A slow moving weak cold front moved south across the South Texas brush country and Rio Grande Plains during the late afternoon and early evening hours of September 8th. Isolated showers and thunderstorms associated with the front developed over these areas by 4 pm CDT.
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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.
A slow moving weak cold front moved south across the South Texas brush country and Rio Grande Plains during the late afternoon and early evening hours of September 8th. Isolated showers and thunderstorms associated with the front developed over these areas by 4 pm CDT. The combination of lift along the front, some low level gulf moisture aided by northeast flow off the gulf and deeper moisture along the front, low level instability, allowed the energy cap to be broken, and strong to severe storms developed and moved into Jim Hogg and Brooks County. Damaging winds were noted with one of the storms.
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 Sep 8, 3:42 PM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 442 PM CDT SAT SEP 8 2012 .DISCUSSION...A FEW THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED THIS AFTERNOON ALONG THE SLOWLY MOVING FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. WV ANALYSIS AND MODEL INTERPRETATION SHOWS THERE STILL IS NOT MUCH UPPER SUPPORT FOR THIS FRONTS SOUTHWARD MOVEMENT...AND THATS NOT EXPECTED TO CHANGE UNTIL LATER THIS EVENING WHEN THE FRONT WILL BEGIN A MORE STEADY PUSH SOUTH. THERE IS AN UPPER LOW OVER NORTHEASTERN MEXICO THAT MAY ALSO BE HELPING DIFLUENCE SLIGHTLY THIS EVENING. WITH THE VERY DRY NEAR SURFACE AIR...WITH DEWPOINT DEPRESSIONS OVER 40 DEGREES...MODIFIED SOUNDING SHOW THERE IS NOT MUCH SBCAPE TO WORK WITH FOR THIS CONVECTION...WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY THE MODERATE REFLECTIVITY PRESENTATION. THE THERMODYNAMIC PROFILE IS MODERATELY SUPPORTIVE OF GUSTY WINDS...WITH A THETA-E DIFFERENCE AROUND 20 ON NAM12 AND LAPS ANALYSIS. SO WILL BE MONITORING FOR AT LEAST SOME MICROBURST POTENTIAL FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. OBS SO FAR SEEM TO SUGGEST EVERYTHING IS STAYING WELL BELOW SEVERE LIMITS...BUT IF A STORM WERE TO FULLY REALIZE ANY AVAILABLE CAPE A QUICK GUST TO SEVERE OR NEAR SEVERE LIMITS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE NORTHWESTERN CWA UNTIL THE BOUNDARY LAYER BEGINS TO DESTABILIZE THIS EVENING. GOING FORECAST REMAINS OK WITH PRECIP CHANCES STILL A LITTLE DODGY WITH DRIER AIR TO OUR EAST...CONFIRMED BY AMSU/SSMI PWAT ESTIMATES AND WATER VAPOR SUBSIDENCE INDICATIONS...EXPECTED TO WORK IN NEAR THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND POSSIBLY LIMIT OUR PRECIP COVERAGE EVEN WITH THE FRONT PUSHING THROUGH. MUCH OF THE PRECIP MAY BE BEHIND THE FRONT AS THE BOUNDARY LIFTS PARCELS ABOVE THE NOCTURNAL TEMPERATURE INVERSION. PLAN TO HOLD COURSE UNLESS EVENING SOUNDING REVEALS MUCH MORE MOISTURE THAN EXPECTED. /68-JGG/ && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 143 PM CDT SAT SEP 8 2012/ SHORT TERM /NOW THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING/...THE MUCH-ADVERTISED COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS PROGRESSING AS PLANNED. INITIAL WIND SHIFT LINE SITTING FROM RGC-EBG-PMAN ATTM DRIFTING SOUTHWARD. WINDS IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THIS INITIAL SHIFT ARE LIGHT FROM THE NORTHEAST. DRY AIR WITH THE COLD FRONT ITSELF SETTLING IN...CURRENTLY FROM JUST NORTH OF A LINE FROM LRD TO CRP IS PROGRESSING AS WELL. SMALL AREA OF CU RIGHT ALONG THE FRONT NOT GETTING TOO MUCH VERTICAL DEVELOPMENT...BUT MAY BE ABLE TO TAP SOME LLVL GULF MOISTURE ON THE EASTERN END LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING...AIDED BY NE FLOW OFF THE GULF. CU FIELD ALREADY EXPANDING ACROSS THE AREA. MAIN INHIBITING FACTOR IS MOISTURE IS STILL SHALLOW...WITH ABRUPT SHIFT TO DRY AIR ABOVE 2000 FEET. EVEN WITH SOME DEEPER MOISTURE ALONG THE FRONT...HAVE CONCERN THAT LLVL INSTABILITY AND DIFFUSE COLD FRONT BOUNDARY WON/T BE ABLE TO OVERCOME CAPPING. MAIN CHANCE FOR RAIN WILL BE LATER TONIGHT INTO TOMORROW MORNING AS THE FRONT SLOWS ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS. STEERING FLOW ALOFT BECOMES MINIMAL...REDUCING THE FORWARD PUSH TO THE FRONT. SOME DEEPER MOISTURE IS AVAILABLE WITH THE FRONT...BRINGING A LOW END CHANCE FOR RAIN...MAINLY ALONG THE COAST. LINGERING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON TOMORROW... BUT DRIER AIR HAS ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO REACH INTO THE REGION. FORECAST A 5 TO 8 DEGREE DECREASE IN HIGHS TOMORROW VS TODAY WITH THE DRIER AND COOLER POST FRONTAL AIR MASS AND POSSIBLE LINGERING CLOUD COVER. MORE NOTICEABLE WILL BE THE MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE LOWS IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOW 70S SUNDAY NIGHT. LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...H5 RIDGING AND SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH WILL SHIFT EAST ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY...WITH