An upper level weather system moved through the region. This resulted in a dryline that set up across the Panhandles.
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.
An upper level weather system moved through the region. This resulted in a dryline that set up across the Panhandles. On the west side of the dryline, windy and dry conditions were in place. As a result, a wildfire occurred in southeast Moore county and burned about 854 acres.
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 Feb 24, 11:45 AM CST, 2 hours 56 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Amarillo TX 1145 AM CST Sat Feb 24 2024 ...New AVIATION... .SHORT TERM ... (Today through Sunday night) Issued at 311 AM CST Sat Feb 24 2024 A surface low will intensify in southeast Colorado today in response to an approaching short wave trough in the northwest flow aloft. This will help to increase the winds into the 15 to 30 mph range with higher gusts, especially across the southwest Texas Panhandle where the pressure gradient will be the strongest. A surface trough will then push across the Panhandles tonight as the upper level short wave trough moves across to our north. On Sunday, a surface low will re-establish itself in northeast New Mexico. This surface low will have a trough extending southeast from it into the south-central Texas Panhandle. This will keep winds lower than today across many areas. However, if the trough can move east far enough, then the far southwest Texas Panhandle could again see winds approaching 25 mph with higher gusts. Highs today are expected to be generally in the 70's with a few upper 60's in the northwest. Highs on Sunday are expected to be generally in the 70's with a few lower 80's in the southeast. && .LONG TERM ... (Monday through Friday) Issued at 311 AM CST Sat Feb 24 2024 Split flow will be set up across the CONUS with the Panhandles below the subtropical jet to begin this period. A tight surface pressure gradient will be set up over the area leading to windy conditions, particularly in the western Panhandles. Deterministic guidance does have 30-40 kt winds at 850mb with 40-50 kts at 700mb during the day which introduces the potential for some wind gusts to be as high as 50-55 mph in the western half of the Panhandles. However... as is typical with a subtropical jet, some high clouds are expected which may disrupt mixing periodically. Still, NBM already gives advisory level winds (35-40 mph) across much of the western half of the Panhandles with gusts up to 55 mph. However, there is some uncertainty with the strength of the winds. The DESI LREF gives a 20% or less probability for sustained winds of 30 mph or greater, perhaps suggesting that the high clouds may be too much of an inhibitor. This introduces a thought that the NBM's winds may be too strong...which is a weird thought to have. Southwesterly winds of 20-30 mph are favored to continue Monday night as an upper-level trough digs southeast toward Colorado, kicking off a new low pressure in eastern Colorado, further steepening the surface pressure gradient. As this trough approaches, the jet over the Panhandles will strengthen as a result of a tightening gradient. Generally, it looks as though Tuesday will have stronger winds aloft with the GFS suggesting 40-50 kts at 850mb and 700mb, while ECMWF has 30-45 kts at 850mb but 50-60 kts at 700mb. Some high clouds are favored to continue into Tuesday, but the lowest coverage is currently favored in the northwest and the higher coverage is currently favored in the southeast. Given the breezy to windy conditions overnight, there should be only a weak nocturnal inversion such that it won't take long into Tuesday morning for the inversion to get mixed out, introducing the potential for some strong wind gusts to begin as early as around 9 AM. GFS is clearly the more aggressive solution with respect to wind potential, suggesting gusts as high as 60 mph would be possible. ECMWF is more modest, but 50+ mph wind gusts would still be possible. NBM produces around 30-35 mph winds across the area with gusts up to 50 mph. Oddly, these winds are lower than what NBM produces for Monday despite conditions generally being more favorable for winds on Tuesday. DESI LREF gives a 40-70% chance for sustained winds over 30 mph for much of the area which makes more sense than what NBM is suggesting. Therefore... despite the NBM producing weaker winds on Tuesday compared to Monday, current thinking is that Tuesday will be windier than Monday. Will leave these winds in for now but adjustments may be needed if this issue continues into the short- term. A robust cold front moves in from the north Tuesday evening, lowering the winds and introducing a cooler airmass. There is the potential that this cold front will move in quicker than what the models are currently suggesting. If so, this would limit the length of the windy conditions. Cooler temperatures take over for Wednesday with highs around average for this time of year. A new upper-level trough is favored to move into the Western US later in the week which pumps a ridge over the Plains, resulting in another warming trend. Vanden Bosch && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1138 AM CST Sat Feb 24 2024 VFR conditions expected throughout the 18Z TAF period at all TAF sites. Current winds at all obs are out of the southwest at 10 to 20 kts with higher gusts at times. Winds will subside by sunset with winds 5 to 15 kts out of the west and southwest. Skies will be mostly clear. Meccariello && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 311 AM CST Sat Feb 24 2024 Elevated fire weather conditions will be possible today generally southwest of a line from Dalhart, to Dumas, to Claude. This is where the lowest relative humidity will line up with the strongest winds. Elevated fire weather conditions will be possible on Sunday across the far southwest Texas Panhandle where southwest winds may be around 25 mph with higher gusts along with low relative humidity. Mostly wind-driven elevated to critical fire weather conditions are possible on Monday and Tuesday as there will be low relative humidity values both days along with the potential for 30+ mph sustained winds with gusts over 50 mph. A cold front is favored to move in Tuesday evening with a sharp rise in relative humidity values and a wind shift. It is certainly not out of the realm of possibilities that this cold front ultimately comes through early than Tuesday evening, so keep an eye on the forecast. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Amarillo TX 44 77 49 81 / 0 0 0 0 Beaver OK 34 74 40 83 / 0 0 0 0 Boise City OK 34 72 41 76 / 0 0 0 0 Borger TX 42 78 49 84 / 0 0 0 0 Boys Ranch TX 39 78 45 82 / 0 0 0 0 Canyon TX 43 78 49 82 / 0 0 0 0 Clarendon TX 47 78 51 84 / 0 0 0 0 Dalhart TX 34 75 40 78 / 0 0 0 0 Guymon OK 33 74 40 81 / 0 0 0 0 Hereford TX 43 79 47 82 / 0 0 0 0 Lipscomb TX 38 75 43 84 / 0 0 0 0 Pampa TX 43 75 49 83 / 0 0 0 0 Shamrock TX 44 77 47 86 / 0 0 0 0 Wellington TX 44 79 47 87 / 0 0 0 0 && .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. OK...None. && SHORT TERM...15 LONG TERM....52 AVIATION...29
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Amarillo TX 310 AM CST Sat Feb 24 2024 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-317-242115- 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- 310 AM CST Sat Feb 24 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Elevated fire weather conditions will be possible this afternoon mainly southwest of a line from Dalhart to Dumas to Claude. This is where the strongest southwest winds will line up with the lowest relative humidity. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Elevated to critical fire weather conditions are possible Monday and Tuesday due to strong winds and low relative humidity values. Sustained southwest to west winds around 35 mph with higher gusts may develop Monday and Tuesday across at least parts of the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles, and a Wind Advisory may be needed on one or both of those days. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated at this time.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
A wildland grass fire occurred in southeast Moore County near CIG Road and Hagy Road. The cause of the fire is not known. This fire burned an estimated 4012 acres on private property. Estimated Cost in resources was 9,271.50.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, February 2024
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: 1164969.