Thunderstorms formed across the southeast Texas Panhandle during the late afternoon of the 20th and continued into the evening hours. These thunderstorms brought large hail and damaging winds to the Lelia Lake and McLean area.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
Thunderstorms formed across the southeast Texas Panhandle during the late afternoon of the 20th and continued into the evening hours. These thunderstorms brought large hail and damaging winds to the Lelia Lake and McLean area.
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 20, 3:18 PM CST, 1 hour 17 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 418 PM CDT SUN SEP 20 2015 .DISCUSSION... CONVECTION FIRING THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE EASTERN PANHANDLES ALONG A NARROW CORRIDOR OF INSTABILITY. DEWPOINTS IN THE LOW 60S BROUGHT IN BY SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS REMAIN MOSTLY IN THE FAR EASTERN COUNTIES AS STRONG WESTERLY WINDS HAVE BROUGHT DRIER AIR AND WARMER TEMPERATURES FURTHER EAST. THIS BROAD AREA OF SURFACE CONVERGENCE COMBINED WITH A WEAK SHORTWAVE APPEAR TO BE ENOUGH TO GET THINGS ROLLING...THOUGH WATER VAPOR SHOWS DRY AIR INVADING FROM THE NORTHWEST. PWAT VALUES OF 1 TO 1.50 INCHES WOULD SUPPORT SOME HEAVY DOWNPOURS...AND SOME STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE AS BULK SHEAR VALUES INCREASE TO 30 TO NEAR 40KTS THIS EVENING IN VEERING WIND PROFILES. MAIN THREAT APPEARS TO BE DAMAGING WINDS...THOUGH A FAIR AMOUNT OF CAPE EXISTS IN THE HAIL GROWTH ZONES THIS AFTERNOON FOR SOME OF THE BETTER ORGANIZED UPDRAFTS DURING PEAK HEATING AND HIGHEST INSTABILITY. AS SUBSIDENCE BUILDS IN LATER TONIGHT...THE THREAT FOR CONVECTION CEASES AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BUILDS IN FROM THE WEST FOR MONDAY AND CONTINUES THE WARMER TEMPERATURES FROM TODAY. FORECAST CONFIDENCE DECREASES SOME AFTER TUESDAY AS THE PROGRESSION OF AN UPPER LEVEL LOW IN THE PACIFIC EJECTS EASTWARD ACROSS THE FOUR CORNERS REGION AND SHIFTS THE RIDGE AXIS EAST. MODELS ARE STILL STRUGGLING WITH HOW THE SYSTEM EVOLVES...IF THE CLOSED LOW OPENS UP INTO A BROAD TROUGH OR REMAINS SOMEWHAT MORE CLOSED AND SLOWLY TRACKS ACROSS THE PLAINS. HAVE SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE POPS BEGINNING ON TUESDAY NIGHT...THOUGH CONFIDENCE IS NOT PARTICULARLY HIGH IN WIDESPREAD HIGH VALUES OF PRECIPITATION AT THIS TIME. ELSENHEIMER && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AMARILLO TX 88 64 91 65 86 / 20 10 0 5 5 BEAVER OK 85 63 94 66 92 / 20 20 0 5 5 BOISE CITY OK 85 58 92 61 84 / 10 0 0 5 20 BORGER TX 89 68 93 69 89 / 30 10 5 5 5 BOYS RANCH TX 89 64 94 66 86 / 20 10 5 5 20 CANYON TX 88 62 92 64 86 / 20 10 0 5 5 CLARENDON TX 86 64 92 67 90 / 50 20 0 5 5 DALHART TX 87 61 93 62 85 / 10 5 5 5 20 GUYMON OK 87 62 94 65 89 / 20 5 0 5 10 HEREFORD TX 86 63 91 65 85 / 10 10 5 5 10 LIPSCOMB TX 84 65 93 67 91 / 30 20 0 5 5 PAMPA TX 86 65 91 67 89 / 30 20 0 5 5 SHAMROCK TX 83 64 92 66 91 / 30 20 0 5 5 WELLINGTON TX 85 64 93 66 92 / 50 20 0 5 5 && .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. OK...NONE. && 11/18
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 331 PM CDT SUN SEP 20 2015 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-210845- CIMARRON-TEXAS-BEAVER-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB- HARTLEY-MOORE-HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON- GRAY-WHEELER-DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH- 331 PM CDT SUN SEP 20 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. A FEW STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE WITH WIND GUSTS NEAR 60 MPH AND HAIL UP TO QUARTER SIZE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL RETURN ACROSS THE WESTERN TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES LATE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT...AND ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 402 PM CDT SUN SEP 20 2015 TXZ014-015-202145- WHEELER TX-GRAY TX- 402 PM CDT SUN SEP 20 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN WHEELER AND NORTHEASTERN GRAY COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM CDT... AT 400 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES WEST OF NEW MOBEETIE...OR 11 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MIAMI...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 55 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... BRISCOE...WHEELER...NEW MOBEETIE AND MOBEETIE. THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO 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 3542 10027 3541 10071 3562 10078 3562 10026 TIME...MOT...LOC 2100Z 259DEG 32KT 3554 10055 ANDRADE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 447 PM CDT SUN SEP 20 2015 TXZ014-015-202230- WHEELER TX-GRAY TX- 447 PM CDT SUN SEP 20 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN WHEELER AND EASTERN GRAY COUNTIES UNTIL 530 PM CDT... AT 446 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR KELLERVILLE...OR 18 MILES NORTHWEST OF SHAMROCK...MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 55 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... NEW MOBEETIE...KELLERVILLE AND MOBEETIE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. && LAT...LON 3525 10027 3525 10068 3558 10062 3556 10029 TIME...MOT...LOC 2146Z 303DEG 23KT 3539 10050 ANDRADE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 450 PM CDT SUN SEP 20 2015 TXZ013-018-202230- CARSON TX-ARMSTRONG TX- 450 PM CDT SUN SEP 20 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN CARSON AND NORTHEASTERN ARMSTRONG COUNTIES UNTIL 530 PM CDT... AT 449 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR PANHANDLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... GROOM. THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO 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 3514 10141 3534 10142 3533 10109 3502 10109 TIME...MOT...LOC 2149Z 299DEG 14KT 3530 10137 ANDRADE
The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 105 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:35 UTC.
3 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trained storm spotters reported wind gusts up to 60 mph 4 miles northeast of McLean.
Golf ball size hail occurred 8 miles north of McLean.
Nickel size hail occurred one mile east of Alanreed.
Half dollar size hail occurred in McLean.
A metal roof was torn off of a home and wind damage to power poles and trees was reported on County Road 22, 4 miles northeast of Lelia Lake.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, September 2015
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: 602351, 602347, 602348, 602349, 602350.