DRIER AIR STILL IN PLAY AND FILTERING INTO DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. THIS WILL MAKE FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS OF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WEATHER WITH NEAR NORMAL TEMPS...LIGHT TO MODERATE ONSHORE WINDS AND MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES. HIGH PRESSURE IN THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN WILL PROVIDE AN OPPOSING FLOW AND WILL PUSH MOISTURE ALONG THE OLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY BACK NORTH ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. THIS SHOULD NOT GREATLY AFFECT THE WEATHER ACROSS THE CWA...BUT ONCE A LARGER SCALE SOUTHEAST FLOW...WHICH INCLUDES THE NORTHWEST GULF... DEVELOPS LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY...MOISTURE WILL BE PULLED INTO DEEP SOUTH TEXAS...WITH INCREASINGLY UNSETTLED WEATHER MOVING ASHORE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. ACCORDING TO THE GFS MODEL...ANOTHER FRONT APPEARS READY TO MOVE THROUGH FROM NORTH TO SOUTH NEXT FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. MARINE... NOW THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...WINDS ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS HAVE BECOME L/V AS THE FRONT BEGINS TO EMERGE ACROSS THE NW GULF. WINDS HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO SHIFT MORE NORTHWARD...BUT ARE REMAINING LIGHT. THE FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH OVERNIGHT TONIGHT...WITH WINDS INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KNOTS. ADVISORIES ARE NOT EXPECTED...BUT EXERCISE CAUTION WORDING MAY BE NEEDED WITH THE LEADING EDGE OF THE FRONT. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE THROUGH THE DAY SUNDAY...WITH WILL KEEP SEAS FROM RISING ABOVE 4 FEET. MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...LOW SEAS AND LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS WILL BE THE RULE IN THE LONG TERM IN THE WAKE OF A FRONT MOVING OFFSHORE. NORTHEAST WINDS MONDAY WILL VEER TO EAST OR SOUTHEAST BY TUESDAY AS EASTERN U.S. HIGH PRESSURE BECOMES MORE ESTABLISHED AND CONTROLLING IN THE NORTH GULF OF MEXICO. THE CHANGE IN WINDS COULD BRING SOME OFFSHORE MOISTURE BACK THIS WAY FROM THE GULF...BUT MODEL GUIDANCE SO FAR KEEPS ANY RAIN CHANCES WELL AWAY FROM THE COASTAL WATERS...AT LEAST UNTIL WEDNESDAY NIGHT WHEN CONVECTION STARTS BUILDING OFFSHORE OF KENEDY COUNTY. && .BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. GM...NONE. && THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT: HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RGV 68/61
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 419 AM CDT SAT SEP 8 2012 TXZ248>257-091100- ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY- INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON- 419 AM CDT SAT SEP 8 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. HEAT INDEX READINGS OF UP TO 106 DEGREES ARE EXPECTED DURING THE LATE MORNING THROUGH EARLY EVENING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IS LIKELY AT THE BEACHES OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND AND AT BOCA CHICA BEACH SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. GMZ130-132-135-150-155-170-175-091100- 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- 419 AM CDT SAT SEP 8 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...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR PORTIONS OF THE LOWER TEXAS COASTAL WATERS SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 512 PM CDT SAT SEP 8 2012 TXZ248-082300- ZAPATA- 512 PM CDT SAT SEP 8 2012 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN WESTERN ZAPATA COUNTY... AT 511 PM....RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM ABOUT 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF SAN YGNACIO...MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 20 MPH. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM....AS WELL AS BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. JGG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 547 PM CDT SAT SEP 8 2012 TXZ250-251-082330- BROOKS-KENEDY- 547 PM CDT SAT SEP 8 2012 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS IMPACTING NORTHERN BROOKS AND KENEDY COUNTIES... STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO PUSH SOUTH AT ABOUT 15 MPH INTO NORTHERN BROOKS AND KENEDY COUNTY THROUGH 615 PM. A GUST FRONT AHEAD OF THE STORMS WILL PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS TO AROUND 40 MPH AS WELL. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH IN THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE...AS WELL AS SMALL HAIL. HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED. JGG
The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:03 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
At 612 pm CDT, local law enforcement reported trees down at 210 and Eucalyptus in Falfurrias due to thunderstorm winds.
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, September 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: 414338.