Residual effects from late May rainfall helped reduce drought in some areas, particularly along the Highway 77 corridor, in early June. Otherwise, spotty rainfall for the balance of the month, with the exception of the final day (which helped alleviate drought slightly across the corners of the Rio Grande Valley), maintained pockets of severe drought from the ranches to the more populated…
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 BRO wrote it up.
Residual effects from late May rainfall helped reduce drought in some areas, particularly along the Highway 77 corridor, in early June. Otherwise, spotty rainfall for the balance of the month, with the exception of the final day (which helped alleviate drought slightly across the corners of the Rio Grande Valley), maintained pockets of severe drought from the ranches to the more populated Highway 83 corridor through June, 2012.
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 May 31, 11:57 PM CST, 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 1257 AM CDT FRI JUN 1 2012 .DISCUSSION...UPDATED FOR LATEST AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW. && .AVIATION...OVC ALOFT THE RESULT OF BLOW OFF FROM UPSTREAM CONVECTION MOVING OVERHEAD. LOCAL SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM CHANCES APPEAR OVER TO BE FOR THE REST OF TONIGHT. OTHERWISE...EXPECTING LOW CLOUDS TO INCREASE WITH MVFR CEILINGS THROUGH MID MORNING. WINDS WILL BACK TO LIGHT EAST SOUTHEAST BY AFTERNOON AS CEILINGS LIFT TO VFR. A LIGHT SOUTHEAST WIND WILL RETURN THIS EVENING... WITH BKN TO OVC SKIES AND TEMPO MVFR CEILINGS TONIGHT. A WEAK MID LEVEL LOW OVER NORTH CENTRAL MEXICO WILL CONTINUE TO TRIGGER CONVECTION ACROSS THE BORDER IN THE SHORT TERM...WHILE HIGH PRESSURE AND RIDGING ALOFT OVER THE WEST GULF WILL KEEP RAIN CHANCES MUTED FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY DURING THE SAME TIMEFRAME. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 643 PM CDT THU MAY 31 2012/ DISCUSSION...UPDATED FOR LATEST AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW. AVIATION...SATELLITE IMAGES AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATE CLEAR SKIES ACROSS MOST OF THE CWA EARLY THIS EVENING. CEILINGS WERE NEAR 2400FT AT KPIL TO NEAR 2700FT AT KBRO. EXPECT MVFR CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE COASTAL SECTIONS TONIGHT AS DEW POINTS REMAIN HIGH ACROSS THE LOWER TEXAS COAST. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY TONIGHT WITH HIGH CLOUDS FROM THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MEXICO MOVING ACROSS THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA. VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL FRI AFTERNOON EVEN AS A 500MB LOW ACROSS NORTHWEST MEXICO MOVES SOUTHEAST TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 147 PM CDT THU MAY 31 2012/ SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...BREEZY CONDITIONS TODAY CONTINUE AS FLOW TRAVELS AROUND DOMINANT GULF SFC RIDGE AND TOWARD LOW CENTERED IN NE MEXICO. WEAK FRONT SETTLING ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS SHOULD STALL DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. WHILE THE FRONT MAY STALL...CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE SOUTHWARD...POSSIBLY REACHING THE NORTH HALF OF THE CWA TONIGHT...AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE DAY TOMORROW. CONVECTION WILL BE TOUGH TO FORM AS PW VALUES STILL INDICATING LIMITED MOISTURE ABOVE 3000 FEET AND CONTINUED CAPPING INVERSION. BEST CHANCE FOR RAIN WOULD BEL LATER TOMORROW AS THE BEST UPPER DYNAMICS SWEEP THROUGH TEXAS. WILL HOLD POPS AT 20 FOR THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN COUNTIES AND NOT EXPAND FURTHER EAST OR SOUTH. SFC RIDGE BUILDS FURTHER ACROSS GULF TOMORROW...BUT SFC LOW TO THE WEST WEAKENS...ALLOWING WINDS TO BE LIGHTER THAN TODAY. EXPECT TEMPERATURES TO CLIMB INTO THE 90S TO AROUND 100 AGAIN TOMORROW...BUT MAY BE TEMPERED A DEGREE OR TWO BY MORE CLOUD COVER FROM THUNDERSTORMS. LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL INTERACT LOW PRESSURE/TROUGH OVER NORTHERN MEXICO. THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE TWO SYSTEMS WILL RESULT IN HOT AND BREEZY CONDITIONS ACROSS DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY THROUGH THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. A 500 MB LOW NEAR THE BAJA OF CALIFORNIA WILL SWING SOUTHEAST OVER NORTHERN MEXICO THIS WEEKEND. THE MID LEVEL LOW LOOKS TO STAY PUT MORE OR LESS SOUTH OF THE RIO GRANDE RIVER. THERE DOES APPEAR TO BE A SMALL CHANCE FOR CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT FRIDAY EVENING AS THE LOW APPROACHES...AS WELL AS SATURDAY NIGHT WHERE SOUTHWEST FLOW COULD ADVECT SOME THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE SIERRA MADRE MOUNTAINS INTO THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. WILL CONTINUE TO MENTION 20 POPS TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AS PWATS INCREASE TO OVER 1.60 INCHES BY TUESDAY SHOULD RESULT IN AN INCREASE IN STREAMER SHOWERS AND AFTERNOON SEA BREEZE CONVECTION. MARINE... TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...WINDS ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS CONTINUE TO HOVER JUST UNDER ADVISORY