Scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon across the Texas Panhandle within a moist, moderately unstable but poorly sheared atmosphere. Some of the slow-moving storms produced heavy rains, leading to localized flooding.
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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.
Scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon across the Texas Panhandle within a moist, moderately unstable but poorly sheared atmosphere. Some of the slow-moving storms produced heavy rains, leading to localized flooding.
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 23, 1:07 PM CST, 7 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Amarillo TX 207 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2020 .SHORT TERM...This Afternoon through Friday Afternoon...Once again high pressure dominates with plenty of moisture for isolated showers and thunderstorms. PWATs are still pretty high for the area with amounts greater than 1.5 inches. Today a combination of convective temperatures being reached an assistance from subtle shortwaves aloft will aid in some showers and thunderstorms. Lapse rates are less than 6 C/Km and Effective CAPE is around 1000 J/Kg. Wind profile is weak with bulk shear less than 7 m/s. This environment is good for storms to collapse on themselves before being able to produce hail. Only expect garden variety storms. However, DCAPE values are reaching 1000 J/kg and cannot rule out a severe windgust from a collapsing storm. As of this writing afternoon storms are already starting to pop from daytime heating. Going into the overnight hours there will be a slight chance for thunderstorms to continue as a shortwave moves across from the higher terrain out west. Friday afternoon will be the same thing all over again with afternoon convection. Hoffeditz && .LONG TERM...Friday Night through Wednesday Night... Upper level ridge centered over Oklahoma this afternoon is not expected to slowly move towards central Kanasas through the weekend. This pattern will be one that brings a more southerly flow across the combined Panhandles, which will constrain thundestorms from making a run at the combined Panhandles from New Mexico. Modeling solutions have come into agreement that precipitation chances will be completely shut off to only favoring the far west, though all are pointing to the eastern Panhandles not having much chance until at least late Sunday. Tropical Depression #8 is presently located 415 miles east- southeast of Port O'Conner, Texas and moving WNW at 8 miles per hour. The present National Hurricane Center forecast calls for landfall along the Texas Gulf Coast on midday Saturday, before continuing towards the west and west-southwest early next week. While the remnant system will not be directly impacting our region, the moisture that it leaves behind will serve as a source for the combined Panhandles. Long range modeling solutions are coming into line with a storm system impacting the northern United States, and sending a cold front through the northern half of the CWA by early Tuesday. Positive theta-e advection preceding this frontal boundary will help push PWV values to the 90th percentile regionwide which, along with the forcing from vorticity advection, would result in potentially areawide shower and thunderstorm coverage with heavy downpours. Have opted to go with chance PoP coverage early next week for the combined Panhandles to account for this scenario. By Wednesday of next week, the upper high will start to rebuild over the 4-corners region, presenting the potential of northwest flow to return to the area. This will also mean that high temperatures will start to rebound, with mid to upper 90s possibly returning. Bieda && .AVIATION...Previous Discussion...18Z TAFs...TAF's will generally be VFR through the 18Z period. The one caveat will be isolated thunderstorms popping up across the area between now and 00Z Friday. KDHT and KAMA have a small chance to be impacted. Have VCTS in the TAFs right now. Confidence in KGUY to be impacted by thunder is even lower. Therefore, there is no mention of Thunder in KGUY's TAF. Winds will generally be 10 to 15 kts out of the south to southeast. Winds could shift or increase due to thunderstorm outflows. Expected increasing clouds as daytime heating aides in a cumulus field with CIGs mainly above 7K ft. Hoffeditz && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Amarillo TX 91 69 92 68 93 / 30 20 20 10 5 Beaver OK 92 71 93 71 94 / 5 10 5 5 0 Boise City OK 91 68 93 67 93 / 20 20 5 10 5 Borger TX 95 73 97 73 99 / 20 20 10 5 0 Boys Ranch TX 94 70 96 69 96 / 30 30 10 10 5 Canyon TX 89 68 91 68 92 / 30 20 20 10 5 Clarendon TX 91 71 92 71 92 / 20 20 10 5 5 Dalhart TX 91 67 92 66 92 / 30 30 5 10 5 Guymon OK 92 70 93 69 94 / 10 20 5 5 0 Hereford TX 90 68 93 68 93 / 30 20 20 10 5 Lipscomb TX 92 70 93 71 94 / 20 10 10 5 0 Pampa TX 91 70 93 70 94 / 30 20 10 5 0 Shamrock TX 90 71 91 71 91 / 20 10 10 5 0 Wellington TX 93 72 94 71 94 / 20 10 10 5 5 && .AMA Watches/Warnings/Advisories... TX...None. OK...None. && 36/98
