The prolonged drought continued to worsen during the month of April but some rainfall near the end of the month provided a little relief to mainly the northeastern counties of north Texas. However, several rounds of severe weather during the latter half of the month damaged crops and fields.
Every event with a place to put it; 41 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 FWD wrote it up.
The prolonged drought continued to worsen during the month of April but some rainfall near the end of the month provided a little relief to mainly the northeastern counties of north Texas. However, several rounds of severe weather during the latter half of the month damaged crops and fields. The drought was the worst in Leon, Robertson, and part of Milam counties where exceptional drought (D4) persisted for most of the month. Wildfires became a significant problem this month over the western half of the CWA due to the extremely dry conditions. During the month, 33 counties had Burn Bans.
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 Mar 31, 10:35 PM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 1135 PM CDT THU MAR 31 2011 .AVIATION... EXPECT VERY LIGHT SW WINDS TONIGHT TO BECOME SOUTH AT AROUND 10KT FOR TOMORROW. A WEAK DRYLINE/FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE TRACON LATE IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AND WINDS WILL BECOME LIGHT BUT PROBABLY SHIFT AROUND TO A NORTHERLY DIRECTION AFTER SUNSET. OTHERWISE EXPECT VFR TO PREVAIL THROUGH THE PERIOD IN THE METROPLEX...BUT THERE IS A SMALL POSSIBILITY OF LATE AFTERNOON CONVECTION DEVELOPING ALONG THE DRYLINE/FRONT AND AFFECTING THE AIRPORTS. LATER SHIFTS MAY NEED TO ADD CB OR VCTS INTO TAF FORECASTS BUT RIGHT NOW IT APPEARS ACTIVITY MAY BE JUST TO THE EAST AND SOUTH OF TERMINALS. CLOUD BASES WITH CONVECTION WOULD BE NEAR 7000FT. OTHERWISE DID SHOW MVFR VSBY 9-15Z AT KACT FOR LIGHT FOG. TR.92 && .UPDATE... INCREASED CLOUD COVER FOR THIN CIRRUS THAT SHOULD PERSIST THROUGH THE NIGHT. WITH GENERALLY FAVORABLE RADIATIONAL COOLING PARAMETERS EXPECTED...HAVE ADDED PATCHY FOG TO THE SOUTHEASTERN PARTS OF THE CWA WHERE FORECAST SOUNDINGS ARE SHOWING CONDUCIVE MOISTURE PROFILES FOR SUCH BY SUNRISE. OTHERWISE ADJUSTED HOURLY GRIDS FOR TRENDS IN WINDS/TEMPS/DEWPOINTS. TR.92 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 238 PM CDT THU MAR 31 2011/ UPPER RIDGE WEST/UPPER TROUGH EAST LONGWAVE PATTERN ACROSS THE CONUS WILL GENERALLY MAKE FOR CONTINUALLY WARMER WEATHER THROUGH THE WEEKEND FOR NORTH TEXAS...AS WESTERN UPPER RIDGE SLOWLY EXPANDS EAST WITH TEMPERATURES WELL INTO THE 80S WITH EVEN SOME LOWER 90S ACROSS WESTERN COUNTIES POSSIBLY. IN THE INTERIM...WE MAY SEE SOME LOW RAIN CHANCES LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. A WEAK BAJA DISTURBANCE WILL DAMPEN ACROSS NORTHERN MEXICO ON FRIDAY...WHILE AN ELEVATED FRONTAL ZONE IN THE 850MB-700MB LAYER WILL LAY OVER AND BISECTS NORTH TEXAS...AS A WEAK FRONT BACK-DOORS INTO THE REGION. WEAK ISENTROPIC ASCENT WILL WORK UPON PWATS REACHING TO OR IN EXCESS OF AN INCH ACROSS ESSENTIALLY THE SE HALF OF NORTH TEXAS BY FRIDAY EVE...AS A SUBTLE...FAST-MOVING NW FLOW SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCE ARRIVES OVER THIS ELEVATED FRONTAL ZONE FRI NIGHT. SOUNDINGS SHOW SOME WEAK CAPPING THROUGH LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON...ALONG WITH SKINNY INSTABILITY UP THROUGH THE COLUMN THROUGH