Thunderstorms formed in the western Texas Panhandle during the afternoon of the 28th and moved east across the Texas Panhandle through the afternoon and evening hours. The storms occurred in an environment characterized by sufficient shear and instability to allow them to become severe.
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 in the western Texas Panhandle during the afternoon of the 28th and moved east across the Texas Panhandle through the afternoon and evening hours. The storms occurred in an environment characterized by sufficient shear and instability to allow them to become severe. Several locations that were impacted by these storms received large hail. Isolated strong damaging winds were reported. The largest hail broke windshields south of Perryton, and was near 2 in diameter.
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 Apr 28, 3:43 PM CST, 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 443 PM CDT THU APR 28 2016 .DISCUSSION... MESOSCALE UPDATE... CONVECTION HAS FORMED WITHIN THE LOW-LEVEL THETA-E AXIS ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST TEXAS PANHANDLE EXTENDING SOUTHWARD ALONG THE I-27 CORRIDOR. EARLIER THINKING HAS CHANGED LITTLE. CONVECTION SHOULD CONTINUE TO INTENSIFY OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS IN A MODESTLY UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT (1000-1500 MLCAPE ON MESOANALYSIS). EFFECTIVE SHEAR IS MORE THAN SUFFICIENT (50-55 KNOTS) FOR STORM ORGANIZATION INCLUDING SUPERCELLS. HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT BUT DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WILL BE POSSIBLE GIVEN WELL MIXED BOUNDARY LAYER BUT THIS THREAT SHOULD SUBSIDE BY MID EVENING AS BOUNDARY LAYER STABILIZES. THE WINDOW FOR A BRIEF ISOLATED TORNADO WOULD MOST LIKELY BE BETWEEN ABOUT 6 PM AND 10 PM WHEN THE LOW LEVEL JET STRENGTHENS AND 0-1 KM HELICITY INCREASES TO AROUND 150-200 M2/S2...BUT BEFORE THE BOUNDARY LAYER BEGINS TO STABILIZE. AFTERWARDS THE THREAT WILL PRIMARILY BE MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL LASTING FROM LATE EVENING THROUGH MUCH OF THE NIGHT AS CONVECTION MOVES NORTH OF THE STATIONARY FRONT AND BECOMES INCREASINGLY ELEVATED. A PEAK AT WHAT IS IN SO FAR FROM THE SPECIAL 21Z SOUNDING REVEALS FAIRLY UNIDIRECTIONAL SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW IN THE LOWEST 1.5 KM WITH SUBSTANTIAL VEERING ABOVE THIS YIELDING 0-3KM SRH VALUES OF AROUND 150 M2/S2. A MORE SUBSTANTIAL TORNADO THREAT WILL BE LIMITED BY LACK OF SIGNIFICANT TURNING IN A SHALLOWER NEAR-SURFACE LAYER AS WELL AS STRONGER LOW LEVEL SPEED SHEAR AND MARGINAL LCL HEIGHTS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR TRENDS IN THE VWP AND MODIFY THE SOUNDING AS SURFACE OBS CHANGE/MOISTURE INCREASES. ALSO NOTED IN THE FIRST GLANCE OF THE SOUNDING IS THAT 100 MB ML PARCELS REMAINED SLIGHTLY CAPPED. THIS CAN BE EASILY BE OVERCOME WITH LOW LEVEL MOISTENING OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. WE WILL UPDATE WITH ANY PERTINENT INFORMATION FROM THE COMPLETED 21Z SOUNDING AND/OR OTHER OBSERVATIONAL DATA AS NECESSARY. BRB SHORT TERM... SEE SHORT TERM DISCUSSION BELOW FROM BRB. LONG TERM... FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT... THE UPPER LOW RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WEATHER TODAY WILL BE CENTERED OVER THE UTAH/COLORADO BORDER FRIDAY AND CONTINUE SLIDING EAST. THE UPPER LEVEL JET WILL SWING AROUND THE BASE OF THE LOW AND PUT THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE PANHANDLES IN THE LEFT EXIT REGION...THUS CAUSING SYNOPTIC SCALE ASCENT. A WARM FRONT WILL LIFT INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE TEXAS PANHANDLE ON FRIDAY. THE MID LEVELS WILL SEE DRY AIR ADVECTION AND THUS ALLOW SIGNIFICANT COOLING AT THESE LEVELS FOR STORMS THAT FORM. THIS WILL CREATE MORE POTENTIAL FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LARGER HAIL AS DOWNDRAFTS WILL BE COOLER AND SLOW MELTING. CONFIDENCE ON THE FORECAST FOR FRIDAY IS NOT VERY HIGH ON THIS OUTCOME AS THE SCENARIO OF THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE BEING SOCKED IN WITH LOW STRATUS AND DRIZZLE SEEMS JUST AS PLAUSIBLE. FOR NOW HAVE GONE WITH THE THUNDERSTORM POSSIBILITY SINCE LARGE SCALE SYNOPTIC FORCING WILL LIKELY PLAY A BIGGER ROLE IN THE OUTCOME. IF THE LATTER OPTION DOES PLAY OUT...FORECASTED TEMPS WILL ALSO BE AFFECTED AS THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE WILL LIKELY STRUGGLE TO GET INTO THE 50S. A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH THE PANHANDLES FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING AND SATURDAY WILL SEE THE FIRST LOW MOVE NORTH TO KANSAS/NEBRASKA AND THE UPPER LEVEL JET FORCING WILL BE LOST. THIS WILL ALLOW THE PANHANDLES A CHANCE TO DRY OUT A BIT AND SEE SOME SUN. WEAK RIDGING WILL BUILD IN BRIEFLY BEFORE A SECOND UPPER LEVEL LOW WHICH DROPPED INTO THE GREAT BASIN STARTS TO EJECT ACROSS THE CENTRAL GREAT PLAINS. AS THIS LOW APPROACHES THE AREA THE PANHANDLES WILL SEE ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVE IN FROM THE WEST SUNDAY AND CONTINUE MONDAY. MODELS DIVERGE QUITE A BIT MONDAY AND BEYOND ON TIMING OF THE MOVEMENT OF THIS LOW...HOWEVER THEY DO AGREE THAT TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY WILL SEE ANOTHER DRY SPELL AS THE LOW MOVES AWAY AND UPPER LEVEL RIDGING BUILDS OVER THE WESTERN CONUS. BEAT && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... AMARILLO TX 51 70 42 66 42 / 60 30 10 5 5 BEAVER OK 51 58 42 62 39 / 80 70 30 5 5 BOISE CITY OK 44 54 34 58 35 / 80 70 20 10 20 BORGER TX 55 68 46 66 45 / 70 50 10 5 5 BOYS RANCH TX 49 70 40 65 41 / 50 30 10 10 10 CANYON TX 50 72 39 67 41 / 50 20 10 5 5 CLARENDON TX 54 74 45 69 45 / 60 40 10 5 5 DALHART TX 47 62 37 62 38 / 60 40 20 10 20 GUYMON OK 48 56 41 62 41 / 80 70 30 5 10 HEREFORD TX 46 73 40 68 41 / 40 20 5 10 10 LIPSCOMB TX 53 62 45 65 43 / 70 70 20 5 5 PAMPA TX 53 67 44 64 43 / 70 50 10 5 5 SHAMROCK TX 56 73 47 70 46 / 60 50 10 5 5 WELLINGTON TX 58 78 48 73 47 / 70 50 10 5 5 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 147 PM CDT THU APR 28 2016/ SHORT TERM... LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS INDICATES A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDING FROM EAST-CENTRAL NEW MEXICO TO JUST SOUTH OF OUR FORECAST AREA TO NEAR THE RED RIVER. WEAK CONVERGENCE IN LAPS STREAMLINE ANALYSIS IS NOTED ALONG THIS BOUNDARY. EAST-SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE INCREASING IN RESPONSE TO FALLING PRESSURES TO THE WEST AS THE MAIN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM APPROACHES. SHORT TERM MODEL GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SUGGEST RAPID LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE RETURN THROUGHOUT THE DAY WITH A CONSENSUS INDICATING MID 50 DEGREE DEW POINTS REACHING WELL INTO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE BY LATE AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING. SURFACE OBSERVATIONS SHOW LOW TO MID 50 DEGREE DEW POINTS ALREADY AS FAR NORTHWEST AS CHILDRESS AND MATADOR. THIS IN COMBINATION WITH SURFACE HEATING WILL CONTRIBUTE TO WEAK IF NOT MODERATE INSTABILITY BY LATE AFTERNOON. THE EVOLUTION OF SURFACE PRESSURE PATTERN AND BEHAVIOR OF THE SURFACE BOUNDARY WILL