From the National Weather Service in Amarillo Texas…
The potential for flood conditions will be below normal for the oklahoma and texas panhandles.
Soil moisture conditions…
Precipitation across the panhandles was below normal from october through february. Soil moisture conditions are running at near historical lows across the panhandles due to the prolonged drought.River and stream conditions…
Rivers across the panhandles are running at near normal to below normal levels for this time of year. Reservoirs are well below capacity.Drought areas…
The latest u.S. Drought monitor shows severe to extreme drought conditions across the oklahoma panhandle and severe to extreme drought conditions across much of the texas panhandle. Exceptional drought conditions exist across the west central texas panhandle. The forecast calls for persistent or intensifying drought conditions for the next three months.Long term outlook…
The precipitation outlook for march…April and may from the national weather service climate prediction center calls for equal chances of either above-normal…Below-normal…Or normal rain chances for the texas and oklahoma panhandles.Spring flood potential…
Flash flooding and short term flooding in the texas and oklahoma panhandles usually occur in response to specific precipitation events and are not usually tied to soil moisture…Reservoir storage…Or other precursor factors. However…The on-going drought has shifted hydrologic conditions far enough below the norm that a below-normal flood outlook is being forecast. Thus…The overall spring flood potential is below normal.Information used to compile this flood potential outlook was provided courtesy of the arkansas red basin river forecast center… Climate prediction center…U.S. Army corps of engineers and the united states geological survey.
For more specific web information concerning river stages and forecasts for the texas and oklahoma panhandles…Go to: www.Srh.Noaa.Gov/ama | www.Srh.Noaa.Gov/abrfc
