Prolonged drought conditions coupled with strong winds, low relative humidity, and receptive fuels contributed to critical fire weather conditions across the Texas 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 Texas 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 Jan 6, 2:35 PM CST, 45 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Amarillo TX 235 PM CST Fri Jan 6 2023 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM... .SHORT TERM ... (This evening through Saturday night) Issued at 234 PM CST Fri Jan 6 2023 A weak Pacific front will cause winds to turn more NW and N tonight as SFC low pressure that is leading to breezy conditions this aftn moves east just north of the KS/OK state line. This will lead to cooler temps closer to normal values for January at least through Saturday night and light winds as weak high pressure settles across the area. The upper jet pattern is split and rather erratic. The strongest jet core (>130Kts, positioned W/E across the Panhandles now, will shift east ahead of the next S/WV on Saturday. With little to no moisture in place, this next weak wave will only generate some cirrus the first half of the day Saturday. Gittinger && .LONG TERM ... (Sunday through next Thursday) Issued at 234 PM CST Fri Jan 6 2023 Largely uneventful weather continues Sunday through Tuesday as the progressive flow pattern continues, albeit with amplification slowly ramping up through this period. Expect highs mainly in the 60s, lows in the 20s and 30s, and little in the way of precipitation as no sufficient periods of extended moist advection will precede any of the waves that translate eastward. Wednesday into Thursday, flow continues to become more amplified, with a notable upper wave to translate from S CA eastward, potentially crossing the High Plains directly over the Panhandles. Main story with this wave looks to be wind, as a 40-50 knot 700/850mb jet may develop as the wave moves across. With timing currently favoring winds aloft maximizing during the overnight hours, guidance favors 20-30 mph sustained winds at this time. However, should the wave arrive during the daytime hours, solidly windy conditions could result, so will have to keep a close eye on this system. Once again, while moist fetch from the Gulf of Mexico does look to be much stronger with this system, quick movement of the upper wave is favored at this time, which would strongly limit precipitation potential in the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles. Have removed precip mentions from the forecast entirely for this reason. In the off chance it were to occur, rain or snow would be favored. Ferguson && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1206 PM CST Fri Jan 6 2023 No aviation concerns wrt CIGs and VSBY given WRLY flow that is providing a dry airmass. Winds will be somewhat gusty this aftn, but nothing unusualy for the area. VFR will prevail through the period. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Amarillo TX 27 52 26 62 / 0 0 0 0 Beaver OK 22 47 21 57 / 0 0 0 0 Boise City OK 22 49 22 56 / 0 0 0 0 Borger TX 27 54 27 63 / 0 0 0 0 Boys Ranch TX 24 54 22 62 / 0 0 0 0 Canyon TX 28 54 26 62 / 0 0 0 0 Clarendon TX 32 54 28 60 / 0 0 0 0 Dalhart TX 21 51 20 57 / 0 0 0 0 Guymon OK 22 49 21 57 / 0 0 0 0 Hereford TX 28 55 26 63 / 0 0 0 0 Lipscomb TX 25 50 24 59 / 0 0 0 0 Pampa TX 27 52 27 61 / 0 0 0 0 Shamrock TX 30 54 28 58 / 0 0 0 0 Wellington TX 32 54 28 59 / 0 0 0 0 && .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. OK...None. && SHORT TERM...88 LONG TERM....77 AVIATION...88
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Amarillo TX 210 PM CST Fri Jan 6 2023 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-317-071000- 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- 210 PM CST Fri Jan 6 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight. Elevated fire weather conditions will be possible across the western Texas Panhandle this afternoon. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Elevated fire weather conditions will be possible Wednesday afternoon across the southwestern Texas Panhandle. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated at this time. Area fire managers and emergency officials should be alert for elevated fire weather conditions this afternoon and Wednesday.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The Yucca Fire started roughly 4 miles west of the dam in Hutchinson County. The fire was caused by a vehicle which resulted in a wildfire that burned 850 acres.
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, January 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: 1079029.