During the late afternoon of the 7th a line of thunderstorms developed in eastern New Mexico and proceeded to move east into and across the combined Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles. The strongest and most severe of these storms mainly impacted the TX Panhandle as it progressed.
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.
During the late afternoon of the 7th a line of thunderstorms developed in eastern New Mexico and proceeded to move east into and across the combined Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles. The strongest and most severe of these storms mainly impacted the TX Panhandle as it progressed. Several severe wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph winds were measured by ground stations across the area. Some of the strongest parts of the storms even produced some heavy rainfall.
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 7, 12:43 PM CST, 1 hour 52 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Amarillo TX 143 PM CDT Fri Jul 7 2023 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM... .SHORT TERM ... (This evening through Saturday night) Issued at 141 PM CDT Fri Jul 7 2023 Summary: Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected later this afternoon through this evening across the Panhandles. All severe hazards are possible, including hail up to or exceeding 2" early on, and potentially widespread damaging winds this evening with some gusts up to 80 mph possible. Strong to severe thunderstorms may be possible Saturday, though that is highly conditional upon sufficient destabilization. Details: The special 18z sounding shows the atmosphere is, unsurprisingly, still capped. There is still a decent layer of low- level moisture below an inversion associated with the beginning of a stout EML. There is impressive low-level shear along with favorable deep-layer shear for organized severe weather. Continued destabilization is expected across the area, though dew points are sticking around in the upper 60s to lower 70s. As recent as the 17z HRRR and RAP runs continue to overestimate the effects of mixing on the surface dew points. Observed dew points are sticking to around 67 degrees while HRRR and RAP suggest it should be 3-6 degrees lower. Therefore, expecting LCLs to be lower and instability to be higher than the near-term models depict. Thunderstorms are expected to develop in the western combined Panhandles, likely along a surface wind convergence boundary, around 3-4 PM. There will be enough shear for thunderstorms to become supercellular which may produce hail up to or exceeding 2" in diameter. A tornado or two will also be possible, especially in the north where stronger low-level shear is expected. Upscale growth into an MCS is eventually expected. The large hail threat will lower some in this stage but there will be an increased threat for potentially widespread damaging winds, including gusts up to 80 mph. A tornado or two will be possible in this stage as well. The MCS is expected to leave the area late this evening. There is a low chance for additional thunderstorm development later this afternoon in the eastern Texas Panhandle where a boundary may set up and be a focus for discrete thunderstorm development. Visible satellite is showing the development of streaks of low-level clouds around early this afternoon. If thunderstorm development does occur, a supercell would be favored with all hazards possible including hail up to or exceeding 2". Saturday: The overall setup doesn't change much. However, today's severe weather is expected to aggressively stabilize the atmosphere such that it is very uncertain whether it will be able to destabilize enough by Saturday evening. If it does, all severe hazards would be possible again. But given the uncertainty in sufficient destabilization, will opt to focus on today's severe weather potential and re-assess the situation in future forecast packages. Vanden Bosch && .LONG TERM ... (Sunday through next Thursday) Issued at 141 PM CDT Fri Jul 7 2023 Additional chances for rain returns to the Panhandles, but it may not be as widespread. While some areas may get additional rainfall, others areas will begin to dry out with temperatures on the rise. As the center of the main H500 high pressure system slowly shifts north into central New Mexico, additional areas of thunderstorms are expected Sunday and Monday. Perturbations associated with ridge rollers, along with any residual surface boundaries from previous areas of convection and/or a stalled front will act as a catalyst for additional diurnally driven convection. In particular for Sunday and Sunday night, storms could be severe with large hail and damaging wind gusts being the main threat. High temperatures will be near to slightly below average, especially in the northern Panhandles where areas north of the stalled front will experience