On the night of the 3rd and 4th of March, an upper level system moved in to the combined Panhandles sparking a line of thunderstorms running southwest to northeast across the central Texas Panhandle. The southern most storm developed into a severe storm that dropped hail up to 2 in diameter across Potter and Randall County.
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.
On the night of the 3rd and 4th of March, an upper level system moved in to the combined Panhandles sparking a line of thunderstorms running southwest to northeast across the central Texas Panhandle. The southern most storm developed into a severe storm that dropped hail up to 2 in diameter across Potter and Randall County. On the evening of the 5th of March increase moisture advection in the southeastern Panhandles provided instability for severe thunderstorms. This time in the southeastern Panhandles. One of these storms dropped hail up to 1.7 in Collingsworth County.
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 Mar 3, 11:25 PM CST, 56 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Amarillo TX 1125 PM CST Tue Mar 3 2026 ...New KEY MESSAGES, SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Issued at 1118 PM CST Tue Mar 3 2026 - Low chance for a few strong or severe thunderstorm tonight into Wednesday morning for the eastern Panhandles. - Increasing potential for more of the combined Panhandles to see showers and thunderstorms with some severe on Thursday. However, there are some factors that could greatly limit this threat. - Elevated to critical fire weather conditions can return on Friday for much of the Panhandles. && .SHORT TERM... (Tonight through Thursday night) Issued at 1118 PM CST Tue Mar 3 2026 Thunderstorms are still forecast for tonight, mainly across the northeastern combined Panhandles. Storms are still expected to develop starting in the 11 PM to 1 AM timeframe and may linger to sunrise on Wednesday morning. The latest CAMs have been continuously hinting at a thin line of storms developing overnight, from roughly the central TX Panhandle (around Amarillo to Borger) and up to the northeastern Panhandles. Forecast soundings indicate a decent amount of elevated CAPE (1000-1500 J/kg) which could lead to a large hail threat. Current expectation is that hail could be as large as quarters, but if the more aggressive guidance pans out, hail up to ping pong ball cannot be ruled out. Storms should be east of the forecast area by sunrise on Wednesday. The upper level system that supplied the thunderstorm chances tonight will continue to slowly move east across Kansas/Nebraska on Wednesday. With the CWA being on the southwest side of this low pressure system, dry conditions are anticipated on Wednesday after the showers and storms exit off to the east during the morning. Cooler temperatures in the 60s are expected due to low clouds remaining across the area through mid day as well as us being behind a cold front. For Thursday, a storm system is forecast to dig south from the Pacific Northwest towards the Intermountain West during the day. With southerly to southwesterly flow in the low levels, this will allow Gulf of America moisture to increase across the southern High Plains on Thursday. As dry air moves in across the west, the first typical dry line severe thunderstorms set-up is looking like it may pan out during the afternoon into the evening hours. Forecast guidance continues to paint a good swath of 1000-1500 J/kg MLCAPE over the central to eastern Panhandles. This instability looks to be collocated with sufficient shear, including in the low levels. These ingredients are favorable for the development of severe thunderstorms on Thursday afternoon into the evening. The primary hazards would be large hail (especially with it being March and the mid levels are quite cold) and damaging winds, however, a low threat for a tornado may also arise given the decent shear in the lowest layers. This severe thunderstorm risk is highly contingent on surface heating occurring though, which is not certain to occur on Thursday. To start the day, low clouds will be in place across the region. Just how quickly the low clouds erode and clear out varies tremendously in the model guidance. The longer the clouds stick around, the less heating we can get to break the low level inversion. No surprise, but the notoriously dry biased GFS does erode clouds very quickly, but the moisture rich NAM keeps low clouds across the area all day. The CAMs that do lead to thunderstorm development, do not develop any storms before 5-6 PM, which seems like a reasonable scenario as there will need to be some heating to allow the cap to break. To sum up everything, the potential is there for severe thunderstorms on Thursday, but will depend heavily on just how quickly the low clouds clear out throughout the day. If storms do form, the severe storm threat should end by early Friday morning as storms move off to the east. Muscha && .LONG TERM... (Friday through next Tuesday) Issued at 1118 PM CST Tue Mar 3 2026 An H500 low pressure system should be located across Colorado to start the day on Friday. A stacked jet max will be located on the southeastern portion of the trough over eastern New Mexico into the southern High Plains. This feature will move across the Panhandles on Friday, which will aid in leading to strong winds during the day. As the low pressure system moves east to northeast on Friday, this will create a dry slot across the region leading to much drier conditions. Mid level capping will limit the highest wind gust potential on Friday, but low level winds will be strong in the morning to early afternoon time frame which appears to be the best window for the strongest wind gusts during the day. A few wind gusts getting close to 50-60 mph from late morning to early afternoon certainly cannot be ruled out, especially across the northwestern Panhandles. Widespread wind gusts in the 30-45 mph range