Extreme dry conditions continued across Deep South Texas during the month of March. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) reported the soil moisture was abnormally to excessively dry over Deep South Texas.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS BRO wrote it up.
Extreme dry conditions continued across Deep South Texas during the month of March. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) reported the soil moisture was abnormally to excessively dry over Deep South Texas. The United States Drought Monitor indicated that the drought conditions deteriorated to severe early in the month in Jim Hogg and Starr County. Fire bans continued over much of Deep South Texas for all of the month.
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 Brownsville, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 10, 8:01 PM CST, 3 hours 59 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
901 PM CDT MON MAR 10 2008
.DISCUSSION...THE SQUALL LINE OF CONVECTION THAT MOVED THROUGH THE
COASTAL SECTIONS OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS EARLY THIS EVENING HAS MOVED
SOUTHEAST AND WEAKENED. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT REMAINS TIGHT ACROSS
THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY IN THE WAKE OF THE SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS THAT MOVED THROUGH THE AREA. MSAS SURFACE ANALYSIS
INDICATED DRIER AIR HAS FILTERED INTO THE CWA. AM CONCERNED THAT
THE CONVECTIVE FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT MOVED INTO THE AREA WILL
CONTINUE TO WASH OUT AND ALLOW SOME OF THE HIGHER DEWPOINTS
OFFSHORE ADVECT EASTWARD AS WINDS DIMINISH AND VEER TO THE
NORTHEAST AND EAST TONIGHT. THIS MAY ALLOW FOG TO DEVELOP ACROSS
THE COASTAL COUNTIES LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. HAVE
ALREADY UPDATED GRIDS/ZONES TO REMOVE POPS TONIGHT AS THE 500MB
SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER EAST TX CONTINUES TO MOVE EASTWARD AND
WESTERLY WINDS ALOFT VEER MORE TO THE NORTHWEST. HAVE ALSO UPDATED
TO MENTION PATCHY FOG LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY.
&&
.AVIATION...EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL IN THE SHORT TERM IN
THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT. HOWEVER...LOW LEVEL SC WILL LIKELY
RETURN LATER TONIGHT AS THE SURFACE WINDS HAVE ALREADY STARTED
SHIFTING AROUND TO THE NORTHEAST ACCORDINGLY TO THE LATEST METARS.
WILL UPDATE THE CURRENT TAFS TO INCLUDE LOWER CEILINGS AND VSBYS
OVERNIGHT WITH THE MOISTER LOW LEVEL GULF FLOW. EXPECT CEILINGS TO
IMPROVE TOMORROW AFTERNOON WITH INCREASING DAYTIME HEATING.
&&
.MARINE...MTRPIL CURRENTLY REPORTS A NORTHEAST WIND OF 22G29KTS
WITH BUOY020 REPORTING A NORTHEAST WIND OF 25G31KTS WITH SWELLS
AROUND 11 FT. WILL MAINTAIN THE SCA FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS DUE TO
THE INCREASING PGF PREVAILING IN THE WAKE OF THE FROPA. THE STRONG
PGF WILL BE PRETTY SHORT LIVED FALLING BELOW SCA LEVELS TOMORROW
MORNING. ACCORDINGLY...THE ALIGNMENT OF THE SCAS LOOKS ON TRACK
WITH NO MAJOR CHANGES EXPECTED IN THE UPCOMING CWF ISSUANCE. A
FAIRLY LIGHT TO MODERATE PGF WILL THEN PREVAIL AFTER TONIGHT INTO
THIS COMING WEEKEND WHICH WILL LIKELY MAINTAIN THE WINDS AND SEAS
BELOW SCA LEVELS. THE NEXT MAJOR FEATURE MOVING INTO THE SOUTH
CENTRAL PLAINS WILL BE ANOTHER STRONG SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE FRI INTO SAT. THIS WILL PUSH THE WINDS AND
SEAS BACK UP TO NEAR SCA LEVELS LATE IN THE CWF FORECAST PERIOD.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 105 PM CDT MON MAR 10 2008/
CONVECTION HAS PERSISTED OVER THE HILL COUNTRY SINCE 7 AM
TODAY...AS A SLOW MOVING DRY AMS (DWPT GRADIENT 60S TO 40S F) IS
LOCATED FROM LRD TO NIR TO IAH. MINOR SHRA FORMATION FROM
DIFFERENT MECHANICS HAS DEVELOPED JUST SOUTH OF SPI/POR MVG NORTH
AT 10 KTS WITH QUICK DISSIPATION NOTED AS THEY MOVE INTO HOSTILE
ENVIRONS. HOUSTON HAS HAD SVR WX ALREADY TDY...WITH MOST OF THE
DYNAMICS FOR SVR WX CONFINED NORTH...NORTHEAST AND EAST OF VCT.
NAM12 INITS WELL WITH CURRENT SOUTH TEXAS MASS MET FIELDS...AND HAVE
PLACED THIS MDLS FCST OF TEMPS/POPS/WIND SHIFT AND MAGNITUDES INTO
FIRST PD. WITH THIS DECISION...XPCT AS PREVIOUSLY FCST...SCT
SHRAS/TSRAS TO DEVELOP IN THE RGV AS SHORTWAVE ENERGY MVS THRU BROAD
UPPER TROF FM 00Z TUESDAY THRU 06Z TUESDAY. A WEAK NORTHERLY SFC
FLOW SHUD BEGIN AROUND 23Z TDY NORTH AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE
RGV...00Z TUESDAY AT BRO/SPI/POR...WITH SHRA/TSRA DEVELOPMENT
INCREASING FOR THE NEXT 6H...THRU 06Z. AS HAS BEEN THE CASE THIS
SPRING...MDLS HAVE PRBLMS WITH AVAILABLE FUEL OVER COASTAL
AREAS...USUALLY UNDERESTIMATING THE CAPES/INSTABILITY ALONG THE
MARINE/LAND INTERFACE. CANNOT RULE OUT STRONG TSTM DEVELOPMENT
DURING THE ABOVE MENTIONED TIME FRAME.
