER EXPECTED THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. IT SHOULD BE A PLEASANT AUTUMNAL WEEKEND...WITH HIGHS WARMING BACK INTO THE UPPER 70S/LOW 80S AND MIN TEMPS MOSTLY IN THE 50S. A WEAK COLD FRONT COULD EDGE INTO THE AREA ON SUNDAY...MINUS THE STRONG WINDS THIS TIME. A PATTERN CHANGE FROM NORTHWEST FLOW TO ZONAL FLOW ALOFT MAY BE AHEAD FOR THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...SO STAY TUNED FOR WHAT THAT MAY BRING IN THE DAYS AHEAD. NF FIRE WEATHER... A FEW AREAS ACROSS THE WESTERN PANHANDLES COULD SEE RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES DIP BELOW 20 PERCENT TODAY AND TOMORROW...BUT FOLLOWING RECENT RAINFALL NO ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. NF && .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. OK...NONE. && 11/08
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 900 PM CDT TUE SEP 30 2014 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-011100- CIMARRON-TEXAS-BEAVER-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB- HARTLEY-MOORE-HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON- GRAY-WHEELER-DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH- 900 PM CDT TUE SEP 30 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE EXTREME EASTERN TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES THIS EVENING. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BE STRONG WITH SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH THE PRIMARY THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. AS A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHES SOUTH THROUGH THE PANHANDLES ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY...WINDS COULD NEAR WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. SCHNEIDER
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 1003 PM CDT TUE SEP 30 2014 TXZ015-020-010400- COLLINGSWORTH TX-WHEELER TX- 1003 PM CDT TUE SEP 30 2014 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR COLLINGSWORTH AND EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN WHEELER COUNTIES UNTIL 1100 PM CDT... AT 1000 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF WELLINGTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... WELLINGTON... LUTIE... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. LAT...LON 3481 10030 3496 10041 3521 10000 3494 10000 TIME...MOT...LOC 0304Z 238DEG 17KT 3494 10026 SCHNEIDER
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
16 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
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.
Extreme Drought (D3) 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.
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.
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, October 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: 546713, 546714, 546715, 546717, 546718, 546719, 546720, 546721, 546722, 546723, 546724, 546725, 546726, 546727, 546728, 546729.