Broad high pressure over the Gulf of Mexico kept a conveyor belt of moisture moving north into the region, while midlevel high pressure centers over the plains and the southeast US resulted in disturbances aloft and unsettled weather across the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas on July 13th. Large scale lift and upper diffluence combined with a light to moderate southeast wind, and abundant…
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The episode as NWS BRO wrote it up.
Broad high pressure over the Gulf of Mexico kept a conveyor belt of moisture moving north into the region, while midlevel high pressure centers over the plains and the southeast US resulted in disturbances aloft and unsettled weather across the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas on July 13th. Large scale lift and upper diffluence combined with a light to moderate southeast wind, and abundant moisture, allowed for seabreeze convection. The convection initiated along the coastal counties earlier in the afternoon and continued to march across the region through the evening hours. These showers and thunderstorms were slow moving and had rainfall rates of 3 to 4 inches per hours. Portions of rural Jim Hogg County received between 4 and 6 inches of rain.
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 Jul 13, 12:56 PM CST, 6 hours 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 156 PM CDT FRI JUL 13 2012 .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/...UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE PERIOD. MID LEVEL RIDING OVER THE FOUR CORNER STATES AND THE EAST COAST ALONG WITH MID LEVEL WEAKNESS OVER THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE SLOW TO DEVELOP EARLY THIS AFTERNOON DUE TO THE ATMOSPHERE BECOMING A LITTLE STABLE AFTER THIS MORNINGS CONVECTION OVER THE COASTAL COUNTIES AND THE MARINE AREAS. SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. WEAKNESS ALOFT AND PWAT FORECAST TO REMAIN NEAR TWO INCHES THROUGH THE PERIOD...WE CAN EXPECT A MIX OF CLOUDS AND SUN WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED AGAIN ON SATURDAY. .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...HIGH PRESSURE WILL DOMINATE MOST OF THE CONUS EAST OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS TO START THE PERIOD WITH A DEVELOPING TROUGH OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. UNDER THIS RIDGE...A MID LEVEL LOW WILL RETROGRADE ACROSS TEXAS AND INTO NORTHERN MEXICO. AS THIS FEATURE MOVES WEST PWAT VALUES WILL FALL TO AROUND 1.5 INCHES BY TUESDAY MORNING THEN BEGIN TO INCREASE AGAIN AS TROPICAL MOISTURE STREAMS INTO THE REGION AROUND THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF HIGH PRESSURE LOCATED OVER THE SOUTHEAST CONUS. PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL DECREASE THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING THEN INCREASE ONCE AGAIN TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY. EXPECT MOSTLY SEABREEZE ACTIVITY WITH THE BETTER CHANCES IN THE AFTERNOON AND CLOSER TO THE COAST. && .MARINE...TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT...BUOY020 REPORTS LIGHT SOUTHEAST WINDS AND WAVE HEIGHTS JUST UNDER 3 FFET EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. BROAD SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE PERIOD RESULTING IN A LIGHT TO MODERATE SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH WIND AND LOW TO MODERATE SEAS ALONG THE LOWER TEXAS COASTAL WATERS. SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...A WEAK PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL EXIST THROUGH TUESDAY WHICH WILL PRODUCE FAVORABLE MARINE CONDITIONS SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. WINDS AND SEAS MAY INCREASE FOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO BEGINS TO INTERACT WITH LOW PRESSURE OVER NORTHERN MEXICO. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL 78 92 78 93 / 20 30 10 10 BROWNSVILLE 77 93 76 94 / 20 30 10 10 HARLINGEN 76 95 76 95 / 20 30 10 10 MCALLEN 78 98 77 97 / 20 30 10 10 RIO GRANDE CITY 78 99 78 100 / 20 20 10 10 SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 80 86 79 91 / 20 20 20 10 && .BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. GM...NONE. && THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT: HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RGV SHORT TERM...CACERES-63 LONG TERM...SCHOLL-55 FXC/MESO...VEGA
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 456 AM CDT FRI JUL 13 2012 TXZ248>257-141000- ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY- INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON- 456 AM CDT FRI JUL 13 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAY RESULT IN LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. SOME FLOODING OF URBAN AREAS AND SMALL STREAMS WILL THEREFORE BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY THROUGH NEXT WEEK. THE MAIN CONCERN WITH THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND POSSIBLE FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IF PERSISTENT RAINS TRAIN OVER THE SAME AREA FOR A FEW HOURS...AND IF RAINFALL FROM PREVIOUS DAYS BEGINS TO SATURATE THE SOIL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. GMZ130-132-135-150-155-170-175-141000- 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- 456 AM CDT FRI JUL 13 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE LAGUNA MADRE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND 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 WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 656 PM CDT FRI JUL 13 2012 TXZ248-249-252-140100- ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-STARR- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ZAPATA...HEBBRONVILLE... RIO GRANDE CITY...ROMA 656 PM CDT FRI JUL 13 2012 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING SOUTHWEST ACROSS WESTERN DEEP SOUTH TEXAS... AT 650 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER WESTERN JIM HOGG COUNTY. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 15 TO 20 MPH AND WILL PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF WIND GUSTS 25 TO 35 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS ZAPATA AND STARR COUNTIES BETWEEN 7 AND 8 PM THIS EVENING. HEAVY RAINS MAY CAUSE BRIEF MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AND LOW LYING AREAS. SMALL STREAMS MAY BRIEFLY EXCEED THEIR BANKS. MOTORISTS SHOULD SLOW DOWN AND MAINTAIN A SAFE FOLLOWING DISTANCE BETWEEN VEHICLES. BILLINGS/SPEECE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 752 PM CDT FRI JUL 13 2012 TXZ248-249-252-140200- ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-STARR- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ZAPATA...HEBBRONVILLE... RIO GRANDE CITY...ROMA 752 PM CDT FRI JUL 13 2012 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTHWEST ACROSS WESTERN DEEP SOUTH TEXAS... AT 750 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED WIDESPREAD STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER JIM HOGG...WESTERN STARR AND ZAPATA COUNTIES. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING WEST SOUTHWEST AT 10 TO 15MPH AND WILL PRODUCE PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF WIND GUSTS 30 TO 40 MPH. BRIEF PEA SIZE WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS THROUGH 9 PM. HEAVY RAINS MAY CAUSE BRIEF MINOR FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AND LOW LYING AREAS. SMALL STREAMS MAY BRIEFLY EXCEED THEIR BANKS. MOTORISTS SHOULD SLOW DOWN AND MAINTAIN A SAFE FOLLOWING DISTANCE BETWEEN VEHICLES. BILLINGS/SPEECE
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
An area of bias-corrected rainfall of 4 to 6 inches fell in rural Jim Hogg County during the evening of July 13th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, July 2012
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: 404751.