Severe Weather Likely Friday (4-15) - including large hail and a tornado or two.

This little storm packed a big punch, dropping large hail on Hwy 54 in 2009. 

By Aaron Graves

Friday and Saturday are looking more and more like severe weather days. With that in mind, we will review a few good ways you can receive advanced warning of dangerous weather. 


First, though, the updated forecast. The Amarillo office of the National Weather Service is calling for a 70% chance of storms Friday and Saturday. Storms could start Friday afternoon, but the main event looks to be Friday evening through the day on Saturday.

Now, the fine print. The Storm Prediction Center shows the risk of severe weather encompasses a large part of the Texas panhandle and eastern New Mexico. Storms will initially be scattered, which means it will be raining here and there. Translation - you might watch a storm go by to the north, and one go by to the south, and it doesn't rain a drop at your house.

However, if you end up being in the path of a storm, you could experience heavy rain, strong - maybe damaging - wind, and possibly large hail. There is the danger of a stray tornado or two, so make sure you stay alert.

(With the risk area including eastern New Mexico, I am always worried about storms that start near the border and move our direction. Those storms have sufficient time to grow and mature and - in my opinion - will be the greatest hail/tornado threat to residents of Dallam and Hartley counties.)

Staying safe during severe weather involves two things: 1) being able to receive storm warnings and 2) knowing where you need to be if a storm is bearing down on you. During the day, you can usually keep tuned in to an Amarillo TV station or listen to local radio. However, in this age of smart phones, there are several good, free apps that can alert you to an oncoming tornado - even at night while you sleep. Here are a few I have found and used... (Keep in mind, I use an iPhone, but most of these apps work on Android phones as well. If you don't have a smart phone, keep reading, there are other options listed below).

WEA ALERT - Smartphones have a built in WEA warning alert - you might have heard it go off during an Amber alert, or last year when Dalhart was under a tornado warning. Make sure your phone's settings allow you to get this alert. If a tornado is bearing down on you, this warning will wake you out of the deepest sleep. 

AMARILLO TV STATION apps - all three major Amarillo television stations have weather apps for your smart phone. Search on KFDA, KVII, or KAMR in the app store. All three apps should allow you to configure push notifications to receive weather warnings. You can also view the station's radar. (On bad weather days, it might be wise to have all three apps on your phone).

TORNADO by the American Red Cross - an awesome, free app that will sound a VERY loud alarm on your smart phone if you are in the path of a tornado. In addition, you can have the app monitor other locations, in case your loved ones live in a different town. Finally, it has a section on how to stay safe depending on where you are - at school, at work, at home, in your car. It's worth the read.

NO SMART PHONE? - sign up for free text and/or e-mail alerts at www.r2beready.com. It is a free service of the Panhandle Area Regional Information System. On the site's main page, look for "Mass Notification for Panhandle Residents" and click the link. Once there, select the counties you want to receive alerts for, and the kind of alerts you want (look for National Weather Service Severe Notifications). After that, enter the phone and e-mail you want to use, and make sure you click the box to accept text messages.

DO NOT RELY SOLEY ON TORNADO SIRENS - The tornado sirens work nice here in Dalhart, but if your indoors or out of range, you may not hear the sirens in time. Make sure you are monitoring TV, radio, and/or your smartphone as well.

WATCH THE SKY -  nature gives us plenty of warning. If an approaching storm looks scary, then take it serious and seek shelter. This is especailly true on Friday, seeing as how the NWS and SPC have been warning us about it since Tuesday. Don't think what you are looking at is only rain - remember, it could be large hail, or a developing torando headed your way. Don't panic, just stay safe.

Pattern Change May Halt Drought - Bring Severe Weather

Snow in Dalhart on March 26, quickly melting the next day.

by Aaron Graves

Drought is rearing its ugly head again, as our dry winter has continued into the start of spring. However, the pattern is about to change and we may see, not only rain this weekend, but severe weather, with storms capable of large hail. There is also potential for a stray tornado or two.

A rainy and stormy weekend is in the forecast!

Friday and Saturday look to be worthy of note, with a 60% chance of storms on Friday and a 70% chance on Saturday. Make sure you keep an eye on the sky and have a way to receive weather warnings. More on that below.

(From my experience, I always take note when the NWS and the Storm Prediction Center highlight potential severe weather four or five days ahead of time. They don't do this often, and when they do it shows their confidence in the forecast. Talk of a stormy weekend began yesterday, and so far the forecast hasn't changed. If we still have a 50%+ chance of storms in the forecast come Thursday night, I would be particularly concerned about Friday.)

Severe weather aside, the potential for rainfall is very welcome. Back on March 8, the U.S. Drought Monitor map first declared all of Dallam County and part of Hartley County as "abnormally dry". This area of dryness spread across most of the Texas panhandle throughout the month. The latest map, dated April 5, shows Dallam and Hartley counties in "moderate drought".

We have only seen 0.41" of precipitation since the beginning of the year. On average, we should have 2.50" by April 13. Last year, we had already received 3.39".

The last time we saw any moisture was a surprisingly fun snow storm back on March 26. I measured 7" at my house, which fell over a 6 hour period. Glancing through social media, other areas of Dalhart got 5" or more. It had all melted away by the next evening.

The NWS says the snow equaled 0.16" of rainfall. It was our only measurable precipitation in March, and the first since a mere 0.05" on February 3.

But maybe it will all change this weekend. The Amarillo NWS is calling for a POSSIBLE 2.5" of total rainfall around Dalhart between Friday and Monday, with lesser amounts to the west and higher amounts to the east. See the graphic posted above.

With severe weather a possibility, make sure you have a way of receiving severe weather warnings. If you have a smart phone, there are numerous apps that will alert you - including apps from the Amarillo TV Stations. Likewise, make sure your smartphone is set to receive the WEA Emergency Alerts - which will go off if Dalhart is threatened by a tornado. You can also sign up for e-mail and text message alerts from www.r2beready.com, a free service from the Panhandle Area Regional Information System.

Likewise, think now about what you will do on Friday if a tornado or hail storm is headed your way. Do you know where to seek shelter at school, work, home or in the car? Make a plan today, don't wait until the last minute.

I plan on updating this blog tomorrow and Friday to keep track of the forecast. I will also talk more about weather warning apps and staying safe.