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Amarillo TX 138 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2020 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-317-240645- Cimarron-Texas-Beaver-Dallam-Sherman-Hansford-Ochiltree-Lipscomb- Hartley-Moore-Hutchinson-Roberts-Hemphill-Oldham-Potter-Carson- Gray-Wheeler-Deaf Smith-Randall-Armstrong-Donley-Collingsworth- Palo Duro Canyon- 138 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight. Thunderstorms are occurring across the area, with torrential downpours and localized flooding a possibility. The severe weather threat is low, but cannot be ruled out. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Thunderstorms are possible each day, though areas favored will vary. On Friday, the best chances will be across the Texas Panhandle. On Saturday and Sunday, the far western Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles will be favored. Early to mid next week, thunderstorms could be areawide. Concerns for severe weather are low at this time, though heavy rainfall will become a concern early next week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated at this time. Bieda
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Amarillo TX 116 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2020 TXZ012-017-231845- Potter TX-Randall TX- 116 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2020 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN RANDALL AND SOUTHEASTERN POTTER COUNTIES UNTIL 145 PM CDT... At 116 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 6 miles west of Amarillo, moving north at 20 mph. Dime size hail and wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Amarillo, Canyon and Mescalero Park. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take shelter in a sturdy building if threatening weather approaches. && LAT...LON 3495 10188 3502 10210 3544 10198 3536 10167 TIME...MOT...LOC 1816Z 197DEG 18KT 3517 10192 TLH
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Amarillo TX 135 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2020 TXZ006-007-011-012-231900- Hartley TX-Potter TX-Moore TX-Oldham TX- 135 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2020 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN OLDHAM... NORTHWESTERN POTTER...SOUTHWESTERN MOORE AND SOUTHEASTERN HARTLEY COUNTIES UNTIL 200 PM CDT... At 135 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Boys Ranch, or 23 miles northeast of Vega, moving north at 20 mph. Wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Boys Ranch. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take shelter in a sturdy building if threatening weather approaches. && LAT...LON 3540 10220 3546 10239 3568 10235 3565 10205 TIME...MOT...LOC 1835Z 197DEG 18KT 3555 10225 TLH
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
149 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2020
TXZ012-017-317-231930-
Potter TX-Palo Duro Canyon TX-Randall TX-
149 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN RANDALL AND
SOUTHEASTERN POTTER COUNTIES UNTIL 230 PM CDT...
At 148 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 4
miles northeast of Mescalero Park, or 6 miles south of Amarillo,
moving north at 20 mph.
Dime size hail and wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this
storm.
Locations impacted include...
Amarillo, Lake Tanglewood, Mescalero Park and Timbercreek Canyon.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Take shelter in a sturdy building if threatening weather approaches.
&&
LAT...LON 3509 10202 3539 10189 3532 10162 3524 10162
3502 10175
TIME...MOT...LOC 1848Z 192DEG 16KT 3511 10185
TLHSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
213 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2020
TXZ007-012-232000-
Potter TX-Moore TX-
213 PM CDT Thu Jul 23 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN POTTER AND
SOUTHWESTERN MOORE COUNTIES UNTIL 300 PM CDT...
At 213 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 5
miles west of Four Way, or 13 miles south of Dumas, moving east at 10
mph.
Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph will be possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Four Way and Masterson.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Take shelter in a sturdy building if threatening weather approaches.
&&
LAT...LON 3573 10216 3582 10197 3562 10189 3556 10215
3560 10216
TIME...MOT...LOC 1913Z 250DEG 9KT 3568 10205
TLHThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Urban flooding consisting mainly of curb to curb street flooding was reported by local broadcast media at Blackburn Street and Virginia Court in Amarillo.
Broadcast media aired video of flooding in Kellerville on their early evening newscast.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, July 2020
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: 895623, 895626.