Severe thunderstorms threaten Texas County, hail and 65 mph winds possible

Goodwell and Texhoma faced the sharpest risk Friday evening as the National Weather Service in Amarillo warned of strong to severe thunderstorms that could bring ping pong ball-sized hail, 65 mph wind gusts and brief flooding to Texas County. The most dangerous window was expected to begin as early as 4 p.m. and run mainly from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., with storms capable of turning roads slick, forcing ballfields to clear and sending people indoors fast.

A special weather statement remained in effect for Goodwell, Oklahoma, and both Texhoma, Oklahoma, and Texhoma, Texas, until 9:15 p.m. CDT. Earlier alerts also included Guymon and Hooker, putting much of Texas County under the same severe-weather threat as storms tracked across the Panhandles. The Weather Service said the better chances for severe storms were in the southern Texas Panhandle, but the risk spread far enough east to keep the Oklahoma Panhandle on alert.

Large hail and damaging winds were the primary hazards, but forecasters also flagged very localized flooding. The office said a low-end flash-flood risk covered parts of the northeastern Texas Panhandle and eastern Oklahoma Panhandle. Another round of thunderstorms could also affect the far eastern Texas Panhandle on Sunday, keeping the region in a pattern of repeated storm chances.

The timing mattered. April is still freeze season in this part of the Panhandles, and the Weather Service says the normal last freeze comes in mid-April. At Goodwell Research Station, the latest freeze on record was May 21, 1917, a reminder that spring weather here can swing hard from frost to severe thunderstorm in the same week. That instability has been visible before in Texas County.

The June 18-19, 2024 flooding event from Texhoma to Guymon showed how fast slow-moving storms can overwhelm the area. Rain fell at rates of 3 to 4 inches per hour at times, with totals of 5 to 9 inches in parts of the north central Texas Panhandle and the Texas and Beaver counties of the Oklahoma Panhandle. Roads were closed or washed out, high-water rescues were carried out and hail reached 2 to 2.5 inches in some locations.

If you were in Goodwell, Texhoma, Guymon or Hooker, the safest move Friday evening was to stay weather-aware, keep travel to a minimum and be ready for rapidly changing conditions on rural roads, at outdoor events and around homes.