Dry conditions returned to Deep South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley during the latter half of January as the pattern shifted from subtropical and tropical moisture overriding cooler surface air to a west-to-east pattern of drier air, and warmer temperatures, from the southern Rockies and Mexican mountain ranges. Along with dry conditions above normal temperatures prevailed across the region.
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.
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.
Dry conditions returned to Deep South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley during the latter half of January as the pattern shifted from subtropical and tropical moisture overriding cooler surface air to a west-to-east pattern of drier air, and warmer temperatures, from the southern Rockies and Mexican mountain ranges. Along with dry conditions above normal temperatures prevailed across the region.
By month's end, rainfall was more than an inch above average across the Lower Valley, a trifle below average in the mid Valley, and a trifle above average in the upper Valley and ranchlands. A stripe of much below average fell across the Rio Grande Plains in western Zapata County, which missed nearly all of the action. Nearly all of the rain fell by January 14th.
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 Jan 14, 11:36 PM CST, 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
1136 PM CST MON JAN 14 2013
.DISCUSSION...UPDATED FOR LATEST AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW.
&&
.AVIATION...LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL REMAIN PARKED ALONG THE COAST
AND INTO THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO. THIS WILL KEEP IFR/LIFR CONDS
OVER KBRO/KHRL THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY TOMORROW. DRIER LOW LEVEL
AIR WILL PUSH IN TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND CIGS WILL SLOWLY RAISE TO
MVFR...POSSIBLY VFR AT KHRL AT THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD. FURTHER
WEST AT KMFE EXPECT MVFR THROUGH MUCH OF THE TAF PERIOD WITH VFR
CONDS POSSIBLE AFTER 00Z. WITH HIGH PRESSURE WORKING IN FROM THE
NORTH TUESDAY AFTERNOON...WINDS WILL INCREASE AND BECOME GUSTY
THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 612 PM CST MON JAN 14 2013/
DISCUSSION...UPDATED FOR LATEST AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW.
AVIATION...THE BROAD SURFACE LOW WILL LINGER OFF OF THE LOWER TX
COASTLINE THROUGHOUT TONIGHT THROUGH TOMORROW. THIS WILL MAINTAIN
A CONTINUED N-NE LOW LEVEL FLOW WHICH IN TURN WILL MAINTAIN LOW
LEVEL CAA AND AS A RESULT PERSISTENT LOW LEVEL MOIST INVERSION.
FORECAST NAM MODEL SOUNDINGS SHOW THE MOIST AND DEEP LOW LEVEL
INVERSION CONTINUING THROUGHOUT THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS WILL
MAINTAIN PRETTY LOW CEILINGS THROUGH THE UPCOMING TAF PERIOD.
PATCHY STRATIFORM PCPN/LIGHT FOG WILL ALSO CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE
UPCOMING PERIOD ESPECIALLY NEAR THE COASTLINE WHICH MAY
PERIODICALLY REDUCE THE VSBYS LATER THIS EVENING AND TOMORROW.
CEILINGS ARE MUCH BETTER OVER THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE BRO CWA
WHERE DRIER AIR IS PUSHING FROM THE W-NW. EXPECT VFR/MVFR
CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL HERE WHILE CLOSER TO THE COASTLINE IFR
CONDITIONS WILL BE THE RULE THROUGH 00Z TOMORROW.
PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 159 PM CST MON JAN 14 2013/
SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED
POCKETS OF LIGHT RAIN AND DRIZZLE WITH PATCHY FOG ARE EXPECTED WITHIN
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY...PRIMARILY THE CENTRAL
AND EASTERN PORTIONS...THROUGH THE NEXT 36 HOURS AS A WEAK INVERTED
SURFACE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE ALONG THE LOWER TEXAS COAST INTERACTS
WITH A SOUTHWEST-TO-NORTHEAST MID-LEVEL FLOW OVERHEAD AND NORTHERLY
WINDS AT THE SURFACE. THE CLOUD COVER AND OPPORTUNITY FOR RAINFALL
WILL HOLD TEMPERATURES AT WELL BELOW NORMAL LEVELS THROUGH THE
PERIOD.
LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/...THE LONG TERM PERIOD
BEGINS WITH THE LONGWAVE TROUGH AND THE UPPER LOW OVER WEST TEXAS
ALONG WITH A WEAK COASTAL TROUGH OVER THE LOWER TEXAS COAST
WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE GFS AND ECMWF SOLUTIONS ARE SIMILAR WITH
THE OVER ALL UPPER AIR PATTERN BUT DIFFER IN THE TIMING OF THE
UPPER LOW AS IT MOVES EAST WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. WILL LEAN
TOWARDS THE SLOWER AND CONSIST GFS SOLUTION FOR THE FORECAST
PACKAGE. RAIN CHANCES OVER THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA WILL
GRADUALLY BEGIN TO ENDING WEST TO EAST WEDNESDAY MORNING AS THE
850 MB TROUGH SWINGS ACROSS THE DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. THE 850 MB WINDS
WILL SHIFT FROM THE SOUTHEAST TO THE NORTH WHICH WILL ALLOW SOME
DRIER AIR TO FILTER INTO REGION. DRY CONDITIONS PREVAIL ONCE THE
500 MB TROUGH AND LOW MOVES EAST OF THE AREA.
HAVE RAISED TEMPERATURES A FEW MORE DEGREES FOR WEDNESDAY AS SKIES
MAY BEGIN TO CLEAR SOONER. CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS WILL
RESULT IN GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT/THURSDAY
MORNING. A FEW LOCATIONS ACROSS THE NORTHERN RANCH LANDS COULD SEE
LOW TEMPERATURES FALLING TO AROUND FREEZING. A GRADUAL WARMING
TREND STARTS BY LATE WEEK BUT BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES CAN
EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY AND POSSIBLY CONTINUING INTO THE WEEKEND.
