Texas, 2024

Drought in Texas, November 1 to 12, 2024

November 1 to 12, 2024 · NWS AMA · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

With drought conditions worsening and expanding over the course of October, November showed up with historical drought busting rains. November falls within the 'dry' season for the combined Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles, so drought busting is not the norm in November.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS AMA wrote it up.

With drought conditions worsening and expanding over the course of October, November showed up with historical drought busting rains. November falls within the 'dry' season for the combined Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles, so drought busting is not the norm in November. Normal precipitation for November only ranges from 0.50 to 0.75 for the entire 30 day period. A historical eight to ten inches of rain fell across parts of the eastern and southeastern Texas Panhandle. Three official NWS Amarillo climate sites all broke their record November rainfall.

What forecasters said that day

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 Oct 31, 11:30 PM CST, 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 31, 11:30 PM CST, 30 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
1230 AM CDT Fri Nov 1 2024

...New AVIATION...

.SHORT TERM...
(This evening through Friday night)
Issued at 131 PM CDT Thu Oct 31 2024

Though the surface high pressure will be well to our northeast by
tomorrow morning, surface ridging will extend southwestward across
the FA and, though light, will keep winds out of the south to
southwest. This will also allow for warmer overnight lows compared
to widespread freezing temps that was observed this morning. Upper
troughing will amplify across the western CONUS through tomorrow
afternoon while also pushing eastward towards the Desert
Southwest.

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Saturday through next Wednesday)
Issued at 131 PM CDT Thu Oct 31 2024

Upper diffluence will increase as the aforementioned upper trough
continues to amplify and push eastward through the weekend, with
the trough axis reaching the Four Corners by late Sunday morning.
Saturday looks to be the best day for any severe potential severe
storms. Instability will be greatest Saturday with MLCAPE upwards
of 1000 J/kg along with 35-45 knots of shear. Large hail over one
inch, wind gusts up to 70 mph, and brief heavy downpours will be
the biggest threats. Precip will push to the east of the FA by
late Sunday/early Monday as the axis of the upper trough moves
through the region. Models continue to diverge greatly with the
evolution of the next potential storm system mid to late next
week. The ECMWF has a closed upper low pushing eastward across
Arizona/New Mexico which would be a good scenario for additional
widespread rainfall. The GFS, which had previous runs very similar
to the ECMWF, now has a progressive open trough that moves quickly
across the central CONUS and leaves the region dry while also
pushing a strong cold front southward into the Panhandles.

&&

.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1226 AM CDT Fri Nov 1 2024

VFR conditions are expected through this forecast period. The
primary forecast concern is the potential for thunderstorms this
evening. The relatively greater confidence in thunderstorms by
02/06z is at Dalhart at this time. Amarillo could see
thunderstorms as well by that time, but confidence is lower
therefore have not included any mentions in the TAFs at this time.
Otherwise... low-level wind shear is being observed at Guymon and
should continue through around 12z.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Amarillo TX                74  54  70  52 /  10  80  80  40
Beaver OK                  76  51  68  53 /   0  80  80  60
Boise City OK              71  46  70  45 /   0  40  30  10
Borger TX                  78  55  73  54 /   0  80  80  50
Boys Ranch TX              76  54  73  51 /   0  90  60  40
Canyon TX                  73  54  71  51 /  10  80  80  40
Clarendon TX               70  55  69  55 /  10  80  90  70
Dalhart TX                 71  49  69  45 /   0  70  40  20
Guymon OK                  74  49  68  49 /   0  60  60  30
Hereford TX                73  54  71  50 /  10  90  80  40
Lipscomb TX                74  54  68  55 /   0  80  90  60
Pampa TX                   73  54  68  54 /   0  80  80  60
Shamrock TX                71  54  68  57 /  10  80 100  80
Wellington TX              71  55  70  57 /  10  80 100  90

&&

.AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...None.
OK...None.
&&

SHORT TERM...99
LONG TERM....99
AVIATION...52
Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 31, 1:18 PM CST, 10 hours 42 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
Issued by National Weather Service Lubbock TX
218 PM CDT Thu Oct 31 2024

OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-317-010730-
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-
218 PM CDT Thu Oct 31 2024

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.