slightly below average temperatures. A small break in the precipitation chances should come mid week as latest 07/12Z model and numerical data shows the eastern extent of the main H500 high into the Panhandles. Large scale subsidence aloft should minimize rain chances and warm temperatures up. High temperatures Tues-Thur will range from mid 90s to 100-104. As main H500 high shifts further back to the west, NW H500 flow returns and so do our rain chances, favoring the northern Panhandles. Meccariello && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1200 PM CDT Fri Jul 7 2023 VCTS is expected at each terminal later in the afternoon. Have attempted to time it out, but amendments will be needed later as the start and end times are certainly not definite. Showers and low clouds may follow the thunderstorms. Have indicated this with MVFR ceilings but even lower ceilings will be possible. Amendments may be needed. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Amarillo TX 65 87 65 85 / 40 10 40 10 Beaver OK 63 78 60 77 / 70 10 70 20 Boise City OK 60 77 59 78 / 50 10 60 10 Borger TX 65 85 65 86 / 50 10 50 10 Boys Ranch TX 65 88 66 88 / 30 10 30 0 Canyon TX 65 89 65 87 / 40 10 30 0 Clarendon TX 68 87 66 83 / 50 10 40 10 Dalhart TX 62 81 61 82 / 30 10 40 0 Guymon OK 62 77 60 77 / 40 10 70 10 Hereford TX 65 91 66 91 / 30 10 20 0 Lipscomb TX 63 79 60 78 / 70 10 70 30 Pampa TX 65 82 64 81 / 70 10 60 20 Shamrock TX 66 86 64 83 / 60 10 50 20 Wellington TX 68 90 66 86 / 50 10 40 20 && .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. OK...None. && SHORT TERM...52 LONG TERM....29 AVIATION...52
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Amarillo TX 100 PM CDT Fri Jul 7 2023 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-317-081100- 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- 100 PM CDT Fri Jul 7 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight. Another round of thunderstorms is expected to develop this afternoon and tonight across the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles. Some storms may become severe, with large hail and damaging winds the primary hazards. Also, a tornado or two cannot be ruled out. Heavy rainfall will likely accompany the strongest storms, which may lead to flooding or flash flooding. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Additional thunderstorms will be possible across the area Saturday afternoon through Monday night. Some storms will have the potential to become severe during this time period, with large hail and damaging winds the primary hazards. In addition, heavy rainfall will likely accompany the strongest storms, which may lead to flooding or flash flooding. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will likely be needed this afternoon and this evening.
The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 116 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:34 UTC.
23 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
From 1535CDT through 1550CDT the ASOS located in Dalhart gusted between 58 and 64 mph with a line of thunderstorms moving through.
Tornado was captured on video by a storm chaser. The video showed there were twin tornadoes from the same circulation in very close proximity briefly. They remained in open county and didn't encounter any damage indicators.
A report was sent in by emergency management with pictures of large trees limbs snapped, large signs blown over, and metal shingles ripped off the roof of a house in the town of Fritch.
A metal fence was blown out of the ground and into the roadway.
Large tree branches were down by the intersection near Sam Houston park.
First severe wind gust of 59 mph occurred at 1840CDT. The peak wind gust of 61 mph occurred at 1852CDT. The last 60 mph wind gust occurred at 1857CDT.
The first 60 mph plus wind gust was measured at 76 mph at 1927CDT. The mesonet then quickly measured a 95 and 96 mph wind gust over the next two minute. The last wind gust of 61 mph was at 1935CDT.
Reports of street flooding in the city of Perryton were received from broadcast media. Also it was reported that around 4 rainfall received in a short period of time.
Multiple reports of tree damage across Wellington were given to the weather office in Amarillo. Branches ranges from 1 inch to greater than 3 inches.
The first severe wind gust was 66 mph at 2016CDT. Another gust of 73 mph was measured at 2018CDT. Then, the mesonet measured an even higher wind gust of 76 mph at 2025CDT and continued to gust over 58 mph through 2029CDT.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 2023Warnings in Texas, July 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: 1118021, 1118022, 1180959, 1118023, 1118024, 1118025, 1118017, 1118026, 1118018, 1118027, 1118028, 1118019, 1118029, 1118030, 1118031, 1118032, 1118033, 1118034, 1118035, 1118036, 1118038, 1118016, 1118039, 1118020, 1118040.