An upper level low was centered in central Oklahoma within a trough that extended from the Great Lakes to West Texas. The trough combined with abundant monsoonal moisture, modest instability, and wind shear led to scattered strong to severe thunderstorms that developed in the Texas Panhandle during the afternoon hours.
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.
An upper level low was centered in central Oklahoma within a trough that extended from the Great Lakes to West Texas. The trough combined with abundant monsoonal moisture, modest instability, and wind shear led to scattered strong to severe thunderstorms that developed in the Texas Panhandle during the afternoon hours. Some of these storms produced hail up to 1 inch in diameter and some minor nuisance flooding. However, strong to at times damaging damaging winds were the main impact from these storms which damaged trees and tops of a few buildings.
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 Aug 16, 11:23 AM CST, 45 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Amarillo TX 1223 PM CDT Mon Aug 16 2021 .AVIATION...18Z TAFs... Primary aviation concern is the prospect of thunder at all TAF sites over the next 6 hours. A few storms are attempting to develop near GUY currently, but the favored area for storm generation will slowly shift to the west and south over the next few hours. Have thus gone with a VCTS mention at this location. At AMA, latest guidance and observations suggests a window later this afternoon where thunderstorms may slide south over the terminal, so have refined the ongoing TEMPO group. Farther west at DHT, ongoing cloudiness suggests that this area may miss out on thunderstorms, so have carried fair weather through the TAF. Otherwise, expect generally some form of southerly winds over the next 24 hours, with erratic changes should any thunderstorms occur. Ferguson && .PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 325 AM CDT Mon Aug 16 2021/ SHORT TERM...Today through Tuesday Night... The main highlights for the short term are thunderstorm chances this evening as well as Tuesday afternoon. For today, some of the thunderstorms may be strong to severe with large hail and damaging winds as the threats. The storms will also be capable of producing heavy rain which may lead to possible flash flooding. Tuesday afternoon storm coverage will be limited to the southeastern Panhandles. Severe weather is not expected with the storms on Tuesday. High pressure aloft, stretching from the southwest CONUS up through the Northern High Plains, will keep the area under north to northwesterly flow today. An upper level disturbance is progged to move across the area this afternoon and evening creating a lifting mechanism for showers and storms today. Moisture advection into the region will be high for this time of year, with PWAT values ranging between 1.2" to 1.5" across the area. These values are around the 90th percentile and up to the max moving average for this time of year, so heavy rain could be possible with these thunderstorms. Given adequate MLCAPE of 1000-1500 J/kg, some of the storms could be capable of producing quarter size hail. The damaging wind potential will be limited to collapsing thunderstorms as strongest updrafts will be isolated and pulse like. High pressure aloft will track slightly to the east tonight into Tuesday as it begins to break down due to a trough digging across the western CONUS. As the high pressure moves east, warmer air will advect into the lower levels and temperatures will be slightly higher on Tuesday. Another upper level disturbance is progged to move across the area Tuesday which may trigger some thunderstorms in the southern and eastern Panhandles during the afternoon and evening. PWAT values will continue to be near the 90th percentile, so heavy rain will still be possible. Instability and shear look to be quite weak at this time, so severe storms are not expected on Tuesday. Muscha/Hoffeditz LONG TERM...Wednesday through Sunday Shortwave trough near the Four Corners region Wednesday will track eastward and approach the Panhandles Wednesday night and early Thursday. Convection is expected to spread across the southern portions of the forecast area Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Closed upper low over the northern U.S. Rockies with upper trough south across the southern Rockies Friday will allow for additional convection across the Panhandles late Friday and Friday night. Upper high builds over the northern Gulf coast states with the Panhandles on the western periphery of this upper high. Shortwave trough over the southern Rockies along with perturbations in the upper flow will allow for chances for convection Saturday afternoon and Saturday night. Upper high builds west by Sunday to near the ArkLaTex with an open wave over the southwestern states and southern Rockies. Convection will still be possible mainly across the southern Texas Panhandle Sunday afternoon. Surface trough across eastern Colorado into New Mexico Wednesday. Surface low over southeastern Colorado Thursday with surface trough across eastern New Mexico will approach the northwestern Panhandles Thursday night with cold front pushing south and east across the central Plains states. Cold front to move into the Oklahoma and northern Texas Panhandles by Friday afternoon and then into the central and southern Texas Panhandle by Friday night. Frontal boundary become stationary or quasi-stationary Saturday and Saturday night across the forecast area. The frontal boundary should lift north and east away from the Panhandles as a warm front Sunday. Schneider && .AMA Watches/Warnings/Advisories... TX...None. OK...None. && 77/89
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Amarillo TX 317 AM CDT Mon Aug 16 2021 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-317-162200- 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- 317 AM CDT Mon Aug 16 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Thunderstorms will be possible across the entire Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles today and tonight. Storms may be strong to severe across the Panhandles with hail and damaging wind gusts as the main threat. Localized flooding is possible due to slow moving storms and heavy rainfall. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Thunderstorms will continue to be possible Tuesday through Sunday. Severe weather is not anticipated at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Limited spotter activation may become necessary today and tonight. Schneider
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
725 AM CDT Mon Aug 16 2021
TXZ009-014-161300-
Gray TX-Roberts TX-
725 AM CDT Mon Aug 16 2021
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northeastern Gray
and southeastern Roberts Counties through 800 AM CDT...
At 724 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Codman, or 5 miles west of Miami, moving east at 10 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and nickel size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Miami, Codman and Lora.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
&&
LAT...LON 3556 10054 3547 10071 3573 10084 3581 10054
TIME...MOT...LOC 1224Z 252DEG 9KT 3568 10073
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH
FergusonSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
1043 AM CDT Mon Aug 16 2021
TXZ004-161615-
Ochiltree TX-
1043 AM CDT Mon Aug 16 2021
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northeastern
Ochiltree County through 1115 AM CDT...
At 1042 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Perryton, moving east at 15 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Perryton.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
&&
LAT...LON 3631 10092 3649 10093 3649 10058 3622 10056
TIME...MOT...LOC 1542Z 268DEG 15KT 3641 10083
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
MJGSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
1257 PM CDT Mon Aug 16 2021
TXZ008-161830-
Hutchinson TX-
1257 PM CDT Mon Aug 16 2021
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern
Hutchinson County through 130 PM CDT...
At 1256 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7
miles northeast of Borger, moving east at 10 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and nickel size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Borger.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
&&
LAT...LON 3567 10138 3578 10141 3595 10109 3566 10109
TIME...MOT...LOC 1756Z 255DEG 9KT 3576 10133
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH
MJGThe Amarillo radar (KAMA), 77 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:07 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Spotter estimates a 60 mph gust with trees bending nearly 90 degrees.
The local Sheriff's office reported the hail, along with heavy rain in the Kingsmill area.
Spotter reported a large air conditioning unit blown off of the White Deer Elementary School. The AC unit was mounted on the roof.
Spotter reported large trees limbs blown down that were 1 to 3 inches in diameter.
Flooding started around 2:30 with water over the road at least 4 inches deep in some areas.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, August 2021
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: 977671, 977672, 977668, 977669, 977670, 977667.