In the spring, we see a lot of talk about severe weather and storm warnings in Amarillo, Texas. The Texas panhandle is a hot spot for severe weather, but for some reason, it seems like storms split whenever they arrive in Amarillo. You aren't imagining it, and there is a scientific reason for it.
Why Do Storms Split When They Hit Amarillo, Texas
I was having a conversation with a friend of mine this week about some recent storms, and he mentioned the storms splitting around the town we grew up in. I mentioned how the same thing happens around Amarillo, and then started wondering why.
We're not imagining it. It isn't an urban legend. Storms have been known to split when they reach Amarillo, and politely go around. Here is the reason why.
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You can thank the phenomenon known as wind shear for the times a storm has split and missed Amarillo. When this happens, the storm splits, and it creates a left mover and a right mover.
What Is Wind Shear, And Why Does Amarillo, Texas, Have It
Wind shear is when wind speed and direction change at different altitudes in a storm. At the top of a thunderstorm, you may have winds pushing the storm in one direction and the lower-level winds pushing the storm in another.
This creates the opportunity for a storm to split and become two separate entities. One moves in one direction, and the other goes in the other direction, hence the terms left mover and right mover.
Amarillo is considered the windiest city in the U.S. It's no surprise that a natural phenomenon dependent on wind would happen here.
The next time you're looking at the sky expecting a storm to roll into town, don't get too excited. There's a chance it could split and just go around us. Now, you know why.
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Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF
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