Texas residents in the Panhandle close to the Oklahoma border are facing the threat of severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and even hail tonight, according to the local National Weather Service office. Here’s what to know about tonight’s forecast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In a Tuesday, August 4, post on X, the Amarillo NWS office said, “There is a low chance (20%) for showers and thunderstorms across the western combined Panhandles [Texas and Oklahoma] this evening, and a thunderstorm or two may become strong to severe. If this happens, damaging wind gusts up to 65 mph cannot be ruled out.” A graphic shows the area in question, which primarily encompasses the cities of Dumas, Dalhart\u00a0and Stratford.<\/p>\n
Potential hazards for locals to watch out for, beginning at 7 p.m. and continuing throughout the evening, include half-inch hail stones, about the size of a peanut or a marble, as well as winds\u00a0up to 65 miles per hour. Those speeds are classified <\/a>as “damaging high winds” by the NWS and can cause damage to unanchored mobile homes, porches, carports, awnings and pool enclosures or tear shingles from roofs. Watch out for loose objects swept into the air and large branches breaking off weak or diseased trees. These winds can also cause scattered power outages.\u00a0<\/p>\n The\u00a0NWS also gave residents a heads-up about a “very low” tornado risk in the area. A similar forecast extends into Wednesday, though things will start to clear up this weekend. Thursday and Friday have a low chance of overnight storms, and “sunny and hot” weather is expected to return by Saturday, the NWS predicts.<\/a><\/p>\n The region\u00a0has been seeing some groggy weather this week,\u00a0with\u00a0the NWS warning Panhandle residents<\/a> of showers and damaging wind gusts on Monday, August 3. It also included penny-sized hail and a low tornado risk in the forecast, though it’s unclear what materialized.<\/p>\n