Panhandle weather

Elevated to critical fire weather is expected to persist across the South Plains and broader West Texas region as record-breaking March heat, strong winds and ongoing drought conditions continue to dry out vegetation. Officials warn that despite a brief cooldown from a passing cold front, wildfire risk will remain moderate into early next week, with recent fires in the Panhandle and South Plains underscoring the growing danger.

A study is starting soon from Texas Tech University researchers within the Department of Natural Resource Management, utilizing new technology to study rangeland recovery two years after the devastating Smokehouse Creek Fire.

Texas is preparing for the coldest temperatures of the season, and forecasters are warning of possible power outages and icy roads in much of the state.

The fire killed three people and more than 15,000 head of cattle and burned over a million acres in the Panhandle in 2024.

The first State Flood Plan, published last year, identified $54 billion in flood mitigation, warning and data needs. The state has awarded around $660 million since the plan was published, with a special legislative session coming.

The closure of four of the six Regional Climate Centers across the U.S. occurred after funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ran out. A recent report stated that the Trump administration plans to propose a 25% cut to NOAA's budget next fiscal year.

Ninety years this week, Oklahomans were met with a large wall of rolling black dust and sand, a day now known as "Black Sunday."

High Plains residents are used to wind and dust, but an ongoing drought and recent tropical-storm-level winds have brought some epic dust storms.

With 2021’s Winter Storm Uri still fresh in folks' memory, lessons from that disaster can help guide planning for the next.

Much of the Texas Panhandle and South Plains appears to be heading into severe drought conditions, despite heavy rains earlier in the summer.As The…