FRI NIGHT. LAPSE RATES ARE NOT VERY STEEP WITH VALUES ONLY 6-6.5 DEG C AND SOME DRY AIR TO OVERCOME ACROSS LOWER LEVELS. IT MAY BE MORE SHOWERS THAN THUNDER FRIDAY NIGHT...BUT WITH DRY ENOUGH LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES FOR SOME GUSTY WINDS AND OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING WITH ANY ISOLATED/STRONGER CELLS SOUTHEAST OF THE FRONT. WE'RE NOT EXPECTING A SEVERE WEATHER EVENT...BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR CLOSELY FOR ANY ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES. FIRE WEATHER WILL LIKELY BECOME ENHANCED WITH THE INCREASINGLY GUSTY S/SW WINDS THIS WEEKEND...VERY WARM TEMPERATURES...AND DRY HUMIDITIES EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY ACROSS WELL WEST OF I-35 IN THE VICINITY OF THE DRYLINE. UPPER RIDGE WILL SLIDE ACROSS AND KEEP THINGS CAPPED...THUS WE'RE NOT ANTICIPATING ANY ISOLATED CONVECTION THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. SUNDAY NIGHT/MONDAY THIS WILL ALL CHANGE...AS MODELS COMING IN WITH A LITTLE MORE PROGRESSIVE SYSTEM DEVELOPING ACROSS THE ROCKIES/GREAT BASIN ON SUNDAY. A LEAD DISTURBANCE BEFORE DAYBREAK MONDAY MORNING MAY PRODUCE SOME ELEVATED /WARM ADVECTION TYPE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE SOUTH PLAINS/PANHANDLE...BEFORE MAIN UPPER TROUGH/DRYLINE/THEN COLD FRONT ARRIVE DURING THE DAY MONDAY WITH HIGHEST POPS NEAR BEST FORCING FROM I-20/NORTH. WE'LL LINGER SOME LOW POPS ACROSS FAR E/SE COUNTIES MON NIGHT BEHIND THE COLD FRONT WITH SOME COLDER TEMPERATURES ALOFT MOVING OVERHEAD. CONFIDENCE STILL SHAKY ON DETAILS AND HOW THEY COME TOGETHER IN TIMING...BUT THIS COULD LEND TO LOCALIZED SEVERE WEATHER FOR PARTS OF THE AREA BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. MODELS REALLY DIVERGE FOR THE REMAINDER OF NEXT WEEK...AS THEY ALL SHOW DIFFERENT SCENARIOS AND TIMING OF BOTH THE PAST SYSTEM DEPARTING AND ANY NEW ENERGY DEVELOPING UPSTREAM. GFS IS THE MEAN BETWEEN THE VERY PROGRESS/ZONAL ECMWF AND THE MUCH MORE AMPLIFIED/ CUT OFF SOLUTION OF THE CANADIAN GEM AROUND MID WEEK. FOR NOW NO RAIN CHANCES WERE INTRODUCED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK WITH COOL TEMPERATURES TUESDAY PROGRESSIVELY WARMING UP THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. 05/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX 52 86 57 81 66 / 0 10 10 5 5 WACO, TX 52 88 60 84 66 / 0 20 10 5 5 PARIS, TX 46 83 47 79 63 / 0 10 10 5 10 DENTON, TX 48 85 52 80 65 / 0 10 10 5 5 MCKINNEY, TX 48 83 51 78 65 / 0 10 10 5 10 DALLAS, TX 52 86 57 80 66 / 0 10 10 5 5 TERRELL, TX 48 85 54 82 64 / 0 20 10 5 10 CORSICANA, TX 51 86 58 82 64 / 0 20 20 5 5 TEMPLE, TX 54 87 61 84 66 / 0 20 10 5 5 MINERAL WELLS, TX 48 88 53 86 65 / 0 5 5 10 5 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 333 PM CDT THU MAR 31 2011 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-011200- 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- 333 PM CDT THU MAR 31 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS GENERALLY EAST OF INTERSTATE 35 FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE STRONG WIND GUSTS. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TONIGHT. CAVANAUGH
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
41 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe (D2) to extreme drought (D3) during the month. Conditions were the worse over the northwestern half of the county.
