Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 2006

Name: Drought in Texas, March 1 to 31, 2006
Start: 2006-03-01T00:00
End: 2006-03-31T23:59
Location: Texas

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

The month of March had some much needed rainfall, falling mostly on only two days, the 18th and 19th. 34 inches above normal for the month.

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: $200 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.

The month of March had some much needed rainfall, falling mostly on only two days, the 18th and 19th. This put Dallas/Fort Worth 1.34 inches above normal for the month. However, twelve month rainfall deficits (from April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2006) remained high, with 13.38 inches lacking at Dallas/Fort Worth and 10.86 inches lacking at Waco. Although this rainfall helped the crops and put some much needed water into lakes and reservoirs, the drought persisted. March's rainfall helped drop north Texas down a category from Extreme to Severe Drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Burn bans were still in place in several north Texas counties. Wildfires continued to be a problem for north Texas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture allocated more than $8 million in Emergency Conservation Program funds this month for farmland in 16 Texas counties affected by wildfires. In north Texas, Hood, Cooke, Parker, and Somervell Counties were designated to receive funds. Farmers in these counties were able to go to their Farm Service Agency offices and apply for damages. Aid requests were also sent to Congress by the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. The request sought funds to help feed livestock, repair fences destroyed by wildfires, and compensate producers who lost cattle and vegetation. The USDA continued to offer conservation land for up to 60 days to farmers that needed grazing land for their cattle.

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 Feb 28, 7:50 PM CST, 4 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 28, 7:50 PM CST, 4 hours 10 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
750 PM CST TUE FEB 28 2006

.UPDATE...
CIRRUS CONTINUES SPILLING OVER UPR RIDGE ANCHORED OVER THE HIGH
PLAINS. MOST FOLKS SHOULD BE MOSTLY CLEAR...OUTSIDE OF THE
IMMEDIATE RED RIVER. HOWEVER...SOME SCT-BKN LATE NIGHT/EARLY
MORNING LOW CLOUDS COULD REDEVELOP OVER SE COUNTIES ONCE AGAIN BY
DAYBREAK. DEW PTS RELATIVELY HIGH MOST OF CWA AND WINDS ARE
STAYING UP AS EXPECTED. HAVE DECIDED TO KEEP D/FW LOWS AS
IS...BUT HAVE WARMED UP OUTLYING AREAS OF CWA PER THIS THOUGH AND
WITH TEMPS STILL WELL INTO THE 70S MOST AREAS. OTHERWISE...UPDATED
TRENDS ON OTHER PARAMETERS.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH/DRYLINE TO EDGE NEAR FAR W/NWRN ZONES BY WED
AFTN...AHEAD OF COLD FRONT DROPPING INTO TX PANHANDLE/OK DURING
THIS TIME. BL-850MB FLOW LOOKS TO VEER AS WELL WITH DRIER DEW PTS
W OF I-35 AND BETTER MIXING OFF HIGHER TERRAIN...NOT TO MENTION
SOME DOWNSLOPE WHICH WILL RESULT IN RECORD TYPE HIGH TEMPERATURES
IN THE UPPER 80S TO AROUND 90 OUT WEST. WITH A FEW DAYS OF
WINDY/DRY WEATHER...10HR FUELS AT ABOUT 9 OR BELOW WEST OF I-35.
MIN RHS LOOK TO FALL TO/OR BELOW 30%...HOWEVER WINDS WILL BE
MARGINAL NEAR PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH AS VEERING/WEAK CONVERGENCE
OCCURS FROM BOWIE-MINERAL WELLS...GRANBURY...WESTWARD.

RED FLAG/GRASSLAND FIRE DANGER POTENTIAL FOR AREAS NW OF A
SHERMAN...D/FW...MERIDIAN...GATESVILLE LINE WILL NEED TO BE
MONITORED CLOSELY ON FUTURE FCST WITH DROUGHT STILL ONGOING. PER
CALL TO IMET OFFICE EARLY THIS EVE...WINDS TOO MARGINAL (10-20MPH)
FOR ANY FIRE WX WATCH ATTM...BUT WELL CONTINUE TO MONITOR FOR RED
FLAG OVERNIGHT.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 520 PM CST TUE FEB 28 2006/

AVIATION...
CONDITIONS AT ALL TAF SITES SHOULD BE PRETTY CONSISTENT OVER THE
NEXT 24 HOURS. WINDS WILL REMAIN BETWEEN 13-16 KTS THROUGH TOMORROW
EVENING. PRIMARY CONCERN IS STATUS DURING THE MORNING HOURS. ACT
WILL MOST LIKELY SEE STRATUS BETWEEN 10-18Z. DFW HAS A LESSER CHANCE
OF SEEING STRATUS BUT HAVE INCLUDED SOME BETWEEN 12-16Z DUE TO
STRONG ADVECTION OF MOISTURE BY THE WINDS. AGREE WITH CWSU FORECAST.
82/JD

..SOME ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL OCCUR DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL
WEEKS...

