Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 2009

Name: Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 2009
Start: 2009-04-01T00:00
End: 2009-04-30T23:59
Location: Texas

April 1 to 30, 2009 · NWS BRO · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

Below average precipitation, above average temperatures, persistent southerly winds, and increasing sun angle contributed to intensifying drought conditions in Deep South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley through the middle of April. The accelerated pace of drying decreased soil moisture levels to the abnormally or excessively dry category through this period.

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: 10

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 BRO wrote it up.

The United States Drought Monitor, Texas sector, noted drought conditions deteriorating to extreme (D3) over portions of Jim Hogg, Brooks, and Kenedy Counties with the remainder of Deep South Texas experiencing severe drought (D2) conditions. The drought conditions continue to mainly affect agricultural interests, including crops, pastures and grasslands.

Any drought related crop damage likely held off until May.

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 Brownsville, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 31, 6:18 PM CST, 5 hours 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 31, 6:18 PM CST, 5 hours 42 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
718 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2009

.DISCUSSION...A HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM PROPAGATING EASTWARD ACROSS
TEXAS WILL PRODUCE LIGHT NORTHEASTERLY WINDS ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE
VALLEY OVERNIGHT THEN LIGHT TO MODERATE SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS ACROSS
THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY. MORNING LOW TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR NORMAL
WEDNESDAY THEN HIGHER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL PREVAIL ACROSS
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE
THROUGH THE CWA ON THURSDAY SHIFTING THE WINDS TO THE NORTH,
HOWEVER THE WINDS WILL SHIFT BACK TO THE SOUTHEAST ON FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE CWA SATURDAY
AFTERNOON SHIFTING THE WINDS TO THE NORTH AGAIN. LIGHT TO MODERATE
NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE CWA ON SUNDAY. THE
TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE ABOVE NORMAL THIS WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT
WEEK. THE CURRENT FORECAST PACKAGE LOOKS GOOD, THEREFORE NO CHANGES
ARE ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
&&

.MARINE...PRESSURE GRADIENT IS BEGINNING TO RELAX ACROSS THE LAGUNA
WITH NORTH WINDS JUST DROPPING BELOW SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY
CONDITIONS. WINDS AND SEAS OFFSHORE REMAIN HIGH AND WILL BE SLOWER
TO LOWER THROUGH THE EVENING. WILL MAINTAIN CURRENT SCA HEADLINES
AND LET THEM EXPIRE OVER THE LAGUNA AT 8 PM AND MONITOR THE FAR
OFFSHORE WATERS FOR THE SEAS TO LOWER. OTHERWISE...RETURN FLOW
COMMENCES WEDNESDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE SHIFTS EAST. EXPECT INCREASING
WIND AND SEAS FROM THE SOUTH WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY AS THE
PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT UPSTREAM UPPER
TROUGH AND COLD FRONT. WINDS SHIFT NORTH ONCE AGAIN THURSDAY FROM
LATE MORNING TO EARLY AFTERNOON. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES WILL LIKELY
BE NEEDED AHEAD OF THE FRONT AS WELL AS IN THE WAKE OF FRONT. HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS FRIDAY WITH ONSHORE WINDS
RETURNING LATE FRIDAY AND INCREASING ON SATURDAY AS ANOTHER IN A
SERIES OF UPPER TROUGHS AND SURFACE COLD FRONTS TAKE SHAPE OVER THE
FRONT RANGE OF THE ROCKIES AND SOUTH CENTRAL PLAINS. THIS LATEST
FRONT LOOKS TO PASS THROUGH THE COASTAL WATERS EARLY SUNDAY WITH
ANOTHER ROUND OF SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES.
&&

.AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS WITH DECREASING SURFACE WINDS EXPECTED
THIS EVENING ACROSS ALL AREAS OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. LOW LEVEL WIND
SHEAR IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PORTIONS OF THE REGION FOR A
FEW HOURS THIS EVENING BUT WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING SOUTH AND THE
PRESSURE GRADIENT STEADILY WEAKENING DECIDED TO LEAVE OUT OF THE
TAFS. AN E-SE LOW LEVEL FLOW RETURNS BY WEDNESDAY MORNING AND
SOUTHWEST WINDS ALOFT WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE SOME MID LEVEL DECKS
TO REFORM LATE IN THE CURRENT TAF PERIOD AND AS THE LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE INCREASES ACROSS THE LOWER AND MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY
EXPECT SOME SCT-BKN CUMULUS TO DEVELOP IN THE AFTERNOON.
&&

.BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY
     AFTERNOON FOR TXZ248-249-252.

GM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT TONIGHT FOR
     GMZ150-155-170-175.

&&

THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT:
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/BROWNSVILLE

SYNOPTIC/GRIDS....63
MARINE/AVIATION...59
MESOSCALE.......HART

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 31, 12:55 PM CST, 11 hours 5 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
155 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2009

TXZ248>257-011100-
ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY-
INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON-
155 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...REST OF TODAY AND TONIGHT.

A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA LATER THIS MORNING CAUSING
GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS AND DRIER AIR IN ITS WAKE.  THIS WILL COMBINE
WITH DRY FUELS TO ENHANCE WILDFIRE RISK OVER MUCH OF DEEP SOUTH
TEXAS LATER TODAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

A COUPLE OF COLD FRONTS WILL RESULT IN SHIFTING WINDS AND
CONTINUED DRY CONDITIONS FOR MOST AREAS THE REST OF THE WEEK INTO
THE WEEKEND. AS A RESULT...THE WILDFIRE THREAT WILL BE OF HIGHER
CONCERN. DRY AIR AND LOWER RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES COULD BE AN
ISSUE BEHIND A FRONT ARRIVING THURSDAY AFTERNOON. A FIRE WEATHER
WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ZAPATA...STARR AND JIM HOGG COUNTIES FROM
THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

GMZ130-132-135-150-155-170-175-011015-
LAGUNA MADRE FROM THE PORT OF BROWNSVILLE TO THE ARROYO COLORADO-
LAGUNA MADRE FROM THE ARROYO COLORADO TO 5 NM NORTH OF PORT
MANSFIELD TX-
LAGUNA MADRE FROM 5 NM NORTH OF PORT MANSFIELD TO BAFFIN BAY TX-
COASTAL WATERS FROM PORT MANSFIELD TO THE RIO GRANDE OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT MANSFIELD OUT 20 NM-
WATERS FROM PORT MANSFIELD TO THE RIO GRANDE EXTENDING FROM 20 TO
60 NM-
WATERS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT MANSFIELD EXTENDING FROM 20 TO
60 NM-
502 AM CDT TUE MAR 31 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE
LAGUNA MADRE.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

THE WINDS WILL BE SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST AND INCREASING IN THE
WAKE OF A COLD FRONT MOVING OFFSHORE TODAY. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES
ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE LAGUNA MADRE THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS
EVENING. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER
TEXAS GULF WATERS EARLY THIS MORNING AND THIS AFTERNOON INTO
TONIGHT. IN ADDITION...THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS FOR
AREA BEACHES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

A COUPLE OF COLD FRONTS WILL KEEP WINDS AND SEAS UNSETTLED THROUGH
SUNDAY. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP AHEAD OF AND
BEHIND FRONTS ON THURSDAY AND EARLY SUNDAY. THE RIP CURRENT RISK
WILL BE ELEVATED AT TIMES DURING THE WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

SPEECE

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Kenedy

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Kenedy forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 26.928, -97.636 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

In Kenedy County, virtually no rain fell during the entire month of April, with the sole exception of a spot of rain near the coast on the 3rd, and again on the 17th. The dry weather, combined with increasing sun angle and persistent winds, brought extreme drought (D3) into the northern half of the county through April 13th, which spread across the entire county thereafter and continued through the end of the month.

|Precipitation continued below normal and temperatures persisted above normal across Deep South Texas during the first half of April. The extremely dry conditions continued through the middle of April. Deep South Texas experienced above normal temperatures and below normal rainfall during the last 6 months. Soil moisture continued abnormally to excessively dry resulting in a continued deterioration in the drought conditions over the region. The United States drought|Monitor reported that drought conditions intensified to extreme (D3) over the northern half of Kenedy County and that (D2) drought conditions occurred over the southern half of Kenedy County.