CRITERIA...BUT SEAS HAVE JUMPED UP TO NEAR 7 FEET...AND WILL REMAIN AGITATED THROUGH THE EVENING. WINDS ACROSS THE LAGUNA MADRE ARE RUNNING NEAR 20 KNOTS...SO ALL MARINE ZONES WILL CONTINUE WITH THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THROUGH 9PM. REINFORCING HIGH PRESSURE MOVING INTO THE GULF OVERNIGHT WILL RELAX THE GRADIENT JUST ENOUGH...ALLOWING SEAS TO LOWER SLIGHTLY. IN THIS CASE...ADVISORIES WILL NOT BE EXTENDED PAST THEIR EXPIRATION. THE WEAK FRONT TO THE NORTH WILL WASH OUT BEFORE REACHING THE COASTAL REGIONS...THUS WINDS WILL ONLY SHIFT TO THE EAST BRIEFLY DURING THE DAY TOMORROW AND NOT REACH 20 KNOTS. SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY....SMALL CRAFT WILL NEED TO EXERCISE CAUTION THROUGH THE PERIOD AS MODERATE AND PERSISTENT SOUTHEAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE LOWER TEXAS COASTAL WATERS. WINDS WILL BE STRONGER ON THE LAGUNA MADRE DURING THE DAY AND ON THE OFFSHORE WATERS DURING THE EVENING WHICH MAY RESULT IN MARGINAL SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES AT TIMES THIS WEEKEND. SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO MODERATE BUT MAY BRIEFLY BECOME ROUGH AS WINDS INCREASE. && .BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. GM...NONE. && THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT: HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RGV 54/68
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 952 PM CDT THU MAY 31 2012 TXZ248>250-252>255-010900- ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY- INLAND CAMERON- 952 PM CDT THU MAY 31 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. GMZ130-132-135-150-155-170-175-010900- 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- 952 PM CDT THU MAY 31 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE LAGUNA MADRE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. EXERCISE CAUTION TO LOW END SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS POSSIBLE AT TIMES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. TXZ251-256-257-010900- KENEDY-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON- 952 PM CDT THU MAY 31 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT AREA BEACHES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. ELEVATED RIP CURRENT RISK POSSIBLE AT TIMES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. CASTILLO
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe Drought (D2) conditions continued across the northern third of Zapata County, with Moderate (D1) elsewhere through June.
Little change in drought conditions was observed across Jim Hogg County from the end of May until the end of June. The county remained split into thirds, with the southern third of the county in abnormally dry (D0) conditions, the middle third in Moderate (D1) Drought, and the northern third of the county in Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3) Drought, including the city of Hebbronville.
Welcome rainfall in April and May would gradually be erased in June across the Brooks County ranchland, as Severe (D2) Drought slowly spread from north to south into the middle portion of the county through the 25th. Moderate (D1) conditions began the month for all but the northern sliver, but by the 25th were confined to the southern sliver.
Drought Conditions would fluctuate across inland Cameron County throughout June. Residual ground moisture from late May rainfall would edge Severe (D2) Drought to Coastal Cameron County by June 5th, but dry, hot weather would quickly return Severe Drought to most of the County by June 12th, which continued through month's end. Torrential rains in a small area near the Rio Grande would reduce the level in that corner by early July.
All of coastal Cameron County remained in Severe (D2) Drought, as any spotty sea breeze induced storms formed about 10 miles or so inland, until the final day of the month.
All of coastal Willacy County remained in Severe (D2) Drought through most of June, as needed rainfall tended to fall in spotty sea breeze thunderstorms along the Highway 77 corridor away from the coast. Some rains toward month's end would shrink the Severe area to the extreme southeast corner of the County by month's end.
Spotty, mainly seabreeze-induced rainfall shifted drought conditions around Kenedy County through June. Overall, Moderate (D1) to Severe (D2) prevailed. In general, Moderate (D1) conditions shifted toward the coast with the sea breeze rain, while severe (D2) dominated areas of the King Ranch west of Highway 77.
Drought conditions varied across inland Willacy County through June, but Moderate (D1) to Severe (D2) was the general rule. After a brief respite between June 5th and 11th, when residual ground moisture from late May rains brought levels to Moderate everywhere, the start of a hot, dry summer quickly returned Severe levels to most of inland Willacy County through the 25th. Spotty sea breeze rainfall across northern Willacy County in mid June slivered Severe conditions to the southern 1/4 of the County to close the month.
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, June 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: 395067, 395068, 395072, 395081, 395093, 395095, 395100, 395090.