XIT Weather: Hot, Cool, and Wet

Dalhart Weather Review

by Aaron Graves

When it comes time for half the world to descend on Dalhart and celebrate the XIT Rodeo and Reunion with us, casually predicting the weather is almost a flip of the coin. On one side, it is summer and it can be unbelievably hot. On the flip side, August is traditionally a wet month, so it could literally rain on our parade (or rodeo… or free food… or mud bog…) 

The storm after it had moved over the rodeo arena.

This year, we got to see both sides of the coin. Thursday, Aug. 7, was hot, with a high of 100 degrees (only the fifth time this year to hit the century mark). But then it cooled down into the 80’s on Friday. This was followed by a beautiful storm during the final rodeo performance on Saturday, Aug. 9. 

I was not at the rodeo arena, but I was parked along the lake road (FM 281) watching the storm roll in. There was lightning, pea-sized hail, and, at times, heavy rain. I followed the storm as moved south. Traffic along Hwy. 87 near County Road C was temporarily brought to a stand still due to low visibility as the storm crossed the highway.

One rodeo attendee told me the rain briefly interrupted the performance. Some in the audience left, but others stuck it out. After it became clear the storm was moving away, the rodeo resumed. 

Robin Scott, publisher of "The County Times Two" newsletter that graciously includes this blog, told me over e-mail: "I was taking tickets at the rodeo for Rotary and I'm pretty sure I've never been that soaked by rain before in my life....it was a blast!!!"

Officially, we ended up with 0.15” of rain, as recorded at the airport and relayed to the National Weather Service in Amarillo. However, Texaspivot.com shows about a half inch of rain fell near FM 281 where I was initially parked. And the blinding downpour at County Road C? A nearby pivot picked up 1.25” of rain. 

The NWS recorded an additional 0.04” of rain on Aug. 10. On Aug. 5, we received 0.14” from some late evening storms. This brings our monthly total to 0.33”. 

The CoCoRaHS volunteer network reports Texline received 0.35” of rain on Aug. 5, 0.05” on Aug. 9, and a healthy 0.96” on Aug. 10. Along South Sedan Road, about 8 miles NW of Dalhart, 0.44” of rain fell Aug. 6 and 0.02” on Aug. 7. 

Texaspivot.com reports the Hartley area saw about a quarter inch of rain over the past week. Western Hartley County saw rain totals between 1.5” and 3” - most of it from the Aug. 9 storm. 

Always remember, if a storm is moving away, and the
sun is sinking low, stay outside to see the rainbow. 

Thus ends another wonderful and fun XIT celebration. I always joke it rains during XIT - mainly because I have been rained on a couple of times myself during some events. But rain is always welcome in these parts. And, I wonder - if we hosted a rodeo every weekend in August - would it rain every weekend? Scientists may have to consider this as a possible way of breaking the drought.

High and low temps the past week

Aug 5: 92, 64

Aug 6: 96, 60

Aug 7: 100, 6

Aug 8: 88, 67

Aug 9: 96, 58

Aug 10: 90, 65

Aug 11: 86, 63