December was another wet month for North Texas and drought conditions continued to improve. Most counties received 3-6 inches of rainfall throughout the month which helped many southern counties be downgraded into extreme drought (D3).
Every event with a place to put it; 25 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.
December was another wet month for North Texas and drought conditions continued to improve. Most counties received 3-6 inches of rainfall throughout the month which helped many southern counties be downgraded into extreme drought (D3). However, the ground was still dry and absorbed much of the rain, and the water did not run into area lakes. Many municipalities continued water restrictions due to the low lake levels. By the end of the month, only 21 out of the 46 counties in the Fort Worth County Warning Area remained in severe drought (D2) or worse and only 3 counties had burn bans in effect.
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 Nov 30, 11:19 PM CST, 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 1119 PM CST WED NOV 30 2011 .AVIATION... GENERALLY CLEAR SKIES THROUGH MORNING WITH S/SE WINDS 5-10KT. VFR CLOUD DECK AROUND 050 SHOULD DEVELOP THURSDAY AFTERNOON...AND GRADUALLY LOWER DURING THE EVENING HOURS TO MVFR BY 6Z FRIDAY. WINDS WILL ALSO BACK FROM THE S/SE TO THE E THURSDAY EVENING AS A SURFACE LOW DEVELOPS IN SW TEXAS AND COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NW EARLY FRIDAY. FRONT SHOULD STALL BEFORE REACHING TAF SITES FRIDAY MORNING...BUT IS WORTH MONITORING. TR.92 && .UPDATE... FORECAST ON TRACK AND NO UPDATES NEEDED THIS EVENING. IT WILL CERTAINLY FEEL LIKE WINTER ON SUNDAY WITH A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH ON SATURDAY NIGHT. UPPER LEVEL PATTERN IS A FAVORABLE ONE TO GET SHALLOW COLD AIR DOWN HERE WHILE MOISTURE/LIFT IS ONGOING ALOFT. THE BIG UNCERTAINTY NOW IS JUST HOW COLD WILL THIS AIR MASS BE. SUNDAY AND MONDAY FORECASTS WILL BE WATCHED CLOSELY FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF FREEZING RAIN...WITH SURFACE TEMPS FORECAST BY THE 0Z NAM ONLY A COUPLE DEGREES ABOVE FREEZING ACROSS THE NW COUNTIES. OBVIOUSLY THIS DOES NOT LEAVE MUCH ROOM FOR ERROR. TR.92 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 335 PM CST WED NOV 30 2011/ FOR THIS FORECAST...WE/VE USED A 60/40 ECMWF/GFS COMBO FOR THE WEEKEND FRONT AND RAIN EVENT...AND 75/25 ECMWF/GFS COMBO FOR NEXT WEEK. A STRONG UPPER TROUGH DIGGING SOUTH ALONG THE WEST COAST TODAY WILL CLOSE-OFF OVER THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TOMORROW AND LINGER THROUGH FRIDAY. UPSTREAM...A ANOTHER SHORTWAVE WILL DROP INTO THE CALIFORNIA TROUGH AND KICK THE ORIGINAL SHORTWAVE NORTHEAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE UPPER TROUGH WILL REMAIN OUT WEST UNTIL THE FIRST OF NEXT WEEK...THEN THE WHOLE LONGWAVE TROUGH WILL BEGIN TO MOVES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. ISENTROPIC ASCENT WILL BE A BIG PLAYER IN RAINFALL BEGINNING THURSDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE WEEKEND. IN ADDITION...SYNOPTIC SCALE LIFT WILL BE AIDED BY THE SHORTWAVE ON SATURDAY AND FALLING HEIGHTS THE FIRST OF NEXT WEEK. COLD HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES WILL SLIDE SOUTHWARD THIS WEEKEND AND ENTER INTO NORTH TEXAS LATE SATURDAY NIGHT AS A DEEPENING SURFACE CYCLONE MOVES THROUGH OUT OF THE PANHANDLE AND ACROSS OKLAHOMA. A COLD RAIN WILL ENSUE FOR SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY BEFORE ENDING NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST. PWATS CLIMB TO ONE INCH BY FRIDAY AND REMAIN HIGH INTO SATURDAY NIGHT. THIS HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT COMBINED WITH STRONG ISENTROPIC PRESSURE ASCENT SHOULD RESULT IN VERY BENEFICIAL RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2+ INCHES FOR MUCH OF NORTH TEXAS. INSTABILITY FOR THUNDER WILL BE MARGINAL OVER THE SOUTHERN THIRD ON SATURDAY AND HAVE INCLUDED ISOLATED THUNDER WITH THE RAIN. AS MUCH COLDER AIR SPILLS SOUTHWARD INTO NORTH TEXAS ON MONDAY...THE RESULTING COLD AIR ADVECTION WILL SHUT OFF THE PRECIPITATION PROCESS JUST AS FORECAST SOUNDINGS BECOME COLD ENOUGH FOR A WINTRY MIX MONDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING. AS FOR TEMPS...WE USED A BIAS ADJUSTED BLEND FROM THE GFS AND MOS THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND ON MONDAY...THEN HEDGED TOWARD THE COLDER ECMWF FOR TUESDAY (25-33) AND WEDNESDAY (25-31). WEDNESDAY LOWS COULD BE MUCH COLDER THAN CURRENTLY FORECAST IF THE ECMWF/S VERY DEEP 500MB CORE (TEMPS DOWN TO -28C) MOVING ALONG THE RED RIVER PANS OUT. 75 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX 40 63 48 58 54 / 0 10 20 30 30 WACO, TX 37 63 51 63 56 / 0 10 20 30 20 PARIS, TX 34 61 44 58 47 / 0 5 20 20 20 DENTON, TX 36 61 45 56 51 / 0 10 30 30 40 MCKINNEY, TX 36 62 45 56 51 / 0 5 20 30 30 DALLAS, TX 40 63 49 59 55 / 0 10 20 30 30 TERRELL, TX 36 64 47 61 51 / 0 5 20 20 20 CORSICANA, TX 38 66 50 65 54 / 0 5 10 20 20 TEMPLE, TX 38 66 53 65 56 / 0 10 20 30 20 MINERAL WELLS, TX 37 59 44 53 52 / 0 10 30 40 50 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 250 PM CST WED NOV 30 2011 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-011215- 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- 250 PM CST WED NOV 30 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE MAINLY SOUTH OF I-20 SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
