Prolonged drought conditions coupled with strong winds, low relative humidity, and receptive fuels contributed to critical fire weather conditions across the Oklahoma Panhandle.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
Prolonged drought conditions coupled with strong winds, low relative humidity, and receptive fuels contributed to critical fire weather conditions across the Oklahoma Panhandle.
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 Dec 3, 2:40 PM CST, 1 hour 8 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Amarillo TX 240 PM CST Sat Dec 3 2022 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM... .SHORT TERM ... (This evening through Sunday night) Issued at 222 PM CST Sat Dec 3 2022 Current satellite observations show a large area of high pressure over the Gulf of Mexico well into parts of Texas and Mexico in the mid to upper levels. Upstream is a closed low just off the coast of the Pacific Northwest. These two systems are working together to bring a stream of subtropical moisture in the mid to upper levels over AZ, NM, and the combined OK/TX Panhandles. This moisture is already creating some cloud cover over the area and will help keep daytime temperatures in the 40s for much of the FA. Later tonight models are depicting some PVA with a shortwave disturbance which will give much of the TX Panhandle some rain this evening into the overnight hours. Short term models are favoring the I-40 corridor for this precipitation at this time with PoPs around 50 to 70 percent. The OK Panhandle looks to be removed from this moisture and expected to stay dry. Areas in the TX Panhandle where the higher PoPs are may still only get between 0.05" to 0.25" of QPF. Overnight winds are looking to stay up around the 10-15 mph range and H85 temperatures are looking to warm to around 8 to 10 degrees C will help keep surface temperatures in the mid 30s overnight. Cloud cover will stick around not only through the overnight hours but well into tomorrow afternoon as well. With the increasing H85 temperatures overnight into tomorrow. Sunday's afternoon highs are progged to make it back into the mid 50s to lower 60s in the far southern TX Panhandle. Overnight lows will be quite warm tomorrow night too with lower 50s in the southern TX Panhandle. 36 && .LONG TERM... (Monday through next Friday) Issued at 222 PM CST Sat Dec 3 2022 For Monday through Tuesday night, dry weather is expected to prevail across the OK and TX Panhandles as southwesterly flow aloft prevails. The next cold front is expected to move through the region very late Monday afternoon into Monday night. No precipitation is anticipated with this frontal passage. The latest 12Z medium range deterministic models as well as more of the respective ensemble members continue to trend towards less in the way of precipitation chances associated with the next upper level shortwave trof slated to graze the area Wednesday into Thursday morning. The most recent NBM pops have also trended downward compared to values seen 24 hours ago, and this seems reasonable given the latest model trends. Light amounts of precipitation remain possible, mainly across the eastern and southeastern sections. NBM pops and temperatures were utilized for all periods of the long term forecast. 02 && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1123 AM CST Sat Dec 3 2022 VFR conditions are expected to prevail through about 03Z Sunday. Increasing chances for rain after 00Z may lead to the possibility for MVFR VIS for KAMA and KDHT after 03Z. KGUY should remain with VFR conditions through the entire period. Winds are expected to be in the 10 to 15 kt range out of the south to southwest through the period. A broken deck should remain above 8k ft with a few to scattered below 5k ft. 36 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Amarillo TX 36 62 50 69 / 70 0 0 0 Beaver OK 34 55 37 62 / 10 0 0 0 Boise City OK 34 57 40 62 / 10 0 0 0 Borger TX 39 63 49 69 / 60 0 0 0 Boys Ranch TX 38 64 48 69 / 60 0 0 0 Canyon TX 37 64 50 70 / 70 0 0 0 Clarendon TX 35 63 50 72 / 70 10 0 0 Dalhart TX 36 59 42 66 / 20 0 0 0 Guymon OK 34 57 39 63 / 10 0 0 0 Hereford TX 38 65 50 70 / 70 0 0 0 Lipscomb TX 34 59 42 64 / 30 0 0 0 Pampa TX 35 60 48 67 / 70 0 0 0 Shamrock TX 33 59 47 71 / 80 10 0 0 Wellington TX 36 61 48 74 / 60 10 0 0 && .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. OK...None. && SHORT TERM...36 LONG TERM....02 AVIATION...36
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Amarillo TX 214 PM CST Sat Dec 3 2022 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-317-041200- 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- 214 PM CST Sat Dec 3 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. .DAY ONE...Through Tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated at this time. 02
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1144 AM CST SAT DEC 3 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0100 PM HIGH SUST WINDS 11 S ROMERO 35.57N 102.96W
12/02/2022 M42 MPH OLDHAM TX MESONET
SUSTAINED 40 MPH UP TO 42 MPH OCCURRED FROM
11:58 AM CST TO 3:07 PM CST.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1148 AM CST SAT DEC 3 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0205 PM HIGH SUST WINDS 2 N STINNETT 35.84N 101.45W
12/02/2022 M42 MPH HUTCHINSON TX MESONET
SUSTAINED 40 MPH UP TO 42 MPH OCCURRED FROM
11:08 AM CST TO 3:24 PM CST.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1152 AM CST SAT DEC 3 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1137 AM HIGH SUST WINDS 4 WNW STRATFORD 36.36N 102.13W
12/02/2022 M45 MPH SHERMAN TX MESONET
SUSTAINED 40 MPH UP TO 45 MPH OCCURRED FROM
11:06 AM CST TO 3:00 PM CST.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1158 AM CST SAT DEC 3 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1222 PM HIGH SUST WINDS 2 N TEXLINE 36.41N 103.02W
12/02/2022 M59 MPH DALLAM TX MESONET
SUSTAINED 40 MPH UP TO 59 MPH OCCURRED FROM
10:02 AM CST TO 4:32 PM CST.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1202 PM CST SAT DEC 3 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1111 AM HIGH SUST WINDS 4 E VEGA 35.24N 102.35W
12/02/2022 M45 MPH OLDHAM TX MESONET
SUSTAINED 40 MPH UP TO 45 MPH OCCURRED FROM
10:58 AM CST TO 3:36 PM CST.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1206 PM CST SAT DEC 3 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1015 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 N TEXLINE 36.41N 103.02W
12/02/2022 M59 MPH DALLAM TX MESONET
1025 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 N TEXLINE 36.41N 103.02W
12/02/2022 M64 MPH DALLAM TX MESONET
1105 AM HIGH SUST WINDS 1 S BLACK MESA PARK 36.83N 102.88W
12/02/2022 M45 MPH CIMARRON OK MESONET
SUSTAINED 40 MPH UP TO 45 MPH OCCURRED FROM
10:55 AM CST TO 2:40 PM CST.
