A vigorous non-tropical upper level system, accompanied by relatively strong low pressure near the earth’s surface moved across the Rio Grande Valley during the predawn hours of December 21st. S.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
A vigorous non-tropical upper level system, accompanied by relatively strong low pressure near the earth’s surface moved across the Rio Grande Valley during the predawn hours of December 21st. This brought persistent sustained winds from the south near or just above 30 mph with long duration gusts of 40 mph or higher in some cases (Harlingen/Valley Airport) for nearly all of 12 hours - in many locations along the U.S. 77/Interstate 69-E corridor. The long duration of gusts 40 mph or higher produced pockets of damage to unanchored light weight/high center-of-gravity objects, including portable toilets, basketball goals, and more. Unfastened signs were shredded or blown down, as were at least two poorly fastened roofs, one in Harlingen and another at Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport.
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 Dec 21, 4:04 AM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
404 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013
.SHORT TERM /NOW THROUGH SUNDAY/...SURFACE OBSERVATIONS RIGHT NOW
INDICATE THAT STRONG WINDS ARE PERSISTING OVER CAMERON...WILLACY...
AND KENEDY COUNTY...WITH SOME DIMINISHING OF WINDS WITHIN HIDALGO
COUNTY. THE WIND ADVISORY FOR THESE COUNTIES IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM
CST THIS MORNING...AND WITH THE KBRO VAD WIND PROFILE INDICATING 45
TO 55 KNOTS OF SOUTHERLY WINDS BETWEEN 1K AND 4K FEET...WILL LEAVE
THE ADVISORY IN PLACE AND CANCEL/EXTEND AS NEEDED WITHIN THE NEXT
COUPLE OF HOURS.
TODAY...SURFACE WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH AND VEER AS A COLD
FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST THIS MORNING...AND MOVES TO THE
SOUTHEAST DURING THE AFTERNOON. INHERITED ABOUT A 20 PERCENT CHANCE
OF PRECIPITATION WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE FROM THE PREVIOUS SHIFT...
AND HAVE RETAINED THAT FOR THIS FORECAST CYCLE. THE TIMING OF THE
COLD FRONT...EXPECTED PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES...AND WINDS BRIEFLY FROM
THE SOUTHWEST SHOULD ALLOW WELL ABOVE NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR
TODAY.
TONIGHT...FRONT PUSHING FARTHER TO THE SOUTHEAST AND AN INFLUX OF
DRIER AIR BEHIND THE FRONT SHOULD RAPIDLY REDUCE CLOUD COVER...BUT
NOT BEFORE ISOLATED SHOWERS HAVE A CHANCE OVER THE LOWER TEXAS
COASTAL WATERS EARLY TONIGHT. MORE SEASONAL TEMPERATURES...BUT STILL
ABOVE NORMAL...ARE ANTICIPATED.
SUNDAY...FINE CONDITIONS. DRY WEATHER. NEARLY CLEAR SKIES. SURFACE
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING SOUTH INTO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND ALL OF
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. ALTHOUGH DRIER AIR WILL BE IN PLACE...20 FOOT
WINDS APPEAR TO BE TOO WEAK AND THE ATMOSPHERE SLIGHTLY TOO JUICY TO
PRODUCE AN ELEVATED WILDFIRE THREAT...THEREFORE FIRE WEATHER WATCHES
OR RED FLAG WARNINGS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE NEEDED FOR THIS DAY AS
OF NOW.
.LONG TERM.../SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...THE MAIN FORECAST
CONCERNS WILL BE A SECONDARY SURGE OF COLD AIR SUNDAY NIGHT INTO
MONDAY AND THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT ON THURSDAY.
COLDER AND DRIER AIR FILTERS INTO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND DEEP
SOUTH TEXAS SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY AS A SECONDARY SURGE OF HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE AREA. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT STRENGTHENS
SUNDAY NIGHT WITH SOME STRONGER NORTH WINDS DEVELOPING OVERNIGHT
ESPECIALLY NEAR THE COAST. OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES SUNDAY NIGHT
WILL RANGE FROM AROUND 40 ACROSS THE NORTHERN RANCHLANDS TO THE
UPPER 40S NEAR THE COAST. HIGH TEMPERATURES MONDAY WILL BE IN THE
LOW TO MID 60S. TEMPERATURES MONDAY NIGHT WILL BE A FEW DEGREES
COLDER DUE TO LIGHT WINDS AND GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING. LOWS ARE
EXPECTED IN THE MID 30S OVER THE NORTHERN TIER COUNTIES TO THE LOW
TO MID 40S ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. NO FREEZING TEMPERATURES
ARE EXPECTED ACROSS DEEP SOUTH TEXAS.
