Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 2006

Name: Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 2006
Start: 2006-08-01T00:00
End: 2006-08-31T23:59
Location: Texas

August 1 to 31, 2006 · NWS FWD · 46 events in 45 counties and zones

Significant, widespread drought conditions persisted across North Texas throughout the month. This drought now ranks as the worst in North Texas since the severe multi-year drought of the 1950s.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 46 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: None recorded
Crop damage: $100 million
Events: 46

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 FWD wrote it up.

Significant, widespread drought conditions persisted across North Texas throughout the month. This drought now ranks as the worst in North Texas since the severe multi-year drought of the 1950s. The U.S. Drought Monitor continued to place the region in the exceptional drought category, D4, which is the worst possible category and is reserved for particularly damaging events. Disaster declarations remained in place for Collin, Comanche, Hood, and Parker Counties in North Texas. Federal law dictates that these as well as all bordering counties are eligible for federal disaster assistance. This August marked the greatest number of 100-degree-days ever for the month at Waco, with a total of 27 days that reached or exceeded 100 degrees. The previous record of 26 days was set in 1951. Dallas/Fort Worth set a streak of 19 consecutive 100-degree-days, which ranked 6th on the list of longest 100-degree-day streaks. In fact, Dallas County even considered declaring a heat emergency due to the very hot days and hot nights.Already low water resources dropped even further due to higher summertime water usage and evaporation rates. Most lakes remained well below conservation pool, and several were over 10 feet below normal. Water restrictions remained in effect for most towns and communities. Although these restrictions have helped conserve the water that is available, water usage still measured close to 2 billion gallons per day across North Texas this month. With this high demand combined with exceptionally low water resources, above normal precipitation over the next several months will likely be insufficient to return North Texas lakes to normal levels. The Tarrant Regional Water District continued to employ water conservation methods. The amount of water usually released from Lake Bridgeport into Eagle Mountain Lake was reduced in an effort to conserve water for customers in Parker, Wise, and Jack Counties. This decrease in water sharing will affect recreational users and marina operations at Eagle Mountain Lake.Agricultural losses due to the drought continued to increase as the summer wore on. Ranchers, facing a lack of grass to feed their cattle, had to use hay to supplement feedings. As as result, hay prices increased dramatically, which forced producers to sell off cattle underweight rather than pay the high hay prices. This in turn cost farmers even more money. This will also impact the 2007 cow production numbers due to the fact that there will be fewer calves born because their will be fewer potential mothers. Some ranchers had begun feeding their remaining herds corn husks because hay was so hard to come by. In addition, crop production was poor for the year, with corn, sorghum, and sweet potatoes in particular taking a big hit. The USDA Farm Service Agency representative for Van Zandt and Henderson Counties reported an 80% loss of produce this season. This includes all crops grown in these counties, including sweet potatoes, tomatoes, blueberries, and peaches. This poor crop yield was repeated in numerous other counties across north Texas. Scientists at Texas A&M reported this month that an estimated $4.1 billion was lost in livestock and crop production this year statewide.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Fort Worth, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 31, 7:01 PM CST, 4 hours 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 7:01 PM CST, 4 hours 59 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
801 PM CDT MON JUL 31 2006

.UPDATE...
CURRENT FORECAST ON TRACK SO DO NOT ANTICIPATE AN UPDATE AT THIS
TIME.      42

&&

.AVIATION UPDATE...
633 PM CDT...
VFR CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE EVENING...WITH
ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS OVER SE TX ALREADY DIMINISHING. HIGH PRESSURE
OVER THE NE GULF OF MEXICO AND LOW PRESSURE ASSOCIATED WITH FRONTAL
BOUNDARY IN THE HIGH PLAINS CREATING DECENT PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS
THE SOUTHERN PLAINS THIS EVENING. EXPECT THIS GRADIENT TO REMAIN IN
PLACE THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD...SO WILL LEAVE WINDS UP A LITTLE
OVERNIGHT. GOES SOUNDER/SFC OBS SHOWS POOL OF HIGHER MOISTURE TO THE
SOUTH OF THE AREA HAS ADVECTED NORTH OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF
HOURS...AND EXPECT THIS TREND TO CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. LLJ AIDING IN
MOISTURE ADVECTION SHOULD ALLOW FOR SOME TEMPO MVFR CIGS BKN025 IN
THE METROPLEX AROUND SUNRISE. THESE LOWER CLOUDS WILL QUICKLY MIX
OUT MID MORNING WITH VFR CONDS PREVAILING TUE AFTN. WILL MAINTAIN
WIND GUSTS TOMORROW AFTN.

DUNN

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 339 PM CDT MON JUL 31 2006/

UPPER LEVEL ENERGY TRACKING ACROSS SOUTHERN CANADA WILL HELP
FLATTEN OUT THE RIDGE CENTERED OVER THE EASTERN CONUS...ALLOWING
FLOW TO BECOME MORE ZONAL AS THE WEEK PROGRESSES. THE MAIN UPPER
TROUGH AXIS WILL REMAIN JUST OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST...WITH
IMPULSES TRAVELING THRU THE BASE OF THE TROUGH AND OVER THE EAST
COAST RIDGE. IN GENERAL...RAIN CHANCES WILL REMAIN LOW FOR MOST OF
NORTH TEXAS AS THE DROUGHT CONTINUES. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND
ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH NORTH TEXAS ON THURSDAY...BUT
IT APPEARS THE FRONT WILL STALL JUST NORTH OF THE RED RIVER BEFORE
MOVING NORTH AGAIN ON FRIDAY. SLIGHT CHANCE POPS WERE MAINTAINED
FOR AREAS ALONG THE RED RIVER.

THE EXTENDED MODELS ARE SHOWING A SHORTWAVE ROUNDING THE BASE OF
THE BERMUDA HIGH AND MOVING ONTO THE TX COAST IN THE SUNDAY/MONDAY
TIME FRAME. HAVE INCLUDED SLIGHT POPS ONLY FOR THE SOUTHEAST AT
THIS TIME UNTIL TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL DISCONTINUITIES ARE RESOLVED.

MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE A SLIGHT COOL DOWN OVER THE NEXT FEW
DAYS...BUT THICKNESSES AND PERSISTENCE DO NOT SUPPORT THIS
SCENARIO. EXPECT HIGH TEMPERATURES TO BE IN THE UPPER 90S FOR
MOST OF THE REGION THROUGH THE WEEK. HEAT INDICES WILL CONTINUE TO
BE JUST BELOW HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA...AS AFTERNOON MIXING WILL
KEEP DEWPOINTS IN THE LOW TO MID 60S.

GRASS FIRE DANGER WILL REMAIN HIGH THROUGH THE WEEK...ESPECIALLY IN
THE NORTHWEST...AS SOUTH WINDS BETWEEN 10-20 MPH AND RELATIVE
HUMIDITIES BELOW 30% ARE EXPECTED. WINDS WILL BE SLIGHTLY HIGHER
NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM GAINESVILLE TO CISCO...AND FOR THIS REASON
WE HAVE ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING FOR THIS AREA FOR TOMORROW.  /13

&&

.FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
RED FLAG WARNING FROM 9 AM TUESDAY TO 7 PM TUESDAY FOR TXZ091-
TXZ092-TXZ100-TXZ101-TXZ102-TXZ115-TXZ116-TXZ129.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 31, 8:11 PM CST, 3 hours 49 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
911 PM CDT MON JUL 31 2006

TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-011100-
MONTAGUE-COOKE-GRAYSON-FANNIN-LAMAR-YOUNG-JACK-WISE-DENTON-COLLIN-
HUNT-DELTA-HOPKINS-STEPHENS-PALO PINTO-PARKER-TARRANT-DALLAS-
ROCKWALL-KAUFMAN-VAN ZANDT-RAINS-EASTLAND-ERATH-HOOD-SOMERVELL-
JOHNSON-ELLIS-HENDERSON-COMANCHE-MILLS-HAMILTON-BOSQUE-HILL-
NAVARRO-FREESTONE-ANDERSON-LAMPASAS-CORYELL-BELL-MCLENNAN-FALLS-
LIMESTONE-LEON-MILAM-ROBERTSON-
911 PM CDT MON JUL 31 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT TUESDAY FOR AREAS NORTH OF A
CISCO TO GAINESVILLE LINE. GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS AND LOW AFTERNOON
RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL RESULT IN THE INCREASED FIRE DANGER.

AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES ACROSS NORTH TEXAS WILL CONTINUE TO MEET OR
EXCEED 100 DEGREES FOR MUCH OF THE WEEK. TAKE PRECAUTIONS WHEN
OUTSIDE TO AVOID HEAT STRESS ILLNESSES.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.

DUNN

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

46 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Montague

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Montague forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 33.676, -97.725 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Cooke

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Cooke forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 33.639, -97.213 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Grayson

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Grayson forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 33.627, -96.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Fannin

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Fannin forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 33.594, -96.107 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Lamar

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Lamar forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 33.667, -95.571 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Young

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Young forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 33.177, -98.688 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Jack

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Jack forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 33.234, -98.172 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Wise

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Wise forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 33.216, -97.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Denton

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Denton forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 33.205, -97.117 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Collin

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Collin forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 33.188, -96.572 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Hunt

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hunt forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 33.124, -96.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Delta

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Delta forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 33.386, -95.672 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Hopkins

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hopkins forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 33.150, -95.564 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Stephens

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Stephens forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 32.736, -98.836 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Palo Pinto

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Palo Pinto forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 32.753, -98.313 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Parker

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Parker forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 32.778, -97.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Tarrant

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Tarrant forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 32.772, -97.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Dallas

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Dallas forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 32.767, -96.778 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Rockwall

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Rockwall forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 32.898, -96.408 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Kaufman

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Kaufman forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 32.599, -96.288 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Van Zandt

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Van Zandt forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 32.564, -95.836 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Rains

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Rains forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 32.870, -95.793 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Eastland

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Eastland forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 32.327, -98.832 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Comanche

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Comanche forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 31.948, -98.558 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Erath

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Erath forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 32.236, -98.218 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Somervell

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Somervell forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 32.222, -97.774 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Hood

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hood forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 32.430, -97.832 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Johnson

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Johnson forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 32.379, -97.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Ellis

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Ellis forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 32.348, -96.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Mills

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Mills forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 31.495, -98.595 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Hamilton

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hamilton forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 31.705, -98.111 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Bosque

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Bosque forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 31.900, -97.634 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Hill

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hill forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 31.991, -97.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Navarro

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Navarro forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 32.047, -96.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Henderson

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Henderson forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 32.212, -95.854 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Mills

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Mills forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 31.495, -98.595 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Coryell

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Coryell forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 31.391, -97.799 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, McLennan

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: McLennan forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 31.552, -97.202 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Bell

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Bell forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 31.038, -97.478 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Falls

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Falls forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 31.253, -96.936 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Limestone

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Limestone forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 31.546, -96.580 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Freestone

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Freestone forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 31.705, -96.149 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Anderson

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Anderson forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 31.813, -95.653 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Milam

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Milam forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 30.786, -96.977 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Robertson

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Robertson forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 31.027, -96.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Leon

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Leon forecast zone
Crop damage: $100 million
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 31.297, -95.996 (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

Every storm in Texas in 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, August 2006

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: 5528511, 5528512, 5528513, 5528514, 5528758, 5528759, 5528760, 5528761, 5528762, 5528763, 5528764, 5528765, 5528766, 5528767, 5528768, 5528769, 5528770, 5528771, 5528772, 5528773, 5528774, 5528775, 5528776, 5528777, 5528778, 5528779, 5528780, 5528781, 5528782, 5528783, 5528784, 5528785, 5528786, 5528787, 5528788, 5528789, 5528790, 5528791, 5528792, 5528793, and more.