Hot conditions continued for the eastern Panhandles as we had another day of near triple digit heat. Additionally, a lee surface low set up east of the Rockies.
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.
Hot conditions continued for the eastern Panhandles as we had another day of near triple digit heat. Additionally, a lee surface low set up east of the Rockies. The low would support breezy southwest winds 15 to 20 mph across much of the Panhandles. This heat and lower humidity around 20 percent, and the winds were enough to cause some issues when a fire was sparked by lawn equipment. This fire started at 2:15pm and was contained by 7 pm that evening.
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 31, 1:10 PM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Amarillo TX 210 PM CDT Thu Aug 31 2023 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM... .SHORT TERM ... (This evening through Friday night) Issued at 209 PM CDT Thu Aug 31 2023 An upper-level ridge, currently centered on New Mexico, will move northeast through the Panhandles and into the Central Plains by Saturday morning. Lee cyclogenesis will occur today in Colorado and tighten the pressure gradient across the Panhandles, leading to 10- 20 kt winds. 850mb temperatures will be around 26C (eastern Panhandles) to 31C (western Panhandles) today which will support temperatures in the 90s across the area. Advection of very warm 850mb temperatures from the south/southwest will continue into tomorrow culminating in 850mb temperatures around 28C (eastern Panhandles) to nearly 32C (western Panhandles). This supports temperatures up to a few degrees warmer than today. Some of the typical hot spots in the area (Palo Duro Canyon, Canadian River Valley) are expected to reach or slightly exceed 100 degrees. Due to a very dry environment and large-scale subsidence aloft, there is no chance for rain through at least the end of this short- term period. Vanden Bosch && .LONG TERM ... (Saturday through next Wednesday) Issued at 209 PM CDT Thu Aug 31 2023 The long term forecast period will start with high pressure across the panhandle region. This high pressure is likely to weaken Sunday and Monday as a trough passes to the NW of the panhandles. This weakening is likely to be short lived as the high pressure builds back into the panhandles on Tuesday before becoming fully entrenched by Wednesday. This pattern will lead to hot conditions across the panhandles for Labor Day weekend and into next work week. This heat is expected to be 5 to 10 degrees above normal and may get close to record levels for a few isolated spots. Highs are anticipated to consistently reach the 90s to 100s through Monday before the weakening of the ridge lowers the temperatures to be mainly 90s Tuesday to Thursday. The normal hotter areas such as Palo Duro Canyon can still reach into the 100s even after Monday. Saturday to Monday the high pressure will keep the panhandles dry with sunny skies to small patches of fair weather cumulus. Tuesday to Thursday depending on orientation of the high pressure as it reestablishes across the panhandles a little moisture will have a small chance of moving across the panhandles. If this moisture arrives then it would be able to produce isolated showers and even thunderstorms, but the odds of this occurring are generally =<10% and are not currently reflected within the forecast. There will be a window of elevated fire concern on Sunday and Monday with trough to the NW as this will create a tighter gradient and increased winds across the panhandles. During this timeframe the ERC percentile values range between the 70th and 90th percentile, max RFTI values of 1 to 2 from the breezy southwest winds and low RH. This will cause elevated to borderline critical fire weather conditions Sunday and Monday for the central and eastern Panhandles. Check back as we get closer to early next week as fuels and other fire weather elements are further evaluated going forward over the next few days. SH && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1205 PM CDT Thu Aug 31 2023 VFR conditions are expected through at least this TAF package. Expect gusty southerly winds during the daytime hours and generally weaker winds and gusts at night. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Amarillo TX 64 97 64 97 / 0 0 0 0 Beaver OK 63 98 63 99 / 0 0 0 0 Boise City OK 62 96 61 96 / 0 0 0 0 Borger TX 67 101 67 101 / 0 0 0 0 Boys Ranch TX 64 99 64 99 / 0 0 0 0 Canyon TX 63 96 62 96 / 0 0 0 0 Clarendon TX 65 96 65 96 / 0 0 0 0 Dalhart TX 60 96 59 96 / 0 0 0 0 Guymon OK 63 99 62 99 / 0 0 0 0 Hereford TX 63 97 62 97 / 0 0 0 0 Lipscomb TX 63 98 63 99 / 0 0 0 0 Pampa TX 65 95 65 96 / 0 0 0 0 Shamrock TX 63 97 63 98 / 0 0 0 0 Wellington TX 64 99 64 100 / 0 0 0 0 && .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. OK...None. && SHORT TERM...98 LONG TERM....52 AVIATION...52
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Amarillo TX 220 PM CDT Thu Aug 31 2023 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-317-011930- 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- 220 PM CDT Thu Aug 31 2023 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. .Day One...This Afternoon and Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .Days Two through Seven...Friday through Wednesday Gusty winds and ERC in the 70th to 90th percentile will lead to enhanced to near critical fire weather conditions for Sunday and Monday. Hot temperatures are expected for Labor Day weekend which present an increased risk for heat related illness. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
Wildfire caused by lawn equipment managed to spread to 1957 acres in about 6 hours.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, August 2023
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: 1138667.