A weak upper level trough with embedded vort max and surface boundary moved southeast from NM/CO across the Panhandles. In this low CAPE, high shear environment, storms that formed along the surface boundary moved southeast across the Panhandles formed into a line.
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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.
A weak upper level trough with embedded vort max and surface boundary moved southeast from NM/CO across the Panhandles. In this low CAPE, high shear environment, storms that formed along the surface boundary moved southeast across the Panhandles formed into a line. These storms main weather impact was severe wind gusts with a few damage reports.
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 Jul 15, 1:48 PM CST, 2 hours 1 minute earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Amarillo TX 248 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2016 .SHORT TERM... A s/wv across CO will move around the mid level high center positioned across the Desert SW and across the Panhandles late this aftn and evening. Anticipate convective development across mountains to the NW and also outflow boundary to the north across SW KS during the mid-late afternoon. Models suggest good h85-H7 theta-e recovery this afternoon after some depletion from yesterdays storms and NAM12 shows ML cape ranging from 1500 j/kg to near 2500 j/kg area wide by late afternoon. 50 kt NW upper flow assoc w/ jet exit will help elevate shear values and also should help push along storms to SE with more consistent storm motions that what we saw yesterday. 0-6 km bulk shear is forecast to reach 35-45 kts across the region by 00z. Anticipate isold to sct discrete cells initially across the region and this will likely provide the best hail potential for this event (highest in northern areas), but mesoscale models suggest more potential for mcs to develop originating from the aforementioned areas to NW and N which suggests more of a wind threat later in the event as storm complexes converge on the Panhandles. SPC has spread the slight risk for severe storms to include the entire Panhandles area and even clips ern OK Panhandle zones with an enhanced risk as this is most likely area to be impacted by significant MCS from the north. The NE areas are also clipped by a 2% tornado risk. High LCLs should be a mitigating factor for tornado development. .LONG TERM... Models in good agreement on upper wave moving east of area by 12z Sat morning. Our far southeastern zones could see some lingering showers and storms early Saturday, but clouds should be clearing out between 15z and 18z as wave pushes east. The rest of the weekend looks to be mostly dry and hot as ridge builds in further north and east. GFS and Euro show 597 dam ridge centered over central OK by early next week. Temps will be into the triple digits or nearly triple digits for most areas from Sunday and most days next week depending on how much backing of sfc winds can be achieved. A very weak shortwave is progged to clip our far northwestern zones Monday... so kept slight pops there. Otherwise expect dry conditions to persist. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Amarillo TX 68 98 72 101 72 / 50 10 0 0 0 Beaver OK 68 99 75 103 73 / 70 20 0 5 0 Boise City OK 65 99 70 100 70 / 60 10 0 10 5 Borger TX 71 101 76 103 75 / 70 10 0 0 0 Boys Ranch TX 69 102 73 105 73 / 50 10 0 0 0 Canyon TX 69 99 72 101 71 / 50 10 0 0 0 Clarendon TX 69 99 72 100 72 / 60 10 0 0 0 Dalhart TX 65 101 70 104 69 / 50 10 0 5 5 Guymon OK 68 101 74 105 73 / 70 10 0 5 5 Hereford TX 69 101 71 103 70 / 40 10 0 0 0 Lipscomb TX 68 97 74 100 74 / 70 10 0 0 0 Pampa TX 68 97 72 99 72 / 70 10 0 0 0 Shamrock TX 70 99 74 100 73 / 60 5 0 0 0 Wellington TX 72 100 74 102 74 / 60 5 0 0 0 && AVIATION... Not much change to make to the previous 12Z discussion. Current observations show mostly clear skies across the panhandles. Some light showers across the far western OK panhandle may retrograde south close to KDHT for a few clouds to make it over NW TX. Otherwise, the best chances of some showers and thunderstorms will occur after 21Z Friday through the around 03z Saturday from NW to SE associated with a thunderstorm complex. VFR conditions are expected to start the TAF period with MVFR conditions possible with the heavier showers and thunderstorms to move over the TAF sites. In the wake of the thunderstorm complex to move through the region, some lower ceilings and residual BR conditions are expected during the over night hours which may linger some MVFR conditions at times. As high pressure builds into the region after 12Z Saturday, SKC skies and VFR conditions will return to the region through the end of the TAF period. && .AMA Watches/Warnings/Advisories... TX...None. OK...None. && 29/7
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 252 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2016 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-160800- CIMARRON-TEXAS-BEAVER-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB- HARTLEY-MOORE-HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON- GRAY-WHEELER-DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH- 252 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. A FEW STORMS COULD BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT ALONG WITH TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS IN THE MORE INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE SATURDAY MORNING WHILE AN ISOLATED STRONG STORM CAN NOT BE RULED OUT...WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 415 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2016 OKZ001-152145- CIMARRON OK- 415 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2016 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN CIMARRON COUNTY UNTIL 445 PM CDT... AT 415 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 12 MILES NORTHWEST OF KEYES...OR 17 MILES NORTHEAST OF BOISE CITY...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. HALF INCH HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 55 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM WILL REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTHEASTERN CIMARRON COUNTY. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. && LAT...LON 3699 10214 3688 10213 3689 10253 3699 10252 TIME...MOT...LOC 2115Z 257DEG 17KT 3696 10237 WARD/BRB
The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 188 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:49 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Late report...tree branches up to four inch in diameter were snapped.
Semi truck blown over on Highway 412 west of Route 23.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oklahoma in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, July 2016
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: 653021, 653022, 653023, 653024, 653025, 653026.