Drought conditions across portions of the Brush Country and Rio Grande Plains of South Texas continued into early January. Moderate to severe drought conditions observed over Kleberg, Jim Wells, Live Oak, McMullen and eastern Duval counties in December 2010 continued into early January 2011.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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 CRP wrote it up.
Drought conditions across portions of the Brush Country and Rio Grande Plains of South Texas continued into early January. Moderate to severe drought conditions observed over Kleberg, Jim Wells, Live Oak, McMullen and eastern Duval counties in December 2010 continued into early January 2011. Severe to extreme drought conditions were observed across La Salle County and portions of Webb County for the first half of January.
But widespread rain occurred during the early morning hours of January 9th, 2011 as a squall line of thunderstorms moved across South Texas. Well above normal rainfall occurred over the Coastal Bend with rain amounts of 3 to 5 inches for the month. Near to slightly above normal rainfall occurred over the Brush Country with rain amounts between 1 and 2 inches for the month. By the end of January after a period of below normal temperatures, only moderate drought conditions (D1) existed over La Salle County.
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 Corpus Christi, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 31, 5:53 PM CST, 6 hours 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX 553 PM CST FRI DEC 31 2010 .DISCUSSION...SEE UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION. && .AVIATION...COLD FRONT IS ARRIVING IN PIECE MAIL WITH AN INITIAL PREFRONTAL TROUGH EARLIER TODAY SHIFTING THE WINDS...AN INITIAL DRY/COOL FRONT MVG OFFSHORE CURRENTLY AND THE MORE SIGNIFICANT BOUNDARY WITH SLIGHTLY STRONGER WINDS AND COLDER AIRMASS ARRIVING AROUND SUNRISE ON SAT. THIS FRONT IS MOISTURE STARVED AND NO PRECIP IS EXPECTED. THERE IS JUST ENOUGH MOISTURE THAT A BRIEF PERIOD OF MVFR CIGS IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE COASTAL PLAINS SITES AS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT COOLER AIRMASS ARRIVES AND PROVIDES SOME MINIMAL CONVERGENCE/LIFT LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY SAT. 3-4 HOUR TEMPOS SEEM SUFFICIENT TO HANDLE THIS...THEN SKIES WILL CLR THROUGH THE MORNING LEAVING IFR CONDITIONS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY. WINDS WILL FRESHEN FROM THE NORTH AROUND OR JUST AFTER SUNRISE...BUT WILL BE BELOW AVERAGE BY S TX STANDARDS FOR WINTER FROPAS. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 543 PM CST FRI DEC 31 2010/ DISCUSSION...SEE MARINE SECTION BELOW. MARINE...SEAS HAVE LOWERED TO AROUND 6FT AND GIVEN THE WEAK TO MOD OFFSHORE FLOW...AM EXPECTING CONDITIONS TO REMAIN BELOW SCA LEVELS THROUGH THE EVENING. HOWEVER...AM EXPECTING THE GRADIENT TO TIGHTEN AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ACROSS THE WATERS LATE TONIGHT/EARLY SATURDAY...WITH ANOTHER SCA LIKELY BEING ISSUED LATER TONIGHT. UPDATES WILL BE OUT SHORTLY. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 310 PM CST FRI DEC 31 2010/ SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT)...WINDS HAVE SHIFTED OUT OF THE NORTH ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA WITH THE HELP OF A POST FRONT TROUGH THAT MOVED THROUGH EARLIER. THE COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE CWA AS SURFACE OBS SHOW WINDS HAVE INCREASED AS WELL AS DEWPOINTS DROPPING ALONG A LINE FROM REALITOS TO SOUTH OF VICTORIA. WILL EXPECT THE WINDS TO BACK DECREASE OVERNIGHT AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WEAKENS...HOWEVER WILL THEN ONCE AGAIN SEE WINDS INCREASE AS HIGHER PRESSURE SURGES SOUTHWARD SATURDAY MORNING AS LOWER PRESSURE REMAINS OUT OVER THE GULF. