Severe drought conditions during the summer months were alleviated around the time of the autumnal equinox over the southwestern counties; due mostly to the beneficial rain received during the third week of the month.
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 FWD wrote it up.
Severe drought conditions during the summer months were alleviated around the time of the autumnal equinox over the southwestern counties; due mostly to the beneficial rain received during the third week of the month.
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 Fort Worth, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 31, 10:44 PM CST, 1 hour 16 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 1144 PM CDT SAT AUG 31 2013 .AVIATION... FOR THE 06Z TAFS...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE VALID FORECAST PERIOD. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE MADE FROM THE 00Z TAFS...SO THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION HAS BEEN APPENDED BELOW. DID ADD ONE EXTRA FROM GROUP TO THE END OF THE DFW TAF AS WINDS WILL LIKELY BEGIN TO VEER IN RESPONSE TO THE APPROACH OF A WEAK COLD FRONT. RAIN SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES INCREASE FOR AREA TAF SITES MONDAY MORNING. CAVANAUGH .../PREVIOUS AVIATION DISCUSSION/... FOR THE 00Z TAFS...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE VALID FORECAST PERIOD. A RELATIVELY DRY ATMOSPHERE REMAINED IN PLACE ACROSS NORTH TEXAS TODAY WITH 9000 TO 10000 FT CLOUD BASES FOUND AROUND THE REGION AND A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED EAST OF AREA TAF SITES. ALL PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO DISSIPATE AFTER THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING...SO NO DIRECT IMPACTS TO AREA TAF SITES ARE EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. A SIMILAR ENVIRONMENT IS EXPECTED TO BE IN PLACE TOMORROW ACROSS NORTH TEXAS...WITH PERHAPS A LITTLE MORE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE IN PLACE BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON. HIGH RESOLUTION MODELS DO INDICATE SOME UNORGANIZED CONVECTION DEVELOPING AROUND NORTH TX BY 21Z SUNDAY...HOWEVER THERE IS NO OBVIOUS FORCING MECHANISM IN PLACE TO SUPPORT THIS AT THIS TIME. THAT SAID...THERE IS A LOW CHANCE...ABOUT 10 PERCENT AT THIS TIME OF A THUNDERSTORM AFFECTING METROPLEX AREA TAF SITES TOMORROW AFTERNOON. CONFIDENCE REMAINS TOO LOW TO INCLUDE ANYTHING AT THE END OF THE TAFS AT THIS TIME. CAVANAUGH && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 338 PM CDT SAT AUG 31 2013/ ISOLATED SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE NORTHEAST ZONES NEAR AN UPPER LEVEL LOW THAT IS DROPPING SOUTH THROUGH THE SABINE RIVER VALLEY. THESE SHOWERS/STORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY EVENING BEFORE DISSIPATING WITH LOSS OF HEATING...BUT STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF MICROBURSTS DUE TO LARGE DEWPOINT DEPRESSIONS IN THE LOW LEVELS. OTHERWISE A GENERALLY QUIET AND WARM EVENING IS EXPECTED WITH LIGHT WINDS. ONCE AGAIN TEMPS WILL DROP INTO THE LOW-MID 70S IN RURAL AREAS...BUT HOLD NEAR 80 IN METROPLEX WHERE A HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THRU SUNDAY. ANOTHER HOT DAY IS EXPECTED TOMORROW...BUT NOT QUITE AS WARM TEMPERATURE-WISE AS UPPER HEIGHTS FALL. HOWEVER...DEWPOINTS TOMORROW WILL NOT MIX AS MUCH AS MOISTURE BEGINS TO POOL AHEAD OF A WEAK FRONT IN OKLAHOMA THAT DROPS SOUTH. HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL ONCE AGAIN FLIRT WITH 105 OVER PARTS OF THE AREA SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE PRIMARY FORECAST CHALLENGE CONCERNS THE RAIN CHANCES THAT OCCUR WITH THE FRONT BEGINNING SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE WEEK. THE NAM AND GFS ARE VERY WET WITH THE FRONT SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. THE GFS CONTINUES RAIN CHANCES INTO MIDWEEK. THE ECMWF IS CONSIDERABLY DRIER...AND SHOWS JUST VERY LOW RAIN CHANCES ON MONDAY. THIS FORECAST WILL SIDE WITH THE ECMWF BEYOND MONDAY...AND KEEP POPS LOW AND CONFINED TO JUST THE SOUTHEAST COUNTIES TUESDAY. FOR SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING HOWEVER HAVE RAISED POPS ACROSS THE NORTHWEST AND WESTERN ZONES AS THERE IS PLENTY OF ELEVATED MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY AVAILABLE TO CONVERT INTO CONVECTION. MODEL GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THE FAVORED TIME FOR THIS ACTIVITY WOULD BE