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Heat Persists in the South Central U.S. and California; Heavy Rain in the Ohio Valley

Sweltering heat remains across the South-Central Plains and Lower/Middle Mississippi Valley, as well as in the Southwest and California this week with limited nighttime relief. Heavy rainfall will lead to localized areas of flash flooding in parts of the Ohio Valley/Central Appalachians. Dry and breezy conditions will enhance fire weather concerns across the northern Rockies and High Plains. Read More >

Overview

Friday, June 2nd-3rd 2017

Plenty of moisture was being brought northwest on southeast surface winds.  The winds aloft were very light. A small upper level disturbance was nearly stationary just to the southwest of Hereford, TX.  This disturbance teamed up with the abundant moisture to help produce thunderstorms across the south central and southwest Texas Panhandle Friday afternoon.  The activity initially developed over western Potter and western Randall Counties into eastern Oldham and eastern Deaf Smith Counties.  The thunderstorms moved very slowly west away from Amarillo.  Then an outflow boundary started moving east from the initial activity.  More storms started to develop eastward behind the eastward moving boundary.  The heavy rain producing thunderstorms slowly moved and developed eastward into the western half of Amarillo.  The thunderstorms then remained almost stationary or slowly drifted off to the south.  The intense rainfall (at least 2 inch an hour rainfall rates) fell over the western half of Amarillo and caused flash flooding in this area.  Rainfall amounts were generally in the 2 to 4 inch range with locally higher amounts.  All of the rain fell in less than a 2 hour time span. On Saturday, the 3rd, an upper level disturbance moved southward toward the panhandles.  This disturbance helped to produce heavy rain producing thunderstorms again over western and central Amarillo. Rainfall amounts were generally in the 1 to 2 inch range.

 

 

Radar Animation from June 2nd
Radar Animation from June 3rd

 

 

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