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Heat Advisory Issued in Palo Duro Canyon by National Weather Service on Monday August 9th

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The 21 Weather Stations will be recording the very hot temperatures (103-106 F) expected Monday and Tuesday!  Please be very careful if you are hiking in the Park Monday and Tuesday, as most heat illnesses happen when temperatures are near or over 105 degrees.  URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Amarillo TX 756 PM CDT Sun Aug 8 2021 TXZ317-090900- /O.NEW.KAMA.HT.Y.0005.210809T1800Z-210810T0100Z/ Palo Duro Canyon- Including the cities of Palo Duro Canyon State Park 756 PM CDT Sun Aug 8 2021 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 8 PM CDT MONDAY... * WHAT...Temperatures up to 105 expected. * WHERE...Palo Duro Canyon County. * WHEN...From 1 PM to 8 PM CDT Monday. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures combined with outdoor activities can lead to heat related illnesses. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, avoid activities during the hot part of the day, stay out of the sun. Carrying extra water is crucial. && $$

Heat, Storms and More Intensive Observational Periods this Weekend!

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The Heat is Back! West Texas A&M Students will be back in the Palo Duro Canyon this weekend observing the heat with the mobile weather station. Isolated storms are also crossing the Palo Duro Canyon on Saturday 7 August.

Intensive Observational Period 6: Successful Operations on Saturday 31 July

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The last day of July went out with a hot day that proved perfect for WTAMU students to conduct intensive observations with the mobile van and weather balloon system. The morning students also tested the tethersonde system before it got too windy. A cold front and convection brought cooler weather for the start of August late in the evening.

Intensive Observational Period 5: Visit by Professor Sandip Pal to Canyon Thursday 29 July

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 WTAMU Students were glad to have Professor Sandip Pal and his student visit from Texas Tech University. Dr. Pal is a boundary-layer expert and will be providing his expertise for the study. Unfortunately, we did not get any group photos, as the visit was so fun we forgot to take them! Only driving transects, not weather balloons were conducted on 29 July We did see the first horned lizard:

Intensive Observational Period 4: Successful Operations on Wed 28 July

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Successful Intensive Observational Period (IOP) observations were conducted on Wed 30 July. Photos from the field observations follow below. Multiple transects and the first morning and afternoon weather balloon launches, as well as some tethersonde observations before it got too windy.

Heat Returns to Palo Duro Canyon

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 After a remarkably cool late June through late July period, a high pressure ridge brought the first triple-digit heat to the Palo Duro Canyon State Park on Saturday 24th of July (101.8 degrees at the floor West Texas Mesonet station).  WTAMU students will be out collecting data next week with National Weather Service forecasts near 100 degrees each day for the Canyon.  

Data Collection in Verdant Green Palo Duro Canyon

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 WTAMU Student Researchers downloaded data from deployed weather stations in the morning of July 15th in Palo Duro Canyon. The rainfall has resulted in lots of vegetation growth, which required "clearing" the weeds from around one of the valley locations. Photos from the excursion are below: