The climate of the Texas Panhandle is primarily semiarid continental, exhibiting a pronounced peak in precipitation during the months of May through July. Storm data from a 22-county study area show a pattern of heavy, localized rainfall with high (1 to 5 inches/h or 25 to 127 mm/h) rainfall intensities for periods of 5 to 60 minutes. These characteristics are typical of the thunderstorm rainfall of the area.