Strong winds, low relative humidity, and receptive fuels contributed to critical fire weather conditions across the Texas Panhandle on July 3rd.
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.
Strong winds, low relative humidity, and receptive fuels contributed to critical fire weather conditions across the Texas Panhandle on July 3rd.
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 3, 11:12 AM CST, 1 hour 48 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Amarillo TX 1212 PM CDT Sun Jul 3 2022 .AVIATION...18Z TAFs... VFR conditions should prevail through the period at all TAF sites. Another small chance for showers and storms at all sites this afternoon and evening, but probability of occurrence is too low for any sort of mention. Otherwise, winds will remain some form of southerly, with south-southwesterly generally favored. Ferguson && .PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 433 AM CDT Sun Jul 3 2022/ DISCUSSION...Today through Saturday. For today and tonight, most models are dry during this time period except the NAM, which does develop showers and tstms on a more isolated basis compared to what has occurred during the past couple days and nights. Given how much coverage precipitation was Saturday afternoon and night and the associated surface outflow boundaries left behind lurking around the forecast area, did not feel comfortable at all going with a dry forecast offered by the majority of the numerical weather models for this afternoon and evening. Therefore, have utilized the 10 pop rule and included slight chance for showers and thunderstorms across western and southern sections of the OK and TX Panhandles for this afternoon into early this evening as this area may be closest in proximity to any residual surface boundaries courtesy of previous round of showers and thunderstorms. There should be enough moisture along with strong daytime heating and a corresponding unstable atmosphere to support the threat for isolated showers and storms. Since any storms that might form will be high based, a storm or two could become strong enough to have the potential to produce severe wind gusts. Little change to the overall weather pattern is depicted in the latest short and medium range models compared to what was seen 24 hours ago. A sprawling upper level ridge of high pressure with a few embedded centers is forecast to prevail across the region Independence Day through Saturday. As a result, either the ridge axis or embedded multiple centers will largely dictate the upper level steering flow for shower and thunderstorm movement as well as the orientation of the moisture plume with respect to our forecast area during this time period. Even though short and medium range models are in reasonable agreement on the large scale synoptic pattern, determining the steering flow on a day to day basis based on the above will be challenging at times, especially during weak flow. Have retained slight chance pops for western sections Monday evening as that area will be on western periphery of the upper level ridge and the steering flow may help bring a few storms in. Otherwise, have continued to lean with the NBM pops for Tuesday through Saturday. The steering flow aloft is progged to become a bit more favorable Tuesday evening through Friday night. The overall pattern suggests the northwest sections will have the best chance for showers and storms while the far southeast TX Panhandle will have the lowest chance Tuesday evening through Friday night. Pops will likely be refined as each day draws closer. A return to dry weather is anticipated Saturday. 02 AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. OK...None. && .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. OK...None. && 77/15
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Amarillo TX 354 AM CDT Sun Jul 3 2022 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-317-032100- 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- 354 AM CDT Sun Jul 3 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Isolated thunderstorms may develop late this afternoon into early this evening across the western Oklahoma Panhandle as well as western and southern sections of the Texas Panhandle. A storm or two will have the potential to become severe, with damaging winds the primary hazard. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. Thunderstorms will be possible across at least parts of the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles Monday evening through Friday night. Any storms that develop are expected to remain below severe levels at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated at this time. 02
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
Potter county fire-rescue responded to the Fern Gully wildfire which had an unknown fire start and burned 2,026 acres. There were 5 homes saved along with 30 other structures, but unfortunately 4 other structures were lost to the fire.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, July 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: 1046573.