National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

HEAVY RAINS FALL ON MUCH OF THE REGION!

Storm Total Precipitation Estimated from Radar (Click on the image for a larger version)

Image of the storm total precipitation (in inches), as estimated by radar, that fell across the region from the afternoon of Thursday, August 11th through midday on Monday, August 15th. Click on the image for a larger view.

 

The combination of a cold front moving through the area, numerous outflow boundaries, a series of upper level disturbances, relatively slow storm movement, and an unusually moist air mass in place, resulted in heavy precipitation falling across many locations of the South and Rolling Plains from Thursday, August 11, through Tuesday, August 16th.

 

Seven day total Radar derived precipitation from the 7 am August 11 through the 18th.  Click on the image for a larger view.

Image of the storm total precipitation (in inches), as estimated by radar, that fell across the region from the 7am Thursday, August 11th through 7 am Thursday, August 18th. Click on the image for a larger view.

 

More specifically, many parts of the region experienced significant precipitation between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning, with locations south and east of a Tahoka to Post to Spur to Paducah line receiving additional very heavy rainfall over the remainder of Sunday and portions of Monday, with lighter amounts over this same area early Tuesday. Most locations across the area received around one inch or more, with a number of sites accumulating well over two inches (see the Table below). The heaviest rainfall fell at Aspermont 3NE, with 8.09 inches, Snyder 3E with 7.23 inches, Silverton 7E with 6.18 inches, and Jayton 1S with 5.09 inches. The very heavy rainfall in some locations resulted in the flooding of some urban, low lying, and poor drainage areas. Additionally, the Brazos - Double Mountain Fork near Aspermont 10 S crested at 14.72 ft on August 15th, above the flood stage of 8 ft, resulting in the minor lowland flooding of the river valley. The river receded back under flood stage on Wednesday, August 17th.

Below are the 5 day rainfall totals for the West Texas Mesonet sites from August 12 through the 16th.

 

West Texas Mesonet Site
Rainfall Total (inches)
Abernathy 5NE
0.60
Amherst 1NE
1.00
Anton 6S
2.08
Aspermont 3NE
8.09
Brownfield 2S
0.98
Clarendon 2W
2.51
Denver City 7W
2.82
Dimmitt 2NE
0.93
Floydada 2NE
1.81
Fluvanna 3W
3.76
Friona 2NE
2.12
Gail 2SE
3.87
Goodlett 3W
0.95
Graham 5SW (MACY)
1.99
Guthrie 10W (PITC)
2.83
Hart 3N
1.35
Hereford 2NW
1.21
Jayton 1S
5.09
Lamesa 2SE
1.61
Levelland 4S
2.22
Lubbock 3W
0.88
McLean 1E
1.15
Memphis 1NE
2.21
Morton 1NE
0.79
Muleshoe 2S
1.68
O'Donnell 1N
1.98
Olton 6S
2.79
Paducah 10SW
1.92
Pampa 2E
2.80
Plains 3N
1.80
Plainview 1S
1.47
Post 1S
1.55
Ralls 1SE
1.57
Reese Center
0.63
Roaring Springs 3N
1.96
Seagraves 1SW
0.79
Seminole 2N
0.62
Silverton 7E
6.18
Slaton 2NE
0.54
Snyder 3E
7.23
Spur 1W
2.86
Sundown 8SW (MALL)
2.23
Tahoka 3NE
1.06
Tulia 2NE
1.74
White River Lake 6NW
0.43