Drought in Texas, January 1 to 31, 2006

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

January 1 to 31, 2006 · NWS OUN · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

8 drought, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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: None recorded
Events: 8

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 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 Norman, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 31, 7:56 PM CST, 4 hours 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 31, 7:56 PM CST, 4 hours 4 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
756 PM CST SAT DEC 31 2005

.DISCUSSION...
TEMPERATURES HAVE RADIATED QUITE WELL THIS EVENING ESPECIALLY
UNDER AREAS OF THINNER CIRRUS. TEMPERATURES HAVE ALREADY FALLEN
INTO THE LOW TO MID 40S ACROSS NORTHERN OKLAHOMA. GIVEN THE RAPID
FALL ALREADY... RELATIVELY LIGHT WINDS AND LOW DEWPOINTS... HAVE
ALREADY LOWERED FORECAST MINS FOR TONIGHT.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... (ISSUED 225 PM CST SAT DEC 31 2005)

DISCUSSION...
TONIGHT/SUN...VIGOROUS UPPER TROF NOW MOVING INTO CA/NV WILL MOVE
QUICKLY E ACROSS ROCKIES OVERNIGHT...PRECEDED BY CONSIDERABLE
CIRRUS. SFC LOW WILL ORGANIZE OVER KS ON SUN IN RESPONSE TO THIS
SYSTEM... RESULTING IN INCREASING SW-W WINDS ESPECIALLY OVER THE
HIGHER TERRAIN IN N TX AND SW OK. MODEL LL WIND FIELDS TYPICALLY
ARE TOO WEAK IN THESE SCENARIOS WHEN DEEP-LAYER MIXING OCCURS.
0-1KM MEAN-LAYER WINDS OFF MODELS WILL SUPPORT 25-35 MPH
SUSTAINED SFC WINDS BY SUN AFTERNOON OVER MOST OF THE SW 2/3RDS OF
THE CWA. HAVE ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY FOR THE SW CWA WHERE
STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED...BUT THIS MAY WELL NEED TO BE
EXPANDED FARTHER E AND N IN LATER FORECASTS. AS FOR TEMPS...
CONTINUING TO LEAN TOWARD WARMER MET MOS VALUES WHICH ARE
SUPPORTED BY 850 TEMPS AND STRONG DOWNSLOPE FLOW. 300 MB RH PROGS
INDICATE CIRRUS THINNING AND MOVING OUT FROM W TO E DURING
DAY...PROVIDING ADEQUATE INSOLATION. ALTHOUGH LL MOISTURE IS
SHOWING UP IN THE DEWPOINTS OVER S/SE TX...THIS MOISTURE WILL BE
DEFLECTED E ON SUN WHICH WILL LEAVE THE LOW LEVELS VERY DRY ACROSS
THE CWA. RED FLAG WARNING ALREADY POSTED FOR ALL BUT N ZONES ON
SUN...WHERE MOST DANGEROUS COMBINATION OF WIND/WARMTH/ DRYNESS
WILL EXIST. FIRE WX WATCH CONTINUES ACROSS N WHERE CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED TO BE MORE BORDERLINE RELATIVE TO RED FLAG CRITERIA.

MON...A BREAK OF SORTS FROM THE CRITICAL FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS
EXPECTED ON SUN...ALTHOUGH NW WINDS AND LOW RH AGAIN WILL CREATE
VERY HIGH TO EXTREME FIRE DANGER.

TUE...FIRE WX WATCH POSTED FOR ENTIRE CWA AS S WINDS INCREASE TO
20-30 IN RESPONSE TO ANOTHER VIGOROUS UPPER TROF AND ASSOCIATED
SFC PRESSURE FALLS. PROGGED 850 TEMPS WOULD SUPPORT UPPER 70S/80S
AREAWIDE...WHICH WOULD NOT ONLY BE RECORD HIGHS BUT WOULD PUSH
FIRE DANGER TO EVEN MORE EXTREME LEVELS THAN THOSE ON SUN.
DEWPOINTS CONTINUE TO BE OVERFORECAST BY MODELS. WITH LL MOISTURE
NOT EXPECTED TO HAVE TIME TO RETURN AHEAD OF THE NEXT FAST-MOVING
SYSTEM...SEE NO REASON WHY DEWPOINTS WILL GET OUT OF THE 20S AND
SO HAVE LOWERED THE MODEL DEWPOINT GRIDS BY ROUGHLY 5-10 DEGREES.
KEEPING HIGHS TUESDAY IN THE 70S FOR NOW...BUT WOULD NOT BE
SURPRISED TO SEE SOME 80S.

WED AND BEYOND...LONGWAVE PATTERN RETURNS TO A COOLER BUT
CONTINUED DRY ONE AS RIDGE AGAIN AMPLIFIES OUT W WHILE TROF
DEEPENS OVER THE E. COOLER AIR BEHIND PACIFIC COLD FRONT TUE NIGHT
WILL BE REINFORCED ON THU...POSSIBLY LOWERING TEMPS ALL THE WAY
DOWN TO ALMOST NEAR NORMAL FOR EARLY JANUARY. DEAMPLIFICATION IS
PROGGED BY DAY 7 ALLOWING TEMPS AGAIN TO BEGIN A WARMING TREND.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
OKLAHOMA CITY OK  43  75  40  64 /   0   0   0   0
HOBART OK         43  77  36  65 /   0   0   0   0
WICHITA FALLS TX  47  79  40  68 /   0   0   0   0
GAGE OK           35  72  32  63 /   0   0   0   0
PONCA CITY OK     39  71  38  59 /   0  10   0   0
DURANT OK         47  78  49  70 /   0  10   0   0

&&

.OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...RED FLAG WARNING FROM 11 AM TO 8 PM CST SUNDAY FOR OKZ014-OKZ015-
     OKZ016-OKZ017-OKZ018-OKZ019-OKZ020-OKZ021-OKZ022-OKZ023-
     OKZ024-OKZ025-OKZ026-OKZ027-OKZ028-OKZ029-OKZ030-OKZ031-
     OKZ032-OKZ033-OKZ034-OKZ035-OKZ036-OKZ037-OKZ038-OKZ039-
     OKZ040-OKZ041-OKZ042-OKZ043-OKZ044-OKZ045-OKZ046-OKZ047-
     OKZ048-OKZ050-OKZ051-OKZ052.

     FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING
     FOR OKZ004-OKZ005-OKZ006-OKZ007-OKZ008-OKZ009-OKZ010-OKZ011-
     OKZ012-OKZ013-OKZ014-OKZ015-OKZ016-OKZ017-OKZ018-OKZ019-
     OKZ020-OKZ021-OKZ022-OKZ023-OKZ024-OKZ025-OKZ026-OKZ027-
     OKZ028-OKZ029-OKZ030-OKZ031-OKZ032-OKZ033-OKZ034-OKZ035-
     OKZ036-OKZ037-OKZ038-OKZ039-OKZ040-OKZ041-OKZ042-OKZ043-
     OKZ044-OKZ045-OKZ046-OKZ047-OKZ048-OKZ050-OKZ051-OKZ052.

     FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING
     FOR OKZ004-OKZ005-OKZ006-OKZ007-OKZ008-OKZ009-OKZ010-OKZ011-
     OKZ012-OKZ013.

     WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 AM TO 6 PM CST SUNDAY FOR OKZ033-OKZ034-
     OKZ035-OKZ036-OKZ037-OKZ038-OKZ044.

TX...RED FLAG WARNING FROM 11 AM TO 8 PM CST SUNDAY FOR TXZ083-TXZ084-
     TXZ085-TXZ086-TXZ087-TXZ088-TXZ089-TXZ090.

     FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING
     FOR TXZ083-TXZ084-TXZ085-TXZ086-TXZ087-TXZ088-TXZ089-TXZ090.

     WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 AM TO 6 PM CST SUNDAY FOR TXZ083-TXZ084-
     TXZ085-TXZ086-TXZ087-TXZ088-TXZ089-TXZ090.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 31, 11:45 AM CST, 12 hours 15 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
1145 AM CST SAT DEC 31 2005

OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-011200-

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS NORTHERN...WESTERN...
CENTRAL...AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...

THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
NO THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED.

DISCUSSION...
DRY AND STABLE CONDITIONS WILL PREVENT THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT
THROUGH TONIGHT.

PROBABILITY TABLE...
VALID THROUGH 700 AM CST SUNDAY JANUARY 1.
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE
              NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA...0 PERCENT.

OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER WILL EXIST AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON OVER WESTERN
NORTH TEXAS AND MUCH OF OKLAHOMA. A FIRE DANGER STATEMENT HAS BEEN
ISSUED WITH FURTHER DETAILS REGARDING AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES...
HUMIDITIES...AND WINDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...

THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK...
A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL PASS THROUGH THE REGION ON SUNDAY...AND
ANOTHER WILL ARRIVE ON TUESDAY. MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WILL REMAIN
TOO LIMITED FOR RAIN OR THUNDERSTORMS TO FORM WITH EITHER OF THE
SYSTEMS.

OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER...
A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN
NORTH TEXAS FOR CRITICAL FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS ON SUNDAY. THE
WARNING IS GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM ARNETT TO SEILING TO
HENNESSEY TO STILLWATER. A FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT SUNDAY
FOR AREAS NORTH OF THAT LINE. AS LONG AS DROUGHT CONDITIONS
PERSIST...FIRE DANGER WILL REMAIN A CONCERN EACH DAY. THERE WILL
LIKELY BE SOME DAYS ON WHICH CRITICAL FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS WILL
EXIST OVER THE ENTIRE REGION. CURRENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT ANOTHER
STORM SYSTEM ON TUESDAY COULD AGAIN CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS. NO SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION IS FORECAST THROUGH THE
MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.

THE NEXT SCHEDULED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED AT 7AM
SUNDAY.

MWF

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Hardeman

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hardeman forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 34.290, -99.746 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought conditions persisted into January 2006, with severe to extreme (D2-D3) levels across western north Texas. The weather station at Wichita Falls was 0.49 inches below normal at the end of January. However, this was in addition to the already well below normal values from the previous months. The drought conditions across Texas had become bad enough that the governor issued a drought disaster declaration for Texas in late January. The drought conditions exacerbated already critical fire weather conditions on several days during the month. Several wildfires occurred during the month with one large fire beginning in Clay County and moved east into the neighboring county of Montague affecting a nearby town.

Drought, Archer

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Archer forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 33.615, -98.688 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Baylor

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Baylor forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 33.617, -99.213 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Clay

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 33.786, -98.208 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Foard

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Foard forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 33.975, -99.778 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Knox

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Knox forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 33.606, -99.741 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Wichita

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Wichita forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 33.988, -98.704 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Wilbarger

When: January 1, 12:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Wilbarger forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 34.081, -99.241 (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, January 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: 5485889, 5485890, 5485891, 5485892, 5486108, 5486109, 5486110, 5486111.