According to the US Drought Monitor, all of the county was classified as severe drought (D2) for most of the month, but some relief occurred across the southern third of the county near the end of the month due to rainfall.
According to the US Drought Monitor, all of the county was classified as severe drought (D2) for most of the month, but some relief occurred in the far southeastern section of the county near the end of the month due to rainfall.
According to the US Drought Monitor, most of the county was classified as extreme drought (D3) for the entire month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as extreme drought (D3) for most of the month, but some relief was observed over the northeastern half of the county late in the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, all of the county began the month in severe drought (D2) category, but conditions worsened into the extreme drought (D3) category during the latter half of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, all of the county began the month in severe drought (D2) category, but conditions worsened into the extreme drought (D3) category during the latter half of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the western half of the county was classified as severe drought (D2) during the early part of the month, but then conditions worsened across the remainder of the county by the middle of the month. Some relief was observed over the eastern third of the county late in the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, most of the county was classified as severe drought (D2). However, beneficial rainfall brought relief to the entire county near the end of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, all of the county began the month in severe drought (D2) category. However, rainfall brought some relief to the southern and western portions of the county during the latter half of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, most of the county was classified as extreme drought (D3) for the entire month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as extreme drought (D3) for the entire month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as extreme drought (D3) for the entire month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as extreme drought (D3) for the entire month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe drought (D2) for most of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, all of the county began the month in severe drought (D2) category, but conditions worsened into the extreme drought (D3) category during the latter half of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, all of the county began the month in severe drought (D2) category, but conditions worsened into the extreme drought (D3) category during the latter half of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the western half of the county was classified as severe drought (D2) during the early part of the month, but conditions worsened across the remainder of the county by the middle of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, most of the county was classified as severe drought (D2) for the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe (D2) to extreme (D3) drought for the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe (D2) to extreme (D3) drought for the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as extreme drought (D3) for the entire month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, all of the county began the month in severe drought (D2) category, but conditions worsened into the extreme drought (D3) category by the middle of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as extreme drought (D3) for most of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as exceptional drought (D4) for most of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as extreme drought (D3) for most of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe (D2) to extreme drought (D3) during the month. Conditions were the worse over the western half of the county.
According to the US Drought Monitor, most of the county was classified as severe drought (D2) for the entire month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, most of the county was classified as severe drought (D2) for the entire month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe (D2) to extreme drought (D3) during the month. Conditions were the worse over the western third of the county.
According to the US Drought Monitor, all of the county began the month in severe drought (D2) category, but conditions worsened into the extreme drought (D3) category by the middle of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe drought (D2) for the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe drought (D2) for the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the southern half of the county was classified as severe drought (D2) during the early part of the month, but then conditions worsened across the remainder of the county by the middle of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe (D2) to extreme (D3) drought for the month. By the end of the month, the entire county was classified as D3.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as extreme (D3) to exceptional drought (D4) during the month. Conditions were the worse over the southeastern portions of the county.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as extreme (D3) to exceptional drought (D4) during the month. Conditions were the worse over the southwestern half of the county.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe (D2) to extreme (D3) drought for the month. By the end of the month, the entire county was classified as D3.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe (D2) to extreme (D3) drought for the month. By the end of the month, the entire county was classified as D3.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the eastern half of the county was classified as severe drought (D2) during the early part of the month, but then conditions worsened across the remainder of the county by the middle of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, parts of the county were classified as severe drought (D2) for most of the month.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, April 2011
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: 294834, 294837, 294838, 294839, 294840, 294842, 294843, 294844, 294846, 294847, 294850, 294852, 294853, 294854, 294856, 294870, 294871, 294874, 294877, 294879, 294880, 294883, 294885, 294886, 294887, 294888, 294889, 294890, 294891, 294892, 294894, 294895, 294896, 294897, 294898, 294901, 294902, 294904, 294905, 294906, and more.