Many areas of north Texas received beneficial rain and snowfall during the month. S.
Every event with a place to put it; 18 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.
Many areas of north Texas received beneficial rain and snowfall during the month. Most drought areas had slight improvements except for Lamar, Delta, and Hopkins County where conditions worsened according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. A total of 31 counties were in burn bans at some point during the month. The southern counties of north Texas all saw improvements to agricultural areas and slight rises of water levels on area lakes. Only Milam, Robertson, and Leon County were still classified in Extreme Drought at the end 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 Fort Worth, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 31, 5:58 PM CST, 7 hours 2 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 558 PM CST FRI DEC 31 2010 .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY. A BAND OF MID LEVEL CLOUDS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT. RADAR WILL SHOW SOME LIGHT PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THESE CLOUDS...BUT DRY AIR IN THE LOWER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE WILL RESULT IN THIS PRECIPITATION EVAPORATING BEFORE REACHING THE GROUND. NORTHWESTERLY WINDS ARE DECREASING TO 5 TO 10 KNOTS THIS EVENING. A REINFORCING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...WITH WINDS BECOMING NORTHERLY AT 10 TO 15 KNOTS BY 15Z. 58 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 349 PM CST FRI DEC 31 2010/ A LARGE CUT OFF UPPER LOW REMAINS IN PLACE OVER CO BASED ON 21Z WATER VAPOR IMAGERY. A POWERFUL SHORTWAVE TROUGH ROTATED THRU THE PLAINS TODAY AIDING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK FROM AR TO IL AND BRINGING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS THRU MUCH OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS. ACROSS NORTH TX THIS SYSTEM SENT A COLD FRONT THRU THE AREA DURING THE MORNING HRS WHICH HAS BROUGHT A VERY DRY LOW LEVEL AIRMASS INTO THE REGION. RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WEST OF INTERSTATE 35 HAVE FALLEN TO NEAR 10 PERCENT FOR MANY LOCATIONS WITH RH VALUES HOLDING AROUND 15 PERCENT IN THE METROPLEX. 12Z UPPER AIR ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT ANOTHER STRONG PIECE OF ENERGY WAS DIGGING INTO THE BACK SIDE OF THE UPPER LOW WITH -37 DEG C TEMPERATURES WITHIN THE CORE OF THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND AN 85 KT JET STREAK ON ITS WESTERN PERIPHERY AT THE H500 LEVEL. TONIGHT...THE STRONG PIECE OF ENERGY ON THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF THE UPPER LOW IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER THE TX PANHANDLE OVERNIGHT. AS THIS FEATURE MOVES OVER THE PANHANDLE IT WILL INDUCE LARGE SCALE ISENTROPIC ASCENT OVER MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL TX. THE INDUCED WAA/ISENTROPIC ASCENT IN THE MID LEVELS COMBINED WITH THE COLD TROPOSPHERIC AIR IN THE CENTER OF THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL TIGHTEN UP THE MID AND UPPER LVL THERMAL GRADIENT FROM WICHITA FALLS TO ABILENE TO MIDLAND. THIS INCREASE IN BAROCLINICITY WILL RESULT IN STRONG FRONTOGENETIC FORCING OVER THE NORTHWESTERN THIRD OF THE CWA BEGINNING AROUND MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. THE STRONG FRONTOGENETIC FORCING APPEARS TO BE STRONG ENOUGH TO ALLOW PRECIPITATION TO DEVELOP ALOFT. WITH THE DENDRITIC GROWTH ZONE /-12 TO -18 DEG C/ FORECAST TO LIE WITHIN THE LAYER EXPECTED TO RECEIVE SOME STRONG FORCING FOR ASCENT OVERNIGHT...THERE WILL LIKELY BE SNOW FALLING FROM THE MID LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE OVERNIGHT. AT THIS TIME THE LOW LEVEL AIRMASS APPEARS TO REMAIN DRY ENOUGH TO SUBLIMATE THIS SNOWFALL PREVENTING IT FROM REACHING THE SFC. WITH THIS IN MIND DO NOT HAVE ANY MENTION OF SNOWFALL IN THE FORECAST AT THIS TIME. RAW MODEL OUTPUT IS INDICATING SOME LIGHT QPF AMOUNTS...HOWEVER THESE SAME MODELS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERESTIMATED THE DRY AIR CURRENTLY IN PLACE WEST OF INTERSTATE 35...SO CONFIDENCE IS FAIRLY HIGH THAT THE DRY LOW LEVEL AIRMASS WILL PREVAIL. SKIES WILL BE CLOUDY OVERNIGHT WHICH WILL HELP KEEP TEMPERATURES SEVERAL DEGREES WARMER THAN THEY WOULD BE WITH CLEAR SKIES TONIGHT. SATURDAY THRU MONDAY...AS THE POWERFUL UPPER TROUGH MOVES EAST OVER THE PLAINS IT WILL SEND A REINFORCING SHOT OF COOL AIR SOUTH THRU THE SOUTHERN PLAINS DURING THE DAY ON SATURDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT ACROSS NORTH TX. THE LOWEST TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY MORNING WHEN LIGHT WINDS AND MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES WILL MAKE FOR AN IDEAL RADIATIVE COOLING ENVIRONMENT. TEMPERATURES IN OUTLYING AREAS WILL LIKELY SEE LOWS IN THE TEENS WHILE OTHER AREAS WILL SEE LOWS FALL INTO THE LOWER 20S. TEMPERATURES WILL SLOWLY WARM HEADED INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM APPROACHES THE PLAINS. EXTENDED...THERE IS CONSIDERABLE SPREAD IN ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE REGARDING THE PLACEMENT OF LARGE SCALE FLOW FEATURES STARTING EARLY NEXT WEEK. AT THIS TIME IT LOOKS LIKE THE BEST CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION WILL BE DURING THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY AS 36 TO 48 HRS OF SOUTHERLY FLOW MAY BE SUFFICIENT TO ALLOW FOR SOME LOW LEVEL MOISTURE RETURN TO NORTH TX BEFORE THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT. THE GFS IS MUCH LESS AGGRESSIVE WITH THIS MOISTURE RETURN BUT WENT AHEAD AND FAVORED THE ECMWF SOLUTION FOR NOW AS IT HAS EXHIBITED LESS RUN TO RUN INCONSISTENCY. AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH THRU THE PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY A DRY NORTHWEST FLOW REGIME LOOKS TO SET UP OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. CAVANAUGH && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX 35 50 25 54 31 / 5 0 0 5 0 WACO, TX 34 56 21 58 32 / 5 0 0 5 0 PARIS, TX 31 49 23 51 26 / 5 10 5 5 5 DENTON, TX 29 47 18 53 27 / 5 0 0 0 0 MCKINNEY, TX 28 47 16 53 27 / 5 0 0 5 0 DALLAS, TX 35 50 27 54 33 / 5 0 0 5 0 TERRELL, TX 31 53 23 54 29 / 5 0 0 5 0 CORSICANA, TX 35 57 26 57 31 / 0 0 0 5 0 TEMPLE, TX 33 59 24 59 32 / 0 0 0 5 0 MINERAL WELLS, TX 32 47 19 54 29 / 10 0 0 0 0 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 58/84
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 331 PM CST FRI DEC 31 2010 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- 331 PM CST FRI DEC 31 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. DUNN
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
18 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought conditions slightly improved across Anderson County according to the US Drought Monitor. At the beginning of the month the entire county was in extreme drought (D3). After several rain events during the month, the county ended January in severe drought (D2).
Drought conditions stayed steady across Comanche County according to the US Drought Monitor. The county remained in severe drought (D2) throughout the month.
Drought conditions stayed steady across Falls County according to the US Drought Monitor. The county remained in severe drought (D2) throughout the month.
Drought conditions slightly improved across Freestone County according to the US Drought Monitor. At the beginning of the month the entire county was in extreme drought (D3). After several rain events during the month, the county ended January in severe drought (D2).
Drought conditions stayed steady across Leon County according to the US Drought Monitor. The county remained in extreme drought (D3) throughout the month.
Drought conditions slightly improved across Henderson County according to the US Drought Monitor. At the beginning of the month the entire county was in extreme drought (D3). After several rain events during the month, the county ended January in severe drought (D2).
Drought conditions slightly improved across Lampasas County according to the US Drought Monitor. At the beginning of the month the entire county was in severe drought (D2). After several rain events during the month, the county ended January in moderate drought (D1).
Drought conditions stayed steady across Hamilton County according to the US Drought Monitor. The county remained in severe drought (D2) throughout the month.
Drought conditions slightly improved across Limestone County according to the US Drought Monitor. At the beginning of the month the entire county was in severe drought (D2). After many rain events during the month, the county ended January not in drought.
Drought conditions stayed steady across Milam County according to the US Drought Monitor. The county remained in extreme drought (D3) throughout the month.
Drought conditions slightly improved across Mills County according to the US Drought Monitor. At the beginning of the month the entire county was in severe drought (D2). After several rain events during the month, the county ended January in moderate drought (D1).
Drought conditions slightly improved across Navarro County according to the US Drought Monitor. At the beginning of the month the entire county was in severe drought (D2). After many rain events during the month, the county ended January not in drought.
Drought conditions stayed steady across Rains County according to the US Drought Monitor. The county remained in severe drought (D2) throughout the month.
Drought conditions stayed steady across Robertson County according to the US Drought Monitor. The county remained in extreme drought (D3) throughout the month.
Drought conditions slightly improved across Van Zandt County according to the US Drought Monitor. At the beginning of the month the entire county was in extreme drought (D3). After several rain events during the month, the county ended January in severe drought (D2).
Drought conditions worsened across Lamar county throughout the month of January. The county began in moderate drought and by the end of the month the county was in severe drought.
Drought conditions worsened across Delta county throughout the month of January. The county began in moderate drought and by the end of the month the county was in severe drought.
Drought conditions worsened across Delta county throughout the month of January. The county began in moderate drought and by the end of the month the county was in severe drought.
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, January 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: 273419, 273422, 273424, 273426, 273429, 273431, 273491, 273492, 273493, 273494, 273495, 273496, 273497, 273498, 273499, 273500, 273501, 273502.