1105 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 S BLACK MESA PARK 36.83N 102.88W
12/02/2022 M63 MPH CIMARRON OK MESONET
1111 AM HIGH SUST WINDS 4 E VEGA 35.24N 102.35W
12/02/2022 M45 MPH OLDHAM TX MESONET
SUSTAINED 40 MPH UP TO 45 MPH OCCURRED FROM
10:58 AM CST TO 3:36 PM CST.
1115 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 E VEGA 35.24N 102.35W
12/02/2022 M58 MPH OLDHAM TX MESONET
1135 AM HIGH SUST WINDS 3 SSE BOISE CITY 36.69N 102.50W
12/02/2022 M52 MPH CIMARRON OK MESONET
SUSTAINED 40 MPH UP TO 52 MPH OCCURRED FROM
10:35 AM CST TO 2:15 PM CST.
1137 AM HIGH SUST WINDS 4 WNW STRATFORD 36.36N 102.13W
12/02/2022 M45 MPH SHERMAN TX MESONET
SUSTAINED 40 MPH UP TO 45 MPH OCCURRED FROM
11:06 AM CST TO 3:00 PM CST.
1140 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 SSE BOISE CITY 36.69N 102.50W
12/02/2022 M69 MPH CIMARRON OK MESONET
1155 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 SE DUMAS 35.83N 101.92W
12/02/2022 M58 MPH MOORE TX MESONET
1207 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 SW DALHART 36.02N 102.55W
12/02/2022 M58 MPH HARTLEY TX ASOS
1222 PM HIGH SUST WINDS 2 N TEXLINE 36.41N 103.02W
12/02/2022 M59 MPH DALLAM TX MESONET
SUSTAINED 40 MPH UP TO 59 MPH OCCURRED FROM
10:02 AM CST TO 4:32 PM CST.
1222 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 N TEXLINE 36.41N 103.02W
12/02/2022 M72 MPH DALLAM TX MESONET
1231 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 W DUMAS 35.86N 102.01W
12/02/2022 M59 MPH MOORE TX AWOS
1231 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 SE DUMAS 35.83N 101.92W
12/02/2022 M59 MPH MOORE TX MESONET
1240 PM HIGH SUST WINDS 11 WNW BOOTLEG 34.89N 102.99W
12/02/2022 M42 MPH DEAF SMITH TX MESONET
SUSTAINED 40 MPH UP TO 42 MPH FROM 11:26 AM
CST TO 2:26 PM CST.
1243 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 N BORGER 35.70N 101.39W
12/02/2022 M60 MPH HUTCHINSON TX ASOS
0100 PM HIGH SUST WINDS 11 S ROMERO 35.57N 102.96W
12/02/2022 M42 MPH OLDHAM TX MESONET
SUSTAINED 40 MPH UP TO 42 MPH OCCURRED FROM
11:58 AM CST TO 3:07 PM CST.
0148 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 WSW GUYMON 36.68N 101.51W
12/02/2022 M58 MPH TEXAS OK ASOS
0205 PM HIGH SUST WINDS 2 N STINNETT 35.84N 101.45W
12/02/2022 M42 MPH HUTCHINSON TX MESONET
SUSTAINED 40 MPH UP TO 42 MPH OCCURRED FROM
11:08 AM CST TO 3:24 PM CST.
0218 PM HIGH SUST WINDS 2 WNW HEREFORD 34.83N 102.42W
12/02/2022 M41 MPH DEAF SMITH TX MESONET
SUSTAINED 40 MPH UP TO 41 MPH OCCURRED FROM
12:06 PM CST TO 2:51 PM CST.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The East Lake Turn fire developed 128 miles northwest of Boise City and burned 623 acres.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oklahoma in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Oklahoma, December 2022
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: 1073342.