Year 2000 Weather Review

MARCH
Average High: 63.5 Normal High: 61.6
Average Low: 34.8 Normal Low: 32.7
Monthly Temp: 49.2 Normal Temp: 47.1
Temp Extremes: 82 (20th) / 23 (11th)
Precipitation: 4.14 Normal Pcpn: 0.96
Snowfall: 0.5 Normal Snowfall: 2.9
Records: Wettest March on record

A line of severe thunderstorms with damaging winds swept across most of the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles on the 7th. Approximately $700,000 damage occurred with the storms on the 7th. There were no tornadoes reported during the month.

APRIL
Average High: 72.8 Normal High: 71.5
Average Low: 42.7 Normal Low: 42.1
Monthly Temp: 57.8 Normal Temp: 56.8
Temp Extremes: 93 (18th) / 30 (16th)
Precipitation: 0.43 Normal Pcpn: 0.99
Snowfall: 0.5 Normal Snowfall: 0.6
Records: Tied record high 88 (5th)

MAY
Average High: 85.5 Normal High: 79.1
Average Low: 53.9 Normal Low: 51.6
Monthly Temp: 69.7 Normal Temp: 65.4
Temp Extremes: 102 (23rd) / 37 (13th)
Precipitation: 1.14 Normal Pcpn: 2.48
Snowfall: 0.0 Normal Snowfall: Trace
Records: Record High 97 (6th) / 102 (23rd) second warmest day ever recorded in May
Other: 2 days at or above 100 degrees / 11 days above 90 degress

Severe thunderstorm outbreaks were limited to the last two weeks of the month. A major severe weather outbreak occurred on the 25th, with baseball size hail reported in southwest Amarillo, with an estimated $10 million in damage. This was the anniversary date of the severe hail which pummeled Amarillo in May 1999. Only 1 tornado for the month, an F0 in Deaf Smith County on the 25th. 5th straight month of above normal temperatures.

JUNE
Average High: 82.9 Normal High: 87.6
Average Low: 61.2 Normal Low: 60.7
Monthly Temp: 72.1 Normal Temp: 74.1
Temp Extremes: 96 (20th) / 53 (17th)
Precipitation: 5.54 Normal Pcpn: 3.70
Records: Low Maximum Temp 66 (17th)
Other: 13th wettest June on record / 1st month of the year cooler than normal

The most active severe weather month across the Panhandles for the year. Severe weather occurred on the 1st, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 20th, 21st, 23rd, 25th and 26th. The most significant outbreak occurred on the 25th, primarily across the central and southeast Texas Panhandle resulting in approximately $50,000 in damage. Baseball size hail was reported just south of Borger. There were 4 tornadoes (F0). Two on the 13th, one in Ochiltree and one in Hemphill County. Two on the 25th, in Carson County. . A 9 year old boy was killed by lightning in Pampa on the 1st. Flash floods closed highways in Donley County on the 1st and Sherman County on the 11th.

JULY
Average High: 93.7 Normal High: 91.7
Average Low: 66.4 Normal Low: 65.5
Monthly Temp: 80.1 Normal Temp: 78.6
Temp Extremes: 104 (16th) / 61 (30th)
Precipitation: 0.16 Normal Pcpn: 2.62
Records: Record High 104 (16th)
Other: 3rd driest July on record / 3 days at/above 100 degrees

A warm and very dry month. Isolated severe weather events occurred on several days throughout the month. The most significant event occurred across the Oklahoma Panhandle on the 20th with 11 reports of thunderstorm wind gusts at or above 60 mph. A 43 year old woman was killed by lightning in Amarillo on the 28th.

AUGUST
Average High: 96.9 Normal High: 89.1
Average Low: 66.4 Normal Low: 63.8
Monthly Temp: 81.8 Normal Temp: 76.5
Temp Extremes: 102 (3rd & 4th) / 59 (1st)
Precipitation: 0.29 Normal Pcpn: 3.22
Records: Record High Tied 102 (4th)
Other: 3rd hottest and driest August on record / 6 days at/above 100 degrees

For the first time in history, every day was warmer than 90 degrees. The coolest days occurred on the 18th and 20th with a high of 93 degrees. A very dry month, no rain fell after the 7th. A prolonged dry spell which began July 1st continued. Only a handful of severe weather reports for the month.

SEPTEMBER
Average High: 90.2 Normal High: 81.8
Average Low: 57.2 Normal Low: 56.4
Monthly Temp: 73.7 Normal Temp: 69.1
Temp Extremes: 102 (4th,5th,6th) / 33 (25th)
Precipitation: 0.03 Normal Pcpn: 1.99
Snowfall: 0.0 Normal Snowfall: Trace
Records: Record High Tied 102 (4th) Record High 102 (6th)
Other: 10th warmest and driest September on record, tied with 1977 / 5 days at/above 100 degrees

As prolonged three month drought continued with only 0.48 inches of rain since July 1st. A very warm start to the month, 5 days at or above 100 is also a record for September. No reports of severe weather across the Panhandles.

OCTOBER
Average High: 70.9 Normal High: 72.5
Average Low: 48.3 Normal Low: 44.5
Monthly Temp: 59.7 Normal Temp: 58.5
Temp Extremes: 99 (3rd) / 32 (7th)
Precipitation: 3.95 Normal Pcpn: 1.32
Snowfall: Trace Normal Snowfall: 0.3
Records: Record High 95 (1st) 99 (3rd) Record High Min Tied 57 (23rd)
Other: 9th wettest October

99 Degrees on October 3rd was an all time record high temperature for the month. Severe weather occurred on the 14th, 23rd, 28th, 31st. An F0 tornado skipped across eastern Amarillo on the 23rd, resulting in minor damage. Numerous thunderstorm wind gusts over 60 mph reported on the 28th across the southern and eastern Texas Panhandle, including the Amarillo vicinity. Numerous reports of dime and nickel hail on the 31st across the south central Texas Panhandle. 32 degrees on the 7th was the only freezing temperature of the month and the first freeze of the season. Beneficial rains in the latter half of the month ends the 3 1/2 month long drought. 9 out of the first 10 months of the year were warmer than normal.

NOVEMBER
Average High: 51.6 Normal High: 59.7
Average Low: 27.6 Normal Low: 32.3
Monthly Temp: 39.6 Normal Temp: 46.0
Temp Extremes: 70 (30th) / 16 (9th)
Precipitation: 0.96 Normal Pcpn: 0.69
Snowfall: 8.9 Normal Snowfall: 1.9
Records: Low Max Temp 34 (8TH)
Other: 5th coldest Nov on Record

8.9 inches of snow fell on the 7th in Amarillo, while 4 to 12 inches of snow fell across much of the southern Texas Panhandle. The low temperature dropped below freezing 25 out of 30 days for the month. Only the first five days of the month did the low temperature remain above 32.

DECEMBER
Average High: 44.9 Normal High: 50.1
Average Low: 21.2 Normal Low: 23.7
Monthly Temp: 33.1 Normal Temp: 24.5
Temp Extremes: 68 (17th) / 8 (12th)
Precipitation: 1.47 Normal Pcpn: 0.43
Snowfall: 21.2 Normal Snowfall: 2.8
Records: Record Snowfall 21.2

Snowiest December on record with 21.0 inches. The old record was 15.3 inches in 1987. Highest December 24 hour snowfall with 19.7 inches. The old record was 11.3 inches in 1987. Greatest snow depth was 15 inches. The old record was 13 inches in 1987.