Drought, Zapata

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Zapata forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 27.001, -99.169 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought conditions settled in at severe levels (D2) for Zapata County to begin April. These conditions would continue through the entire month, as a mid-month thunderstorm and locally heavy rainfall event would combine with the typically drier climate of the Rio Grande Plains to maintain D2 conditions through the entire month.

Drought, Jim Hogg

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 13, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Jim Hogg forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 27.043, -98.697 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lack of any measurable rainfall, combined with warm, dry, and breezy conditions, further intensified the drought in Jim Hogg County. The United States drought Monitor, Texas sector, reported that conditions have intensified to extreme (D3) over the northeastern tip of Jim Hogg County and that (D2) drought conditions occurred across the remainder of Jim Hogg County from the end of March through April 13th.

Drought, Hidalgo

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 13, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hidalgo forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 26.397, -98.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Virtually no rain fell in Hidalgo County through the first half of April. The lack of rain, combined with persistent wind and above average temperatures maintained notable drought conditions. The United States Drought Monitor, Texas sector, reported that (D2) drought conditions continued over the all of Hidalgo County from the end of March through April 13th.

Drought, Brooks

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 13, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Brooks forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 27.032, -98.219 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

No rain falling in Brooks County through the first half of April resulted in persistent, yet deteriorating, drought conditions. The United States Drought Monitor, Texas sector, reported that drought conditions intensified to extreme (D3) over the northern half of Brooks County and that (D2) drought conditions occurred over the southern half of the county.

Drought, Starr

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Starr forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 26.562, -98.738 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought conditions settled in at severe levels (D2) for Starr County to begin April. These conditions would continue through the entire month, as a mid-month thunderstorm and locally heavy rainfall event would combine with the typically drier climate of the middle Rio Grande Valley of Texas, as well as the Rio Grande Plains, to maintain D2 conditions through the entire month.

Drought, Willacy

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 13, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Willacy forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 26.477, -97.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

No rain in the Willacy County portion of the Lower Rio Grande Valley through the first half of April, combined with persistent winds and above average temperatures, allowed drought conditions to persist and deteriorate. The United States Drought Monitor, Texas sector, reported that severe (D2) drought conditions occurred over the all of the county through April 13th.

Drought, Cameron

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 13, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Cameron forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 26.152, -97.453 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Virtually no rainfall in the Cameron County portion of the Lower Rio Grande Valley through the first half of April, combined with persistent winds and above average temperatures, allowed drought conditions to persist and deteriorate. The United States Drought Monitor, Texas sector, reported that severe (D2) drought conditions occurred over all of the county through April 13th.

Drought, Coastal Cameron

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 13, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Coastal Cameron forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Virtually no rainfall in coastal Cameron County through the first half of April, combined with persistent winds and above average temperatures, allowed drought conditions to persist and deteriorate. The United States Drought Monitor, Texas sector, reported that severe (D2) drought conditions occurred over all of the county through April 13th.

Drought, Coastal Willacy

When: April 1, 12:00 AM CST to April 13, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Coastal Willacy forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

No rain in coastal Willacy County through the first half of April, combined with persistent winds and above average temperatures, allowed drought conditions to persist and deteriorate. The United States Drought Monitor, Texas sector, reported that severe (D2) drought conditions occurred over all of the county through April 13th.

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 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, April 2009

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: 158948, 158949, 158950, 158953, 158954, 158960, 158961, 158962, 168224, 168225.