HAVE IMPLICATIONS ON THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THROUGH THE EVENING. DEEP MIXING AND SHARPENING DRYLINE ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF OUR AREA SEEMS LESS LIKELY THAN EARLIER THOUGHT BASED ON THE LATEST TRENDS AND THE FIRST ADJUSTMENT TO THE FORECAST WE HAVE MADE IS TO ADD PRECIPITATION TO THIS PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON. WITHIN THE COVERGENT AND MOISTENING LOW-LEVEL FLOW ISOLATED/SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP PERHAPS ENHANCED BY A WEAK SHORTWAVE NOW SEEN IN WATER VAPOR MOVING EASTWARD INTO EASTERN COLORADO. THIS SHOULD BE COINCIDENT WITH A RELATIVELY NARROW LOW- LEVEL THETA-E AXIS WHICH IS EXPECTED TO SET UP FROM NEAR OR SOUTH OF DALHART TO THE AMARILLO AREA AND EXTEND SOUTHEASTWARD JUST AHEAD OF A SHARPENING DRYLINE JUST SOUTH OF OUR AREA. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WOULD BE THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH PERHAPS A BRIEF WINDOW FOR A TORNADO OR TWO THIS EVENING. TWO CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE TORNADO THREAT WILL BE 1.) INCREASING LOW LEVEL JET CONTRIBUTING TO STRENGTHENING 0-1KM BULK SHEAR VALUES OF AROUND 25 KNOTS (THERE IS QUITE A SPREAD IN 850 MB SPEEDS AND RESULTANT LOW LEVEL SHEAR VALUES IN THE SHORT TERM GUIDANCE) AND 2.) CONTINUED MOISTENING RESULTING IN LCL HEIGHTS OF AROUND 1KM...POSSIBLY LOWER. WE WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATED DISCUSSION FOCUSING ON SEVERE POTENTIAL LATER THIS AFTERNOON ONCE FURTHER ANALYSIS IS COMPLETED AND AS WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR TRENDS. A SPECIAL 21Z SOUNDING IS BEING CONSIDERED. WE ARE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE EVOLUTION OF THE LOW LEVEL WIND FIELDS LATER TODAY AND MAY BE ABLE TO CAPTURE THE BEGINNING OF THIS SUFFICIENTLY WITH THE 00Z SOUNDING. SO AN EARLIER SOUNDING MAY BE OF LITTLE VALUE. CONVECTION SHOULD EXPAND IN COVERAGE LATER TONIGHT AS ISENTROPIC ASCENT OCCURS ATOP THE AFOREMENTIONED BOUNDARY STRENGTHENS WITH THE APPROACH OF THE CLOSED LOW NOW OVER ARIZONA. ASCENT IS STRONGEST AND CONDENSATION PRESSURE DEFICIT VALUES ARE LOWEST IN THE NORTHWEST LATE THIS EVENING AND EARLY TONIGHT SO THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE PLACED THE HIGHEST PROBABILITIES. ELEVATED INSTABILITY APPEARS SUFFICIENT FOR AT LEAST MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL LATE INTO THE NIGHT. ANY SURFACE BASED STORMS AND WIND/TORNADO RISK SHOULD BE FURTHER SOUTH NEAR THE BOUNDARY AND BEFORE DECOUPLING INCREASES SUBSTANTIALLY LATE THIS EVENING OR EARLY TONIGHT. AFTER WHICH THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE HAIL. THE LONG TERM PORTION OF THE DISCUSSION WILL BE SENT LATER THIS AFTERNOON. BRB && .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. OK...NONE. && 17/16
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 419 PM CDT THU APR 28 2016 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-291000- CIMARRON-TEXAS-BEAVER-DALLAM-SHERMAN-HANSFORD-OCHILTREE-LIPSCOMB- HARTLEY-MOORE-HUTCHINSON-ROBERTS-HEMPHILL-OLDHAM-POTTER-CARSON- GRAY-WHEELER-DEAF SMITH-RANDALL-ARMSTRONG-DONLEY-COLLINGSWORTH- 419 PM CDT THU APR 28 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS MOST OF THE OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES. SOME STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE MAINLY ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE TEXAS PANHANDLE WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD OVERNIGHT TONIGHT WITH LARGE HAIL AND LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUING TO BE A THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS AS THE MAIN THREATS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE ONCE AGAIN EXPECTED ACROSS THE SOUTHWESTERN PANHANDLES SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND THEN SPREADING EASTWARD ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE PANHANDLES SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WITH THESE STORMS IS LOW AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS SHOULD BE ALERT AND EXPECT ACTIVATION THIS EVENING THROUGH TONIGHT ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE. BEAT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 417 PM CDT THU APR 28 2016 TXZ006-282145- HARTLEY TX- 417 PM CDT THU APR 28 2016 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN HARTLEY COUNTY UNTIL 445 PM CDT... AT 416 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ROMERO...OR 15 MILES EAST OF NARA VISA...MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH. NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 55 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... ROMERO. LAT...LON 3596 10293 3592 10261 3562 10272 3562 10295 TIME...MOT...LOC 2116Z 189DEG 21KT 3568 10283 BRB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 501 PM CDT THU APR 28 2016 TXZ018-282230- ARMSTRONG TX- 501 PM CDT THU APR 28 2016 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL ARMSTRONG COUNTY UNTIL 530 PM CDT... AT 500 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES NORTH OF WAYSIDE...OR 18 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CLAUDE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... CLAUDE AND GOODNIGHT. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL TEXAS. LAT...LON 3482 10147 3485 10162 3518 10146 3503 10117 TIME...MOT...LOC 2200Z 209DEG 24KT 3488 10153 BRB
The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:23 UTC.
22 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Lots of hail from pea size up to golf ball size was reported on Highway 385, 6 miles south-southeast of Hartley.
Golf ball size hail was reported just south of Dumas.
Power poles were snapped by the wind at FM 1060 and County Road I.
Ping pong ball size hail was reported just south of Sunray. Hail accumulation was reported on roadways.
Half dollar size hail was reported two miles south of Masterson.
Golf ball size hail was reported 4 miles north of Stinnett.
Golf ball size hail was reported in Stinnett.
Penny size hail was reported in Fritch.
Quarter size hail was reported at Double Diamond.
Quarter size hail was reported 1 mile south of Fritch.
Quarter size hail was reported at Lake Meredith Harbor.
Half dollar size hail was reported in Fritch.
Quarter size hail was reported 4 miles south of Fritch.
Dime to quarter size hail covered the road in Fritch.
Golf ball size hail was reported in Fritch.
Quarter size hail was reported in Buena Vista.
Quarter size hail was reported two miles west of Borger.
Quarter size hail was reported 3 miles northeast of Borger.
Two inch diameter hail busted windshields on Highway 70 approximately 18 miles south of Perryton.
Golf ball size hail was reported 2 miles east of Borger.
Golf ball size hail was reported on Highway 60 in Miami.
Half dollar size hail was reported on South Kiowa Street near Highway 60 in Miami.
Quarter size hail was reported in Texhoma.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, April 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: 634812, 634813, 634951, 634814, 634816, 634820, 634956, 634821, 634926, 634822, 634823, 634825, 634824, 634826, 634827, 634828, 634936, 634929, 634932, 634930, 634941, 634944, 634953.