FOR THE EXTENDED PERIOD...BY THURSDAY...ANOTHER UPPER TROF MOVES
THRU THE REGION BRINGING SHRAS/TSRAS...FOLLOWED BY NW FLOW ALOFT AND
THE RESULTANT SUNNY SKIES AND ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS. LATEST EXTENDED
MDLS ARE PROJECTING HIGHS IN THE MID 90S OVER MOST OF THE RGV
FRIDAY...AS SW WINDS DEVELOP IN THE LLVLS WITH 100 PERCENT
INSOLATION.
MARINE...AT NOON BUOY020 REPORTED SOUTHEAST WINDS AT 6KTS AND SEAS
6.9 FEET. STREAMER SHOWER LINE HAS REMAINED ACTIVE RIGHT LONG THE
COAST TODAY...AND SHOWS NO SIGNS OF DISSIPATING ANYTIME SOON.
FRONTAL BOUNDARY CONTINUES TO TREK THROUGH SOUTH TEXAS...AND SHOULD
MOVE THROUGH THE COASTAL ZONES LATER THIS EVENING. SHOWER AND
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS BEEN WIDESPREAD ALONG THE FRONT...AND WILL
CONTINUE AS IT MOVES SOUTHEAST. BRIEF WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KNOTS CAN BE
EXPECTED ALONG THE FRONT...WITH ISOLATED STRONGER WINDS ALONG THE
SQUALL LINE THIS EVENING. WINDS WILL QUICKLY DIMINISH BY TOMORROW
MORNING...WITH SOUTHEAST FLOW REDEVELOPING TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
LIGHTER WINDS AND SEAS WILL DOMINATE THE FORECAST FOR THE LATTER
HALF OF THE WEEK.
AVIATION...PATCHY CLOUD COVER WITH CIGS AROUND 5KFT REMAIN ACROSS
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTH ASSOCIATED
WITH THE FRONT...AND SHOULD REACH THE RIVER THIS EVENING. FLIGHT
CORRIDORS NORTH ARE ALREADY AFFECTED...AND CONDITIONS IN THE VALLEY
WILL DETERIORATE AS THE STORMS APPROACH. EXPECTED LOWERED CIGS AND
VIS WITH THUNDERSTORMS...WITH STRATUS RAIN CONTINUING BEHIND THE
LEADING EDGE OF THE SQUALL LINE LATER THIS EVENING. CONDITIONS WILL
IMPROVE BY MORNING WITH MODEST NORTHERLY WINDS. AND MOSTLY CLEAR
SKIES.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL 58 72 57 77 / 10 10 0 0
BROWNSVILLE 58 74 56 80 / 10 10 0 0
HARLINGEN 55 76 54 81 / 10 10 0 0
MCALLEN 55 79 55 83 / 10 10 0 0
RIO GRANDE CITY 53 81 56 84 / 0 10 0 0
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 60 71 59 76 / 10 10 0 0
&&
.BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...NONE.
GM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR
GMZ130-132-135.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM CDT TUESDAY FOR GMZ150-155-170-
175.
&&
THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BROWNSVILLE
61/60HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 330 PM CDT MON MAR 10 2008 TXZ248>257-111100- ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY- INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON- 330 PM CDT MON MAR 10 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...REST OF TODAY AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS ACROSS THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. ANY OF THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE HAIL IN ADDITION TO FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS FROM 30 TO 40 MPH. AN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM MAY BE POSSIBLE ACROSS KENEDY... WILLACY...STARR AND CAMERON COUNTIES THROUGH 7 PM. ALSO...THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT THE BEACHES OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND AND BOCA CHICA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. A MODERATE TO HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS WILL PREVAIL AT THE LOCAL BEACHES THROUGH MUCH OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED IN WILLACY...CAMERON... STARR AND HIDALGO COUNTIES. SPEECE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
715 PM CDT MON MAR 10 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0415 PM TSTM WND GST 18 N PORT MANSFIELD 26.80N 97.47W
03/10/2008 M50.00 MPH GMZ135 TX C-MAN STATION
50 MPH WIND GUST REPORTED.
0524 PM TSTM WND GST 52 ENE PORT MANSFIELD 26.92N 96.70W
03/10/2008 M45.00 MPH GMZ175 XX BUOY
45 MPH GUST REPORTED.
0649 PM TSTM WND GST PORT ISABEL 26.07N 97.22W
03/10/2008 M41.00 MPH CAMERON TX C-MAN STATION
41 MPH WIND GUST REPORTED.
&&
TSThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe (D2) drought conditions spread into Jim Hogg and Starr Counties just before mid month, with the drought gradually worsening as the month progressed and rainfall remained virtually nil, along with many windy days with low to moderate humidity.
Severe (D2) drought conditions spread into Jim Hogg and Starr Counties just before mid month, with the drought gradually worsening as the month progressed and rainfall remained virtually nil, along with many windy days with low to moderate humidity.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, March 2008
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: 91755, 91756.