Storm chasers are in Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle in great numbers on this Saturday afternoon.
A moderately unstable airmass over the Plains is bubbling under a capping inversion and the result should be explosively severe thunderstorm development between now and 7 p.m. CDT over the Panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma.
An upper level trough approaching from the west should weaken the cap and let the storm growth began as a dryline moves east. The dewpoint at Amarillo right now is 56F while at Tucumcari, New Mexico, just 90 miles west, it is 19F.
At Amarillo, winds are out of the ESE averaging 31 mph and gusting to 39 mph. That would be “backed” surface winds, which are favorable for tornado development.
Tornadoes and very large hail will be possible for the first few hours of this event before it morphs into more of a linear system due to the strong forcing.
Tune your radars to AMA and prepare for some armchair chasing this evening.
Closer to home, another cool night tonight, around 50, with another carbon copy tomorrow…look for a high near 80. Next week’s rain system seems to be focusing on Thursday, but it is looking less promising for good rainfall. Forecast seems on track. Will have another update during the evening.