Showers and thunderstorms will be possible Friday night through
Sunday night. There is the potential for strong to severe
thunderstorms Friday night and Saturday afternoon and evening
with damaging winds and large hail being the primary threats.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not anticipated at this time.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Wheeler

When
November 1, 12:00 AM CST to November 5, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Wheeler forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
35.401, -100.270 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

November 2nd brought in quite the prolonged rain event to the combined OK/TX Panhandles, especially the southeastern half where 2 to 3 fell. This was 2 to 3 times the normal monthly rainfall for the area and allowed parts of Donley, Wheeler, and Collingsworth counties that were in Extreme Drought (D3) and Severe Drought (D2) to improve a category by the end of the first week of November. Two more events occurred within the first half of November, allowing all areas to be removed from all drought fully and completely. Donley, Wheeler, and Collingsworth counties received a total of 8 to 10 of rain by the middle of the month. This amount of rain in November is not common at all and well received for the removal of drought.

Drought, Donley

When
November 1, 12:00 AM CST to November 12, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Donley forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
34.965, -100.814 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

November 2nd brought in quite the prolonged rain event to the combined OK/TX Panhandles, especially the southeastern half where 2 to 3 fell. This was 2 to 3 times the normal monthly rainfall for the area and allowed parts of Donley, Wheeler, and Collingsworth counties that were in Extreme Drought (D3) and Severe Drought (D2) to improve a category by the end of the first week of November. Two more events occurred within the first half of November, allowing all areas to be removed from all drought fully and completely. Donley, Wheeler, and Collingsworth counties received a total of 8 to 10 of rain by the middle of the month. This amount of rain in November is not common at all and well received for the removal of drought.

Drought, Collingsworth

When
November 1, 12:00 AM CST to November 12, 5:00 PM CST
Where
Collingsworth forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
34.965, -100.270 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

November 2nd brought in quite the prolonged rain event to the combined OK/TX Panhandles, especially the southeastern half where 2 to 3 fell. This was 2 to 3 times the normal monthly rainfall for the area and allowed parts of Donley, Wheeler, and Collingsworth counties that were in Extreme Drought (D3) and Severe Drought (D2) to improve a category by the end of the first week of November. Two more events occurred within the first half of November, allowing all areas to be removed from all drought fully and completely. Donley, Wheeler, and Collingsworth counties received a total of 8 to 10 of rain by the middle of the month. This amount of rain in November is not common at all and well received for the removal of drought.

Drought, Lipscomb

When
November 1, 12:00 AM CST to November 5, 12:00 AM CST
Where
Lipscomb forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
36.278, -100.273 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

November 2nd brought in quite the prolonged rain event to the combined OK/TX Panhandles, especially the southeastern half where 2 to 3 fell. This was 2 to 3 times the normal monthly rainfall for the area and allowed parts of Hemphill and Lipscomb counties that were in Severe Drought (D2) to improve to Moderate Drought (D1) by the end of the first week of November. Two more events occurred within the first two weeks of November allowing the area to be removed from all drought categories. Lipscomb and Hemphill counties received a total of 7 to 9 of rain by the middle of the month. This amount of rain in November is not common at all and well received for the removal of drought.

Drought, Hemphill

When
November 1, 12:00 AM CST to November 5, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Hemphill forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
35.838, -100.270 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

November 2nd brought in quite the prolonged rain event to the combined OK/TX Panhandles, especially the southeastern half where 2 to 3 fell. This was 2 to 3 times the normal monthly rainfall for the area and allowed parts of Hemphill and Lipscomb counties that were in Severe Drought (D2) to improve to Moderate Drought (D1) by the end of the first week of November. Two more events occurred within the first two weeks of November allowing the area to be removed from all drought categories. Lipscomb and Hemphill counties received a total of 7 to 9 of rain by the middle of the month. This amount of rain in November is not common at all and well received for the removal of drought.

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Texas in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, November 2024

Sources

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: 1223223, 1223224, 1223225, 1223226, 1223227.