DISCUSSION...
325 PM
TEMPERATURES WILL WARM UP QUICKLY WEDNESDAY...WITH THE MERCURY
REACHING WELL INTO THE 80S ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH TEXAS. DRY
CONDITIONS MAY ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO REACH NEAR 90 IN THE EXTREME
WEST WEDNESDAY. WE ARE LIKELY TO ISSUE A RANGE LAND FIRE DANGER
STATEMENT WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR THE WESTERN 1/3 OF NORTH
TEXAS...BECAUSE OF WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES. HUMIDITIES WILL BE
SUFFICIENTLY HIGH ACROSS THE EASTERN 2/3 OF THE AREA TO OBVIATE A
SIMILAR RELEASE FOR THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN AREAS.

A COOL FRONT WILL MOVE INTO NORTH TEXAS THURSDAY. ELEVATED
MOISTURE WILL PUSH WEAKLY NORTHWARD ACROSS THE SLOWING FRONT
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...BRINGING CLOUDS AND LOW CHANCES FOR RAIN.

ELEVATED MOIST INFLOW (AROUND THE 850 MB LEVEL) WILL INCREASE
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. THUS...WE HAVE RAISED THE POPS OVER MUCH OF THE
AREA...ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTHERN AND NORTHEASTERN PORTIONS...
BECAUSE OF THE WARM ADVECTION/INCREASING VERTICAL MOTIONS.
RAINFALL PROBABLY WONT BE AS HEAVY AS LAST WEEKEND...BUT SOME
AREAS MAY RECEIVE 1/2 TO AN INCH OF RAIN...PARTICULARLY IN THE
NORTH AND NORTHEAST ZONES.

SOME ADDITIONAL RAIN IS POSSIBLE NEXT WEEK...AS THE SYNOPTIC
SCALE RIDGE ALOFT MOVES JUST EAST OF NORTH TEXAS. THIS WILL ALLOW
FOR A SERIES OF SHORT WAVE TROUGHS TO TRAVERSE THE AREA...MAINLY
AFFECTING THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ZONES.

&&

.FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

05/26

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 28, 3:10 PM CST, 8 hours 50 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
310 PM CST TUE FEB 28 2006

TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-011200-
ANDERSON-BELL-BOSQUE-COLLIN-COMANCHE-COOKE-CORYELL-DALLAS-DELTA-
DENTON-EASTLAND-ELLIS-ERATH-FALLS-FANNIN-FREESTONE-GRAYSON-HAMILTON-
HENDERSON-HILL-HOOD-HOPKINS-HUNT-JACK-JOHNSON-KAUFMAN-LAMAR-LAMPASAS-
LEON-LIMESTONE-MCLENNAN-MILAM-MILLS-MONTAGUE-NAVARRO-PALO PINTO-
PARKER-RAINS-ROBERTSON-ROCKWALL-SOMERVELL-STEPHENS-TARRANT-VAN ZANDT-
WISE-YOUNG-
310 PM CST TUE FEB 28 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY AS
SEVERAL UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES INTERACT WITH INCREASING LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY. THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR A FEW STRONG STORMS
DURING THIS TIME FRAME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT.

84/PW

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, Milam

When: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Leon forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 31.297, -95.996 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Bell

When: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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, Montague

When: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Montague forecast zone
Crop damage: $200 million
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 33.676, -97.725 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Cooke

When: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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, Rains

When: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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, Hood

When: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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, Somervell

When: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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, Johnson

When: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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, Kaufman

When: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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, Mills

When: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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, Lampasas

When: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Lampasas forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 31.196, -98.241 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Coryell

When: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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, Limestone

When: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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: March 1, 12:00 AM CST to March 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)

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, March 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: 5496199, 5496200, 5496201, 5496202, 5496203, 5498400, 5498401, 5498402, 5498403, 5498404, 5498405, 5498406, 5498407, 5498408, 5498409, 5498410, 5498411, 5498412, 5498413, 5498414, 5498415, 5498416, 5498417, 5498418, 5498419, 5498420, 5498421, 5498422, 5498423, 5498424, 5498425, 5498426, 5498427, 5498428, 5498429, 5498430, 5498431, 5498432, 5498433, 5498434, and more.