907 FXUS64 KAMA 220540 AFDAMAArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Amarillo TX 1240 AM CDT Mon Sep 22 2025
...New KEY MESSAGES, SHORT TERM, LONG TERM, AVIATION...
.KEY MESSAGES... Issued at 1231 AM CDT Mon Sep 22 2025
Precipitation chances return Monday with potential to see severe thunderstorms capable of all hazards, primarily in the northeastern combined Panhandles.
Chances of showers and thunderstorms will persist into the overnight hours of today with chances of more widespread activity to follow Tuesday into early Wednesday.
Drier weather looks to close the work week out with a low chances of more storms to follow Sunday.
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.SHORT TERM... (Today through Tuesday night) Issued at 1231 AM CDT Mon Sep 22 2025
Areas of fog are possible during the morning across the Eastern Panhandles with potential for portions of I-40 seeing a 50 to 60% of dense fog that will drop visibility below a half mile. This fog will give way to very conditional active weather as latest water vapor imagery is presently seeing a pocket of mid to upper-level moisture moving in on a weak short-wave disturbance. This moisture will be critical to supplying some our necessary ingredients to prompt activity for the day, with chances only increasing with the approaching front and system late tonight. What has been a real wrench in the plans is the presence of a good dry layer in the low-levels of the atmosphere. This dry-layer is expected to create a capped environment during the afternoon and evening that will make it hard for storms to really develop and intensify as the only real lifting mechanism will be the mountains to our west where the environment is not as favorable. However once the front pushes in, the Panhandles will get that secondary lifting mechanism to give us the chances to push past that cap. The only problem is that most CAMs have the front entering the area closer to the midnight time frame when the cap is likely to strengthen. At the end of the day, chances really boil down to two major factors. Can we break the cap, and the exact timing of the front itself.
If we can break this cap or the front arrives early, then the threat for severe weather will be there with potential to see all hazards in play. As it stands, latest CAM analysis is suggesting the potential to see around 2500 to 3000 J/kg of MLCAPE in the Eastern Panhandles. However, the bigger concern may lie in the wind shear with multiple runs for CAMs seeing good directional shear a the low-levels. The presence of this shear will not only help keep storms organized and sustained, also keep very low potential for tornado to occur even during the late night hours. Moving through the overnight and into Tuesday will only see activity remain present as most CAMs see the front continue to push in with a low-level jet aiding in keeping things sustained. Currently latest guidance is seeing widespread chances of 25 to 35% present that will slowly diminish over Wednesday as the trough exits. Potential is there to see a strong to severe thunderstorm, especially early on Tuesday, but this activity may struggle if the atmosphere is over worked from previous activity from tonight.
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.LONG TERM... (Wednesday through Sunday) Issued at 1231 AM CDT Mon Sep 22 2025
Moving into Wednesday has most models agreeing to the exit of the trough and the upper-level ridge rebuilding and moving over the Panhandles. This placement will look to see the Panhandles dry out through Friday and portions of Saturday. From there model agreement does see a new closed upper-level low try to move across the Southwestern United State during the weekend, but there is still a lot of disagreement on its placement and timing. At this time most ensembles are preferring a dry approach with chances of precipitation 15% or less through the weekend. For now, look temperatures to cool behind the system with afternoon highs in the 70s Tuesday and Wednesday before warming back into the 80s by the weekend.
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.AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1231 AM CDT Mon Sep 22 2025
VFR conditions are expected to hold through most of the overnight for the terminals. However, present southeasterly flow at the surface is likely to see moisture build overnight across the Eastern Panhandles, which could lead to areas of fog just before sunrise. At this time, KAMA is the only terminal that is expected to be impacted by these chances with most CAMs putting it just on the fringe of fog development. At this time have only placed visibility to 3 miles, but there is around 30 to 40% chance that fog could dense enough to drop the terminal under half a mile. Regardless this fog is expected to be short-live thanks to a dry layer moving at the surface later today.
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.AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. OK...None. &&
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SHORT TERM...11 LONG TERM....11 AVIATION...11
NWS AMA Office Area Forecast Discussion