should be anticipated given the winds at the top of the boundary layer during the day. Even though some rainfall is expected tonight and Thursday, it would likely take quite a bit (at least a half inch if not three- quarters of an inch) to alleviate some of the fire weather concerns for Friday. In either case, critical fire weather conditions are expected across at least the central and west due to the dry and windy conditions. As the low pressure system moves north of the Panhandles on Friday night, a cold front will propel southward across the Plains and should be south of the area by Saturday morning. This will lead to cooler highs on Saturday, with current forecast temperatures topping out in the 60s. Latest model guidance indicates that a cutoff low pressure system may remain near Baja California through the remainder of the weekend, this leads to southwest to west flow over the southern High Plains. Strong WAA returns as early as Sunday into Monday, with highs increasing quickly back into the 70s and widespread 80s on Monday. The previously mentioned cutoff low may start to move east on Monday and PVA ahead of the system may combine with moisture to lead to rain chances across portions of the area on Monday night. Models struggle with these cutoff lows with how quickly they move out and the exact track, so confidence in any rain remains low at this time. Muscha && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1118 PM CST Tue Mar 3 2026 Low cloud decks are or will be impacting KGUY and KAMA tonight, along with a low chance for KAMA to have a thunderstorm develop in the area. We will monitor this for potential amendments overnight. Winds out of the north at 5-15 kts will settle out of the south towards the end of the period. VFR conditions are forecast at KDHT throughout the period. Harrel && .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. OK...None. && SHORT TERM...05 LONG TERM....05 AVIATION...38
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Amarillo TX 1220 AM CST Wed Mar 4 2026 OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-317-041830- 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- 1220 AM CST Wed Mar 4 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. A storm or two could become severe with large hail being the primary hazard in addition to lightning this morning. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. Thursday there is a chance for severe thunderstorms across the central and eastern Panhandles. Primary hazards include large hail, damaging winds, and the very low threat for a tornado. Friday will have a high chance of very dry conditions with critical fire weather. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated at this time.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
1128 PM CST Tue Mar 3 2026
TXZ004-005-009-010-040600-
Hemphill TX-Ochiltree TX-Roberts TX-Lipscomb TX-
1128 PM CST Tue Mar 3 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT WESTERN LIPSCOMB...NORTHERN
ROBERTS...NORTHWESTERN HEMPHILL AND SOUTHERN OCHILTREE COUNTIES
THROUGH MIDNIGHT CST...
At 1127 PM CST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 6
miles south of Wolf Creek Park, or 20 miles northwest of Canadian,
moving east at 35 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and penny size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Lipscomb and Wolf Creek Park.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3606 10016 3592 10090 3597 10109 3613 10105
3644 10029
TIME...MOT...LOC 0527Z 247DEG 31KT 3612 10063
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
MuschaSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
1142 PM CST Tue Mar 3 2026
TXZ016-017-040630-
Randall TX-Deaf Smith TX-
1142 PM CST Tue Mar 3 2026
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT RANDALL AND EASTERN DEAF SMITH
COUNTIES THROUGH 1230 AM CST...
At 1142 PM CST, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from Summerfield to 6 miles east of Hereford to 3
miles southeast of Umbarger. Movement was northeast at 30 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and penny size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Amarillo, Hereford, Canyon, Lake Tanglewood, Mescalero Park, Buffalo
Lake, Dawn, Umbarger, and Timbercreek Canyon.
This includes Interstate 27 between mile markers 100 and 123.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3475 10257 3508 10244 3518 10195 3518 10170
3475 10192
TIME...MOT...LOC 0542Z 216DEG 25KT 3475 10248 3482 10228 3492 10206
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
MuschaSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
1158 PM CST Tue Mar 3 2026
OKZ003-TXZ005-040645-
Beaver OK-Lipscomb TX-
1158 PM CST Tue Mar 3 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHEASTERN BEAVER AND LIPSCOMB
COUNTIES THROUGH 1245 AM CST...
At 1158 PM CST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 6
miles southwest of Follett, or 10 miles north of Lipscomb, moving
northeast at 40 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and penny size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Lipscomb, Follett, Darrouzett, and Slapout.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3608 10046 3644 10052 3676 10000 3621 10000
TIME...MOT...LOC 0558Z 237DEG 36KT 3638 10023
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
MuschaThe Amarillo radar (KAMA), 23 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:21 UTC.
4 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Ping pong ball sized hail fell on the west side of Amarillo.
Hail of mostly nickel to quarter size fell across the western and northwestern side of Amarillo. However, hail of two inches in diameter fell near I-40 and Coulter Street. In addition, hail of golfball size fell to the west-northwest of Amarillo.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, March 2026
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: 1318179, 1321678, 1318177, 1318180.