Drought in Texas, May 1 to 9, 2011

Name: Drought in Texas, May 1 to 9, 2011
Start: 2011-05-01T00:00
End: 2011-05-09T23:59
Location: Texas

May 1 to 9, 2011 · NWS BRO · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

A continued lack of rainfall across Deep South Texas during the first week of May resulted in the drought conditions remaining the same as the last week of April. Extreme (D3) Drought conditions continued across the entire Rio Grande Valley except for the immediate coast, with severe drought conditions in a stripe from Brooks County to eastern Cameron and Willacy Counties.

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.

These conditions prevailed through May 9th, as persistent, record heat, Lack of rainfall, and strong south to southeasterly winds maintained conditions with virtually no wetting moisture, including very little morning dew. Dryland crop damage continued to slowly increase.

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 Apr 30, 11:57 PM CST, 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 30, 11:57 PM CST, 3 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
1257 AM CDT SUN MAY 1 2011

.DISCUSSION...SEE AVIATION SECTION FOR 06Z TAFS.

&&

.AVIATION...BREEZY AND GUSTY SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH WINDS ARE ONGOING
TONIGHT...AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...INTENSIFYING
DURING THE DAY...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST. CURRENT
RADAR SHOWS A 55 KT LOW LEVEL JET AT 2 KFT...RIGHT AT THE BASE OF
A STRONG INVERSION. SUSTAINED WINDS AT BROWNSVILLE AND HARLINGEN
MAY REACH 25 TO 35 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS FOR A FEW HOURS TODAY.
HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE GULF WILL INTERACT WITH LOWER PRESSURE
INLAND TO MAINTAIN A TIGHT SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT THROUGH THIS
EVENING. HIGH PRESSURE APPROACHING FROM THE NORTH WILL BEGIN TO
FILL IN LOW PRESSURE INLAND LATE THIS EVENING...SLOWLY REDUCING
THE GRADIENT AND ASSOCIATED WINDS TONIGHT.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 643 PM CDT SAT APR 30 2011/

DISCUSSION...UPDATED FOR LATEST AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW.

AVIATION...LOW CLOUD COVER WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION DURING THE
EVENING AND REMAIN THROUGH THE NIGHT BETWEEN 1500 AND 2000 FEET.
WINDY CONTINUES THROUGH THE NIGHT...WITH SOUTHEAST WINDS AT THE
SFC OF 15G25KTS WHILE WINDS ALOFT WILL REMAIN SOUTHERLY 45 TO 50
KNOTS. LLVL JET WILL MIX TO THE SFC AFTER SUNRISE TOMORROW...
BRINGING SFC WINDS OF 25G35KTS THROUGH THE DAY FOR THE COASTAL
REGIONS AND 20G30 FOR INLAND AREAS WEST OF KMFE. SKIES TOMORROW
WILL REMAIN MOSTLY CLEAR...BUT SIGNIFICANT HAZE FROM AGRICULTURAL
FIRES WILL ENVELOP THE REGION.

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 219 PM CDT SAT APR 30 2011/

SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/...THE MAIN CONCERN
DURING THE SHORT TERM PERIOD WILL CONTINUE TO BE ON THE STRONG
WINDS THAT ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST ACROSS PORTIONS OF DEEP SOUTH
TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. SFC HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO RIDGE
ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO WHILE LOW PRESSURE ORGANIZES ACROSS WEST
TX AND NORTHERN MEXICO. A SFC FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BE DRAPED WEST
TO EAST ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE EARLY IN THE PERIOD
BEFORE BEGINNING TO PUSH SWD BY THE END OF THE PERIOD. INTERACTION
BETWEEN PRESSURE SYSTEMS WILL PRODUCE A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT
ACROSS EASTERN SECTIONS OF OUR CWA THRU SUN AFTN. THE LLVL JET
WILL STRENGTHEN TONIGHT AND PERSIST ACROSS THE AREA INTO SUNDAY
MRNG. THERMAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LAND AND SEA WILL ALSO PLAY A
ROLE IN THE PERSISTENCE OF STRONGER WINDS DURING THE DAYTIME
SUNDAY. MDL GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO POINT TO ANOTHER WINDY DAY
SUNDAY...MUCH LIKE TODAY. POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER WIND ADVISORY
ACROSS AT LEAST THE COASTAL COUNTIES SUNDAY LOOKS PROBABLE. THE
AFOREMENTIONED FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL MAKE ITS WAY SWD INTO SOUTH
TX BY THE END OF THE PERIOD...POSSIBLY CLOSE TO OUR NORTHERN
COUNTIES LATE SUN NIGHT. WIND SPEEDS ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY
DIMINISH BY LATE SUN AFTN/EVE AS THE FRONT CLOSES IN. ADDED SLIGHT
CHC POPS ACROSS PORTIONS OF OUR NORTHERN ZONES AFTER MIDNIGHT SUN
NIGHT WITH THE APPROACH OF THE FRONT. TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE
TO REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL THRU THE PERIOD AS DEEP SOUTH TX REMAINS IN
A RELATIVELY HUMID AND WARM AIR MASS.

LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...500MB TROUGH ACROSS THE
SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES AND NORTHERN MEXICO MOVING EASTWARD MONDAY
WILL BRING THE BEST CHANCE OF RAIN THAT DEEP SOUTH TEXAS HAS SEEN
IN QUITE A WHILE. THE MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE POOLING ALONG AND AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT MOVING INTO
CENTRAL TX EARLY MONDAY AND SOUTH TX MON AFTERNOON. AFTERNOON
TEMPERATURES MONDAY WILL BE HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON THE TIMING OF THE
FRONT REACHING THE CWA MON AFTERNOON. SO WILL THE POTENTIAL FOR
SEVERE WEATHER AS INSTABILITY MAY BE LIMITED WITH AN EARLIER
ARRIVAL OF THE FRONT. WITH THAT SAID...WILL GO AHEAD AND INCREASE
POPS MONDAY THROUGH MON NIGHT AS LAPSE RATES SHOULD STEEPEN ENOUGH
TO AT LEAST ERODE THE CAP ACROSS THE LOWER RGV. IN ADDITION...
COOLER AIR WILL ADVECT INTO DEEP SOUTH TX IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT
MON NIGHT INTO TUESDAY WITH RAIN CHANCES LINGERING INTO TUESDAY
BEFORE THE SHARP 500MB TROUGH ACROSS THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES
MOVES EASTWARD BRINGING AN END TO ANY SIGNIFICANT SHOWER AND
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES TUESDAY WILL
RETURN TO NEAR NORMAL WEDNESDAY AS THE SURFACE RIDGE ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS MOVES EASTWARD. AN ONSHORE FLOW WILL RETURN WITH
ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND WITH
NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF RAIN CHANCES EXPECTED THROUGH SATURDAY AS
BROAD 500MB RIDGE DEVELOPS ACROSS THE WESTERN U.S. TOWARDS THE END
OF THE FORECAST PERIOD.

MARINE...
TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...THE 1 PM OBSERVATION FROM BUOY 020
INDICATED SOUTH SOUTHEAST WINDS AROUND 21 KTS GUSTING TO AROUND
27 KTS AND SEAS WERE AROUND 8.5 FT WITH A PERIOD OF 8 SECONDS.
MARINE CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN VERY UNSETTLED THRU THE MAJORITY OF
THIS FORECAST PERIOD THANKS TO A STRONG ONSHORE FLOW. A RIDGE OF
HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS THE GULF AND LOW PRESSURE UPSTREAM ACROSS
NORTHERN MEXICO AND WEST TX WILL ALLOW THE TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT
TO PERSIST TONIGHT THRU SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE GRADIENT WILL BEGIN
TO RELAX SOME SUNDAY NIGHT AS A COLD FRONT BEGINS TO APPROACH THE
REGION FROM THE NORTH. EXPECT MODERATE TO STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS
TO PERSIST THRU THE OVERNIGHT AND DURING THE DAY ON SUNDAY. BAY
WATERS WILL REMAIN ROUGH TO CHOPPY THIS EVENING...POSSIBLY
SETTLING DOWN SOME OVERNIGHT...ONLY TO BECOME ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH
DURING THE DAY ON SUNDAY. SEAS WILL REMAIN AGITATED AND ROUGH THRU
THE MAJORITY OF THE PERIOD...POSSIBLY BEGINNING TO SUBSIDE LATE
SUNDAY NIGHT. WILL BE EXTENDING THE SCA FOR WINDS FOR THE LAGUNA
MADRE AND THE SCA FOR THE GULF WATERS OUT UNTIL SUNDAY EVENING.

MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...LIGHT TO MODERATE SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL
PREVAIL ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS EARLY MONDAY BEFORE A COLD
FRONT MOVES THROUGH DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND OFFSHORE THE LOWER TX
COAST MON AFTERNOON THROUGH MON NIGHT. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES WILL
BE NEEDED FOR THE OFFSHORE WATERS MON NIGHT AS WINDS AND SEAS
INCREASE IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. STRONG NORTH WINDS WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT REMAINS
STRONG ACROSS THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO. WINDS AND SEAS WILL
BEGIN TO DIMINISH AND VEER TO THE NORTHEAST AND EAST TUES NIGHT
INTO WEDNESDAY AS THE SURFACE RIDGE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND
THE NORTHWEST GULF TUESDAY MOVES EASTWARD WEDNESDAY. WINDS WILL
CONTINUE TO VEER TO THE SOUTHEAST THURSDAY WITH LOW PRESSURE
DEVELOPING ACROSS WEST TX AND HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST
UNITED STATES.

&&

.BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...NONE.

GM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR
     GMZ130-132-135.

&&

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

54/63

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 30, 7:19 AM CST, 16 hours 41 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
819 AM CDT SAT APR 30 2011

TXZ248-249-252-011030-
ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-STARR-
819 AM CDT SAT APR 30 2011

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

GMZ130-132-135-150-155-170-175-011030-
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-
819 AM CDT SAT APR 30 2011

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS ARE PREVAILING WITH 20 KT
SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH WINDS...INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KTS TODAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

UNFAVORABLE MARINE CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE FOR THE LOWER TEXAS
COASTAL WATERS THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. A
COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED EARLY TUESDAY...WITH A FEW THUNDERSTORMS
POSSIBLE. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY OF NEXT
WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

TXZ250-251-253>257-011030-
BROOKS-KENEDY-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY-INLAND CAMERON-
COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON-
819 AM CDT SAT APR 30 2011

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

THERE IS A WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THROUGH 6 PM. THERE
IS ALSO A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT AREA BEACHES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

A WIND ADVISORY WILL BE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY. ELEVATED RIP CURRENT
RISK WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE PERIOD.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

CASTILLO

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, Zapata

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 9, 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)

The drought conditions across Zapata County the first 9 days of May remained the same as the last week of April. Extreme D3 drought conditions continued across all of Zapata County the first 9 days of May due to the continued lack of significant rainfall.

Dryland crop damage slowly increased and the livestock feed has been impacted.

Drought, Starr

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 9, 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)

The drought conditions across Starr County the first 9 days of May remained the same as the last week of April. Extreme D3 drought conditions continued across all of Starr County the first 9 days of May due to the continued lack of significant rainfall.

Dryland crop damage slowly increased and the livestock feed has been impacted.

Drought, Hidalgo

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 9, 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)

The drought conditions across Hidalgo County the first 9 days of May remained the same as the last week of April. Extreme D3 drought conditions continued across all except the extreme northeast tip of the county which had severe D2 drought conditions the first 9 days of May due to the continued lack of significant rainfall.

Drought, Cameron

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 9, 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)

Extreme D3 drought conditions continued across the western half of Cameron County and Severe D2 drought conditions continued across the eastern half of Cameron County the first 9 days of May due to the continued lack of significant rainfall.

Drought, Willacy

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 9, 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)

Extreme D3 drought conditions prevailed across the western half of Willacy County and Severe D2 drought conditions prevailed across the eastern half of Willacy County the first 9 days of May due to the continued lack of significant rainfall across Deep South.

Drought, Kenedy

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 9, 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)

Severe Drought (D2) conditions continued across the entire southern half of Kenedy County the first 9 days of May due to the lack of significant rainfall.

Drought, Jim Hogg

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 9, 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)

The drought conditions across Jim Hogg County the first 9 days of May remained the same as the last week of April. Extreme D3 drought conditions continued across all of Jim Hogg County the first 9 days of May due to the continued lack of significant rainfall.

Drought, Brooks

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 9, 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)

The drought conditions continued across Brooks County the first 9 days of May. Extreme D3 drought conditions continued across the western half of Brooks County, D2 drought conditions continued across the north, central, eastern and southern one half of Brooks County with the exception of the extreme northeastern corner of the County due to the continued lack of significant rainfall.

Drought, Coastal Willacy

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 9, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Coastal Willacy forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

A lack of rainfall continued across the Lower Rio Grande Valley to begin May, reaching toward the coast. Severe D2 drought conditions spread across the Coastal Willacy County the first week of May.

Drought, Coastal Cameron

When: May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 9, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Coastal Cameron forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

A lack of rainfall continued across the Lower Rio Grande Valley into early May, reaching toward the coast. Severe D2 drought conditions spread across the Coastal Cameron County the first week of May.

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 2011 Every state in 2011 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, May 2011

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: 298095, 298098, 298099, 298100, 298101, 298103, 298104, 298106, 298258, 298260.