MARINE...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...BUOY 42020 REPORTED NORTH
WINDS AROUND 19 KNOTS GUSTING TO AROUND 25 KNOTS WITH SEAS OF 7.5
FEET WITH A PERIOD OF 8 SECONDS AT 13 CST/19 UTC. SURFACE HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDING SOUTH THROUGH TEXAS WILL INTERACT WITH BROAD LOW
PRESSURE OVER THE BAY OF CAMPECHE...PRODUCING SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY
WINDS AND SEAS ALONG THE LOWER TEXAS COAST TODAY AND AT LEAST
THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT.
WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...ADVERSE MARINE CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH
AT LEAST THURSDAY MORNING. STRONG NORTH WINDS AND HAZARDOUS SEAS
WILL PERSIST IN WAKE OF AN UPPER TROUGH. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY
CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY INTO THURSDAY BEFORE WINDS AND SEAS LOWER AS
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SETTLE OVER THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO THROUGH
THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEKEND.
&&
.BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...NONE.
GM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST TUESDAY FOR GMZ150-155-170-
175.
&&
THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT:
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RGV
55/59HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 927 AM CST MON JAN 14 2013 TXZ248>257-151200- ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY- INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON- 927 AM CST MON JAN 14 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...REMAINDER OF TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT THE BEACHES OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND AND AT BOCA CHICA BEACH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. A MODERATE TO HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IS LIKELY AT THE LOCAL BEACHES TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. TEMPERATURES AT...OR SLIGHTLY BELOW FREEZING...ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN ZAPATA...JIM HOGG...BROOKS...AND KENEDY COUNTY FOR A FEW HOURS BEFORE SUNRISE THURSDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. GMZ130-132-135-150-155-170-175-151200- 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- 927 AM CST MON JAN 14 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE LAGUNA MADRE. .DAY ONE...REMAINDER OF TODAY AND TONIGHT. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO WATERS EAST OF PADRE ISLAND FROM 0 TO 60 NAUTICAL MILES OFFSHORE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR THE LOWER TEXAS COAST GULF OF MEXICO WATERS WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST TUESDAY. ADDITIONAL SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES...INCLUDING FOR THE LAGUNA MADRE...WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Despite receiving significant rainfall during the first half of January, little to no significant rain fell during the latter half of the month. During the final two weeks of the month, no improvement nor deterioration of drought conditions was noted. All of coastal Cameron County remained in Severe (D2) drought conditions.
Despite receiving significant rainfall during the first half of January, little to no rain fell during the latter half of the month. During the final two weeks of the month, no improvement nor deterioration of drought conditions was noted. The southern half of coastal Willacy county remained in Severe (D2) drought conditions, while the northern half remained in Extreme (D3) drought conditions.
Despite receiving significant rainfall during the first half of January, little to no rain fell during the latter half of the month. During the final two weeks of the month, no improvement nor deterioration of drought conditions was noted. The eastern half of Cameron County remained in Severe (D2) drought conditions, while the western half remained in Extreme (D3) drought conditions.
Despite receiving significant rainfall during the first half of January, little to no rain fell during the latter half of the month across Willacy County. During the final two weeks of the month, neither improvement nor deterioration of drought conditions was noted. The southeast corner of the county remained in Severe (D2) drought conditions, while the rest of the county remained in Extreme (D3) drought conditions, except for a sliver on the far western side of the county that remained in Exceptional (D4) drought conditions.
Despite receiving significant rainfall during the first half of January, little to no rain fell during the latter half of the month across Kenedy County. During the final two weeks of the month, no improvement in drought conditions was noted. Drought conditions remained entrenched in Exceptional (D4) drought conditions, except for the SE corner of the county, which remained in Extreme (D3) drought conditions.
Despite receiving significant rainfall during the first half of January, little to no rain fell during the latter half of the month across Hidalgo County. During the final two weeks of the month, neither improvement nor any deterioration in drought conditions was noted. Exceptional (D4) drought conditions remained firmly entrenched across the middle of the county, with Extreme (D3) drought conditions on either side.
No change was noted in drought conditions across Zapata County during the second half of January; dry conditions prevailed. Widespread Severe (D2) drought conditions continued across much of the county, with the NW corner of the county remaining in Moderate(D1) drought conditions.
Despite receiving significant rainfall during the first half of the month, little to no rain fell during the latter half of the month across Jim Hogg County. During the final two weeks of the month, drought conditions held at Severe (D2) for all but the southwest corner, which remained at Moderate (D1) levels.
Despite receiving significant rainfall during the first half of the month, little to no rain fell during the latter half of the month across Starr County and drought conditions remained stable to close the month. Exceptional (D4) Drought continued near the Hidalgo line by Sullivan City; Extreme (D3) continued mainly along and east of La Grulla; Severe (D2) conditions prevailed from east of Rio Grande City to La Grulla, and Moderate (D1) drought conditions remained west of Rio Grande City to Roma, Falcon Dam, and El Sauz.
Despite receiving significant rainfall during the first half of the month, little to no rain fell during the latter half of the month across Brooks County. Extreme (D3) Drought would continue across all but a sliver of the western sections, which remained at Severe (D2) levels.
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, January 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: 429528, 429529, 429530, 429531, 429533, 429534, 429535, 429538, 429539, 429541.