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE COOLER AS DRIER AND COOLER AIR BEGINS TO FILTER IN ACROSS THE CWA. WILL CONTINUE TO SEE CLOUDY SKIES TOMORROW AS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE OVERRIDES THE SURFACE HIGH. FOR THE DAYTIME HIGHS TOMORROW...KEPT BELOW GUIDANCE AS COOLER AND DRIER AIR AS WELL AS ABUNDANT CLOUD COVER WILL HINDER TEMPERATURES REACHING ABOVE 70 DEGREES. NORTHERLY WINDS SATURDAY AFTERNOON WILL BE WEAK TO MODERATE. SATURDAY NIGHT IS EXPECTED TO BE COLDER...WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS DIPPING INTO THE MID 30S ACROSS THE NORTHERN CWA TO THE MID 40S ALONG THE COASTAL AREAS TO THE LOWER 40S ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS...AS COLDER AND DRIER AIR CONTINUES TO MOVE SOUTH. MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONTINUES THROUGH THE EVENING FOR THE OFFSHORE WATERS AS SEAS SLOWLY SUBSIDE. ANOTHER SCA IS LIKELY FOR ALL OF THE WATERS FOR SATURDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES FURTHER SOUTH...TIGHTENING THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT RESULTING IN STRONG OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPMENT. FIRE WEATHER...ELEVATED FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TOMORROW AND PERSIST THROUGH THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF THE NEW YEAR. THIS IS IN PART TO DRIER AIR FILTERING IN ACROSS THE REGION. NORTHERLY WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE WEAK WITH MODERATE WINDS ALONG THE COASTAL AREAS. THEREFORE...RED FLAG WARNINGS ARE NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN USING AERIAL FIREWORKS THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND. IN ADDITION...BE AWARE OF ALL CITY/COUNTY LAWS PERTAINING TO THE USE OF FIREWORKS AS MANY COUNTIES ARE UNDER BURN BANS AND MOST URBAN COMMUNITIES HAVE BANNED THE USE OF FIREWORKS WITHIN CITY LIMITS. LONG TERM (SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY)...THE OVERALL TREND IS TO KEEP THE EXTENDED FCST DRIER THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT. THE 12Z ECMWF SOLN IS NOW MORE IN LINE WITH THIS THINKING JUST LIKE THE CURRENT AND PREVIOUS GFS/CANADIAN SOLNS. A SPLIT FLOW PATTERN WL PERSIST ACROSS THE UNITED STATES WITH A WK RDG ALOFT PREVAILING THROUGH MUCH OF THE PD ACROSS OUR CWA. A CUTOFF LOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TO THE WEST OF SRN CALIFORNIA BY TUE/WED TIMEFRAME AND REMAIN WEST OF THE DESERT SOUTHWEST EVEN BY FRIDAY. THE ONLY OUTLIER SOLN WHICH PROGS THIS SYSTEM THROUGH OUR CWA IS THE NOGAPS SOLN. THIS WL BE DISCOUNTED SINCE THE GUIDANCE HAS BEEN TRENDING TWDS KEEPING THIS SYSTEM WELL TO THE WEST OF OUR CWA THROUGH NEXT WEEK. AS A RESULT...PCPN CHCS APPEAR TO BE SLIM AT BEST THROUGH THURSDAY PRIMARILY BASED ON WK ISENTROPIC LIFT. A BETTER CHANCE WL LKLY COME BY FRI AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE CWA. THE FIRST HALF OF THE FCST WL BE COOLER THAN NORMAL AS A WK SFC RDG AXIS MAINTAINS A COOL DRY NORTH/NORTHEAST FLOW. MODERATING TEMPS ARE EXPECTED BY MIDWEEK AS CAA ENDS AND EVEN SOME WK WAA BEGINS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... CORPUS CHRISTI 51 66 42 63 46 / 10 10 10 0 0 VICTORIA 43 64 34 62 36 / 10 10 0 0 0 LAREDO 47 69 42 69 47 / 0 0 0 0 0 ALICE 48 67 39 64 42 / 10 0 0 0 0 ROCKPORT 49 64 42 62 45 / 10 10 10 0 0 COTULLA 40 66 34 66 34 / 0 0 0 0 0 KINGSVILLE 51 67 39 64 43 / 10 10 0 0 0 NAVY CORPUS 53 64 48 62 51 / 10 10 10 0 0 && .CRP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. GM...NONE. && MJG/88...SHORT TERM MJG/88...AVIATION
