Texas, 1996

Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 1996

December 1 to 31, 1996 · NWS EWX · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

Drought persisted through December across the southwestern half of South Central Texas. Brief periods of light rain, sleet and snow during the month again added some moisture to soils across the area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 14 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$8.0 million
Crop damage
$15 million
Events
14

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS EWX wrote it up.

Drought persisted through December across the southwestern half of South Central Texas. Brief periods of light rain, sleet and snow during the month again added some moisture to soils across the area. Monthly damages are based on the estimated annual loss to agriculture across all of Texas through this year. Property damages do not include business or commercial revenue losses.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Val Verde

When
December 1, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Val Verde forecast zone
Property damage
$8.0 million
Crop damage
$15 million
Coordinates
29.893, -101.152 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Edwards

When
December 1, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Edwards forecast zone
Coordinates
29.983, -100.305 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Kinney

When
December 1, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Kinney forecast zone
Coordinates
29.350, -100.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Uvalde

When
December 1, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Uvalde forecast zone
Coordinates
29.357, -99.762 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Medina

When
December 1, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Medina forecast zone
Coordinates
29.356, -99.110 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Bexar

When
December 1, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Bexar forecast zone
Coordinates
29.449, -98.520 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Comal

When
December 1, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Comal forecast zone
Coordinates
29.808, -98.278 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Maverick

When
December 1, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Maverick forecast zone
Coordinates
28.743, -100.314 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Zavala

When
December 1, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Zavala forecast zone
Coordinates
28.866, -99.761 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Frio

When
December 1, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Frio forecast zone
Coordinates
28.868, -99.108 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Atascosa

When
December 1, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Atascosa forecast zone
Coordinates
28.894, -98.527 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Wilson

When
December 1, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Wilson forecast zone
Coordinates
29.174, -98.087 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Karnes

When
December 1, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Karnes forecast zone
Coordinates
28.906, -97.859 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Dimmit

When
December 1, 12:01 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Dimmit forecast zone
Coordinates
28.423, -99.757 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Texas in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, December 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5581047, 5581048, 5581049, 5581050, 5581051, 5581052, 5581053, 5581054, 5581055, 5581056, 5581057, 5581058, 5581221, 5581222.