Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Amarillo, TX

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138 FXUS64 KAMA 181735 AFDAMA Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Amarillo TX 1235 PM CDT Tue Jun 18 2024 ...New AVIATION... .SHORT TERM ... (Today through Wednesday night) Issued at 328 AM CDT Tue Jun 18 2024 A very similar scenario to yesterday looks plausible today, including breezy winds throughout the day. One forecast element that should actually be more favorable today is increased flow aloft. Southwest 500mb winds should bring another minor disturbance to the area today, as a sfc trough sets up over the western Panhandles up into western KS, potentially providing lift for storm development. Lift should be highest in KS where a stalling boundary will help with storm development, some of which could spread into the Oklahoma Panhandle this evening. Further south in the Texas Panhandle, capping will play a major role again today, lending to another low confidence forecast. If any localized areas along the sfc trough can get enhanced convergence to break the cap, isolated to scattered storms are possible. This potential appears to be highest along and south of I-40, but could extend further north if capping breaks. Should storms develop, 2500-3500 MLCAPE, 30 kt shear, and 50s-60s dew points will be in place for strong to severe wind and hail for any activity in the CWA. The stalled boundary approaching the KS- OK border may provide an opportunity for a landspout or two as well, but high storm bases would keep the overall tornado threat unlikely. Increasing PWATs suggest heavy rainfall would also be worth monitoring. Overnight, some of the KS/OK Panhandle activity might slide south and east towards the northeastern TX Panhandle, but this potential really hinges on what all takes place this evening. For Wednesday, although guidance has converged on the more southerly track of the potential tropical cyclone in the Gulf, we should still see an increase in moisture pulled to the area. Heavy cloud cover will drape over the region as a result, bringing reprieve from the heat in the 90s, with cooler temps in the 80s forecast along with more rain/storm chances. As mentioned, the system is trending south and west towards the Rio Grande Valley, which might take better rain chances with it. Will go ahead and leave NBM POPs 0f 30-50% alone for now, but would not be surprised to see a decrease in rain chances based on the likely presence of stronger ridging aloft. Harrel && .LONG TERM ... (Thursday through Monday) Issued at 328 AM CDT Tue Jun 18 2024 Starting the long term forecast period, we continue to watch the remnants of the tropical low pressure system off the Texas Gulf Coast moving up to the Rio Grande river. The NW direction is being steered by the broad H500 anti-cyclonic feature from the mid Atlantic back to the lower Mississippi River Valley. UL subsidence from the influence of this H500 high pressure system may limit rain potential. However, the moisture transport from the tropical system may still reach the southern and western TX Panhandle, were the highest rain chances (30-40%) will exist. PWAT values approaching near record values for skew-t climatology will be possible with values above 1.5" by Friday afternoon based off the latest 18/00Z model and numerical data. As the center of the H500 high pressure shifts west into NM by the coming weekend, mid level NW flow will aid in diurnal convection developing off of dirty ridge rollers that move across the CO/NM high terrain and give us additional showers and thunderstorm chances each day through early next week. After high temps below average on Thursday and Friday, but still rather muggy, temperatures this coming weekend through early next week will return to above average as we go into late June. Meccariello && .AVIATION...
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(18Z TAFS) Issued at 1228 PM CDT Tue Jun 18 2024 VFR conditions are currently holding over the terminals with breezy southerly winds present. However, potential of thunderstorms is starting to increase for later this afternoon and evening with KGUY and KAMA now seeing better chances of seeing impacts. For KGUY, they have the best chances for seeing impacts, which will likely be more on the strong gusty wind side. However, confidence is not high enough to anything more than place vicinity showers in the current package. Meanwhile, confidence is too low for any mention this afternoon. Otherwise, higher amounts of moisture are expected to move in during the overnight and bring chances of showers and/or low-level cloud decks to all terminals for Wednesday morning.
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&& .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
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Amarillo TX 69 84 64 80 / 20 30 40 40 Beaver OK 67 86 63 86 / 40 60 30 20 Boise City OK 62 79 61 82 / 50 60 50 30 Borger TX 71 90 67 86 / 20 50 40 30 Boys Ranch TX 70 88 64 82 / 20 50 50 40 Canyon TX 68 84 63 77 / 20 30 40 40 Clarendon TX 68 82 64 76 / 20 20 20 40 Dalhart TX 64 84 60 82 / 30 60 60 40 Guymon OK 65 83 62 84 / 50 60 50 20 Hereford TX 69 86 64 79 / 20 30 40 50 Lipscomb TX 69 86 65 85 / 40 50 20 20 Pampa TX 69 85 64 81 / 20 40 30 30 Shamrock TX 69 86 65 82 / 20 20 20 30 Wellington TX 70 86 66 81 / 20 10 20 40
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&& .AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. OK...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...38 LONG TERM....29 AVIATION...11