AFTER MIDNIGHT SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MID MORNING MONDAY...STARTING IN THE NORTHWEST ZONES AND DROPPING SOUTH THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. LINGERING CLOUD COVER AND LEFTOVER CONVECTIVE DEBRIS WILL COMPLICATE THE HIGH TEMPERATURE FORECAST ESPECIALLY FOR THE WESTERN HALF OF THE AREA ON MONDAY...BUT WILL SIDE WITH THE WARMER GUIDANCE. THE COLD FRONT WILL BE IN THE AREA ON MONDAY...AND ADDITIONAL SHOWERS/STORMS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP IF AFTERNOON HEATING IS SUFFICIENT TO REMOVE INHIBITION...BUT WILL KEEP POPS LOW DUE TO THIS EXTRA LAYER OF UNCERTAINTY. THE FRONT WILL GRADUALLY MOVE SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA BY TUESDAY WITH EAST AND NORTHEAST WINDS BRINGING IN SLIGHTLY DRIER AIR. HIGH TEMPS WILL BE A LITTLE COOLER DUE TO THE WEAK COLD ADVECTION...BUT STILL ABOVE NORMAL AND IN THE UPPER 90S DUE TO ABUNDANT SUNSHINE. LOW TEMPS WILL BE NEAR NORMAL AND COOL TO NEAR 70 IN RURAL AREAS TO THE MID-UPPER 70S IN URBAN AREAS. AGAIN WILL KEEP THE FORECAST DRY FROM MID WEEK AND BEYOND AS THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE PARKED TO OUR NORTHWEST SHOULD REMAIN IN CONTROL OF THE WEATHER. TR.92 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX 80 102 78 97 76 / 5 5 20 20 20 WACO, TX 77 101 75 98 74 / 5 5 10 20 20 PARIS, TX 76 100 74 95 72 / 10 5 20 20 10 DENTON, TX 77 102 75 96 73 / 5 10 30 20 10 MCKINNEY, TX 78 101 76 96 72 / 10 5 20 20 10 DALLAS, TX 82 103 79 98 77 / 5 5 20 20 20 TERRELL, TX 78 101 77 98 74 / 10 5 10 20 20 CORSICANA, TX 76 100 76 100 74 / 10 5 10 20 20 TEMPLE, TX 75 99 74 98 73 / 5 5 10 20 20 MINERAL WELLS, TX 75 102 74 94 73 / 5 5 40 30 20 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CDT SUNDAY FOR TXZ103-104-118-119. && /
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 331 PM CDT SAT AUG 31 2013 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-011145- MONTAGUE-COOKE-GRAYSON-FANNIN-LAMAR-YOUNG-JACK-WISE-DENTON-COLLIN- HUNT-DELTA-HOPKINS-STEPHENS-PALO PINTO-PARKER-TARRANT-DALLAS- ROCKWALL-KAUFMAN-VAN ZANDT-RAINS-EASTLAND-ERATH-HOOD-SOMERVELL- JOHNSON-ELLIS-HENDERSON-COMANCHE-MILLS-HAMILTON-BOSQUE-HILL-NAVARRO- FREESTONE-ANDERSON-LAMPASAS-CORYELL-BELL-MCLENNAN-FALLS-LIMESTONE- LEON-MILAM-ROBERTSON- 331 PM CDT SAT AUG 31 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. A HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR DALLAS...TARRANT...COLLIN AND DENTON COUNTIES. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE EAST OF A LINE FROM SHERMAN TO PALESTINE. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THE HEAT ADVISORY WILL CONTINUE FOR THE METROPLEX THROUGH 6 PM SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP SUNDAY EVENING ALONG THE RED RIVER COUNTIES AND SPREAD SLOWLY SOUTH ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION THROUGH TUESDAY. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. FOX
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe/D2 drought over the northern tip of Comanche County at the beginning of September expanded to cover all of the county by the 10th of the month. Conditions were upgraded to Moderate/D1 by September 24 due to rainfall received during the preceding week.
Severe/D2 drought over the southern tip of Hamilton County at the beginning of September expanded to cover all of the county by the 10th of the month. Conditions were upgraded to Moderate/D1 by September 24 due to rainfall received during the preceding week.
Severe/D2 drought over the southern half of Mills County at the beginning of September expanded to cover all of the county by the 10th of the month. Conditions were upgraded to Moderate/D1 by September 24 due to rainfall received during the preceding week.
Severe/D2 drought conditions were in place county-wide until September 24, when an upgrade to Moderate/D1 drought transpired due to beneficial rains received during the preceding week.
Severe/D2 drought conditions were in place county-wide until September 24, when an upgrade to Moderate/D1 drought transpired due to beneficial rains received during the preceding week.
Severe/D2 drought conditions were in place county-wide until September 24, when an upgrade to Moderate/D1 drought transpired due to beneficial rains received during the preceding week.
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, September 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: 476930, 476931, 476932, 476933, 476934, 476935.