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX 556 AM CST FRI DEC 31 2010 GMZ230-235-250-255-270-275-TXZ229>234-239>247-011200- BAYS AND WATERWAYS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT ARANSAS- BAYS AND WATERWAYS FROM PORT ARANSAS TO PORT O'CONNOR- COASTAL WATERS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT ARANSAS OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM PORT ARANSAS TO MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL OUT 20 NM-WATERS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT ARANSAS FROM 20 TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM PORT ARANSAS TO MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL FROM 20 TO 60 NM-LA SALLE-MCMULLEN-LIVE OAK-BEE-GOLIAD-VICTORIA-WEBB-DUVAL- JIM WELLS-KLEBERG-NUECES-SAN PATRICIO-ARANSAS-REFUGIO-CALHOUN- 556 AM CST FRI DEC 31 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH TEXAS AND THE MIDDLE TEXAS COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS CONTINUE THIS MORNING OVER THE COASTAL WATERS DUE TO HAZARDOUS SEAS GREATER THAN 7 FEET. A FRONTAL PASSAGE THIS AFTERNOON WILL CAUSE RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES TO DROP BELOW 30 PERCENT...LEADING TO AN ELEVATED FIRE DANGER THREAT WEST OF HIGHWAY 281. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY LOW AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITIES OVER THE WEEKEND WILL PRODUCE AN ELEVATED FIRE DANGER THREAT...BUT WINDS SHOULD REMAIN BELOW RED FLAG CRITERION. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ON THURSDAY...WITH LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS THE MAIN CONCERN AT THIS TIME. FINALLY...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ON SUNDAY AND INTO MONDAY MAINLY OVER THE OFFSHORE GULF WATERS DUE TO HIGH SEAS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. RG/GW
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Moderate to severe drought lingered into the early part of January for portions of Jim Wells County. Widespread rain from an extensive squall line that moved through the region during the early morning hours of January 9th abated the drought conditions for the county.
Moderate to severe drought lingered into the early part of January for portions of Live Oak County. Widespread rain from an extensive squall line that moved through the region during the early morning hours of January 9th abated the drought conditions for the county.
Moderate to severe drought lingered into the early part of January for western portions of Kleberg County. Widespread rain from an extensive squall line that moved through the region during the early morning hours of January 9th abated the drought conditions for the county.
Moderate to severe drought lingered into the early part of January for Duval County. Widespread rain from an extensive squall line that moved through the region during the early morning hours of January 9th abated the drought conditions for the county.
Moderate to severe drought lingered into the early part of January for McMullen County. Widespread rain from an extensive squall line that moved through the region during the early morning hours of January 9th abated the drought conditions for the county.
Severe drought lingered into the early part of January for Webb County. Widespread rain from a squall line that moved through the region during the early morning hours of January 9th and below normal temperatures during the middle portion of the month abated the drought conditions for the county.
Severe to extreme drought lingered into the early part of January for La Salle County. Widespread rain from a squall line that moved through the region during the early morning hours of January 9th and below normal temperatures during the middle portion of the month reduced the drought conditions to a moderate level (D1) for the county.
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: 282700, 282702, 282704, 282705, 282706, 282707, 282708.