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The prolonged dry conditions occurring across
the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles finally received some much welcomed
moisture. Although some of that moisture fell in the form of large
hail and flooding rains. So what caused this wet week of weather?
Well let’s start at the beginning. (Click on the images
to see a bigger picture). |
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The graphic above depicts the upper atmospheric
pattern in place on August, 11th 2008. Pay special attention to
the big red “L” near northern Idaho. This was a low
pressure system that would soon become the Panhandle rain producer.
On the 11th, the cold front positioned over the Panhandles along
with the northwest Winds in the upper atmosphere, helped generated
a few storms over the western Panhandles. |
On the 12th, the cold front pushed
well south of the Panhandles while the northwest winds in the upper
atmoshere (aloft) remained in place. Northwest winds aloft often
bring thunderstorms to the Panhandles. Thunderstorms form over the
Rocky Mountains and then "ride" the winds into the Panhandles.
Not the low pressure system moving north into southern Canada. |
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On the 13th, high pressure in
the upper atmosphere began to strengthen over the Southwest United
States. Moist air from the Gulf Of Mexico began to move back toward
the Panhandles after the cold front deteriorated. The low pressure
system took a slight turn to the southeast. |
By the 14th, the high pressure ridge in the
upper atmosphere became amplified and allowed the winds in the upper
atmosphere to move from the northwest to the north. This acted much
like a slide allowing the low pressure system over the northern
United States to start moving south. This seemingly subtle change
created an environment favorable for Thunderstorms. In fact, widespread
severe weather developed during the afternoon on the 14th. A particularly
intense severe thunderstorm moved south along the eastern Panhandles
and produced large hail up to tennis ball size near Booker, Texas
in Lipscomb County. Please see the photo slideshow below. |
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The upper level low pressure system made a quick
move to the south and helped generate a cold front that moved through
the Panhandles on the 15th. A second round of severe thunderstorms
developed mainly across the western Panhandles. This event was characterized
by what is known as a “Bow Echo” which produced strong
winds, and hail up to golf ball size in Adrian, Texas (Oldham County)
and again in Hereford, Texas (Deaf Smith County). Wind speeds with
this storm topped out around 70 mph which combined with the falling
hailstones to create many projectiles. These hail stones shattered
the windows in cars and homes. |
By the 16th, most of the severe weather had
come to an end, but the heavy rain and flooding began especially
around Hereford in Deaf Smith County. The upper level low pressure
system parked over Colorado and provided abundant support for shower
and thunderstorm development. Storms lasted nearly the entire day
and produced some record daily rainfall totals. |
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Heavy rain continued on the 17th and led to
additional reports of flash flooding from around the Panhandles.
Water began to fill into the San Jose community near Hereford. |
On the 18th, the heavy rain transitioned from
the western Panhandles to the eastern Panhandles as the upper level
low pressure system parked right over the area. Beaver, Lipscomb
and Ochiltree Counties received the most rain and had a few reports
of flash flooding. |
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Overall, the main contributor to the heavy rain was the large
and slow moving upper level low pressure system. However we also
benefited from a few thunderstorms prior to the upper low reaching
the Panhandles. We also had abundant moisture in the atmosphere
as winds near the surface were pumping moisture into the area
from the Gulf of Mexico.
The graphic below displays the total rainfall accumulation from
August 11th through August 18th, 2008. The graphic is hard to
read, but the main idea is that every location in the Panhandles
received rain. Furthermore, the lowest rain total for that week
was in Dalhart with 2.00 inches! And, most location received around
4 inches or more of rain!!!
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This next image shows
a radar estimated percent of normal rainfall for that weeklong period
from August 11th through the 18th. Again, the image is hard to read,
but the bright purple colors show 600% of normal (or roughly 6 times
the amount of rain) with the lowest values over the Panhandles being
200% of normal (or roughly 2 times the amount of rain). |
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Did this solve our drought problem?!
Not necessarily...The following image displays the radar estimated
percent of normal rainfall over the last 90 days. A few locations
(northeast and northwest Texas Panhandle) do show nearly twice the
normal amount of rain for that 90 day period (May 18th through August
18th). However, there are still some places falling slightly below
normal. These areas are mainly across the central to southwest Texas
Panhandle, and the western Oklahoma Panhandle. |
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We have received a few pictures from the week of wet weather.
The first set shows the inredible hail event that impacted Lipscomb
and Beaver Counties (photos near Booker, Texas). These are NOT
pictures from the middle of winter. This is in fact a thick ground
cover of hail. A similar situation occured near Hereford. In both
locations, emergency officials contemplated using snow plows to
clear the roads covered with hail.
Please click on the image to see more pictures.
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Another result of the abnormally cool atmosphere was a number
of “Cold Air Funnels”. Cold Air Funnels typically
do not reach the ground and they are usually completely harmless.
On occasion, they can briefly touch the ground but generally fall
in the EF0 (weak) category for tornadoes. A number of Cold Air
Funnels developed on the 19th as the upper level low pressure
system moved to the southeast of the Panhandles. Kevin Starbuck,
the Amarillo Emergency Manager, supplied these pictures.
Please click on the image to see more pictures.
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These images show some of the result from the heavy rain that
impacted Amarillo. Steve Drillette, the Warning Coordination Meteorologist
at the NWS in Amarillo, supplied these pictures. The heavy rain
caused a small lake to form near his home near Highland Park High
School east of Amarillo.
Please click on the image to see more pictures.
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