25 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as exceptional drought (D4) throughout the month. The county received up to 3 inches of rainfall but drought conditions did not improve.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as exceptional drought (D4) throughout the month. The county received up to 6 inches of rainfall but drought conditions did not improve.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as exceptional drought (D4) throughout the month. The county received up to 5 inches of rainfall but drought conditions did not improve.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as exceptional drought (D4) throughout the month. The county received up to 6 inches of rainfall but drought conditions did not improve.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as exceptional drought (D4) at the beginning of the month. The county received up to 6 inches of rainfall and was classified as extreme drought (D3) at the end of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as exceptional drought (D4) at the beginning of the month. The county received up to 6 inches of rainfall and was classified as extreme drought (D3) at the end of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as extreme drought (D3) throughout the month. The county received up to 6 inches of rainfall but drought conditions did not improve.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as exceptional drought (D4) throughout the month. The county received up to 6 inches of rainfall but drought conditions did not improve.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as extreme drought (D3) at the beginning of the month. The county received up to 4 inches of rainfall and was classified as severe drought (D2) at the end of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as extreme drought (D3) at the beginning of the month. The county received up to 5 inches of rainfall and was classified as severe drought (D2) at the end of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as extreme drought (D3) at the beginning of the month. The county received up to 7 inches of rainfall and was classified as severe drought (D2) at the end of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as extreme drought (D3) at the beginning of the month. The county received up to 5 inches of rainfall and was classified as severe drought (D2) at the end of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as extreme drought (D3) at the beginning of the month. The county received up to 5 inches of rainfall and was classified as severe drought (D2) at the end of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as extreme drought (D3) at the beginning of the month. The county received up to 7 inches of rainfall and was classified as severe drought (D2) at the end of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe drought (D2) throughout the month. The county received up to 3 inches of rainfall but drought conditions did not improve.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe drought (D2) throughout the month. The county received up to 7 inches of rainfall but drought conditions did not improve.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe drought (D2) throughout the month. The county received up to 5 inches of rainfall but drought conditions did not improve.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe drought (D2) throughout the month. The county received up to 4 inches of rainfall but drought conditions did not improve.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe drought (D2) throughout the month. The county received up to 4 inches of rainfall but drought conditions did not improve.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe drought (D2) throughout the month. The county received up to 4 inches of rainfall but drought conditions did not improve.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe drought (D2) throughout the month. The county received up to 5 inches of rainfall but drought conditions did not improve.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe drought (D2) at the beginning of the month. The county received up to 7 inches of rainfall and was classified as moderate drought (D1) at the end of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe drought (D2) at the beginning of the month. The county received up to 6 inches of rainfall and was classified as moderate drought (D1) at the end of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe drought (D2) at the beginning of the month. The county received up to 6 inches of rainfall and was classified as moderate drought (D1) at the end of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the county was classified as severe drought (D2) at the beginning of the month. The county received up to 6 inches of rainfall and was classified as moderate drought (D1) at the end 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, December 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: 356344, 356345, 356347, 356348, 356349, 356354, 356355, 356356, 356357, 356358, 356359, 356360, 356361, 356362, 356363, 356364, 356365, 356366, 356367, 356368, 356369, 356370, 356371, 356372, 356373.