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE MOVES TO THE EAST ON TUESDAY. THIS WILL ALLOW
WINDS TO GRADUALLY VEER TO THE EAST THEN SOUTHEAST WHICH WILL ALLOW
AN INCREASE IN TEMPERATURES AND MOISTURE TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
MODELS CONTINUE TO DIFFER ON STRENGTH OF UPPER RIDGE ALONG THE WEST
COAST AND TROUGH ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS BY MIDWEEK. THIS WILL
RESULT IN BIG DIFFERENCES IN THE LATTER PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST
PERIOD. WILL CONTINUE TO LEAN TOWARDS THE GFS/ECMWF THROUGH
CHRISTMAS DAY AND THEN THE ECMWF/WPC TOWARDS THE LATTER PORTION.
&&
.MARINE...NOW THROUGH SUNDAY...BUOY 42020 REPORTED SOUTH-SOUTHEAST
WINDS AROUND 27 KNOTS GUSTING TO AROUND 33 KNOTS WITH SEAS SLIGHTLY
UNDER 8 FEET WITH A PERIOD OF 8 SECONDS AT 03 CST/09 UTC. STRONG
WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS WILL CONTINUE IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT...AND
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER TEXAS COASTAL
WATERS TODAY. AS THE COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH THIS EVENING...WINDS
AND SEAS WILL IMPROVE...HOWEVER A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL REMAIN
IN EFFECT FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO WATERS EAST OF PADRE ISLAND EARLY
TONIGHT DUE TO SEAS. MARINE CONDITIONS MAY IMPROVE EVEN FURTHER FOR
LATER TONIGHT...BUT SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED
FOR SUNDAY AS COLD AIR SURGING OFFSHORE IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT
INCREASES WINDS AND BUILDS SEAS.
SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD
OVER THE NORTHWEST GULF SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. THIS WILL RESULT
IN STRONG NORTH WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS ACROSS THE LOWER TEXAS
COASTAL WATERS. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH
LATE MONDAY NIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE MOVES EAST ON TUESDAY ALLOWING
MARINE CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL 83 62 75 47 / 20 0 0 0
BROWNSVILLE 84 61 78 47 / 20 0 0 0
HARLINGEN 85 58 78 44 / 20 0 0 0
MCALLEN 88 57 78 46 / 20 0 0 0
RIO GRANDE CITY 89 54 77 45 / 20 0 0 0
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 80 64 75 50 / 20 20 0 0
&&
.BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST EARLY THIS MORNING FOR TXZ251-
253>257.
GM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS UNTIL 2 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON FOR
GMZ130-132-135.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR GMZ150-155-
170-175.
&&
THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT:
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RGV
66/63/CAMPBELLHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 530 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013 TXZ248>257-221200- ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY- INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON- 530 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR CAMERON...WILLACY...AND KENEDY COUNTY UNTIL 10 AM CST THIS MORNING. THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT THE BEACHES OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND AND AT BOCA CHICA BEACH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. AN ELEVATED RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IS LIKELY AT THE LOCAL BEACHES THROUGH THE PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. GMZ130-132-135-150-155-170-175-221200- 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- 530 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE LAGUNA MADRE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS IS IN EFFECT FOR THE LAGUNA MADRE UNTIL 2 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO WATERS EAST OF PADRE ISLAND FROM 0 TO 60 NAUTICAL MILES OFFSHORE UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. ADDITIONAL SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE LIKELY TO BE NEEDED FOR THE LOWER TEXAS COASTAL WATERS SUNDAY AND MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A poorly fastened roof of a trailer home was damaged by strong winds, west of the Valley International Airport in Harlingen. The nearby ASOS reported wind gusts up to 48 mph during the early morning hours.
A poorly fastened roof at a hanger near the Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport was damaged by strong winds. The nearby ASOS reported wind gusts up to 48 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, December 2013
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: 490668, 490667.