Drought in Texas, August 5 to 31, 2014

Name: Drought in Texas, August 5 to 31, 2014
Start: 2014-08-05T00:00
End: 2014-08-31T23:59
Location: Texas

August 5 to 31, 2014 · NWS BRO · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS BRO wrote it up.

Some much welcome and beneficial rain fell across the northern ranchlands and the western brush country the first few days of August, with some areas receiving over 3 inches. This rainfall while helpful, only maintained drought conditions in the areas where it fell. By the end of the first week of August, Severe (D2) drought conditions began to spread north and east across Hidalgo County and into Kenedy, Brooks, and Jim Hogg counties.

What forecasters said that day

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 Aug 4, 11:23 PM CST, 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 4, 11:23 PM CST, 37 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
1223 AM CDT TUE AUG 5 2014

.DISCUSSION...UPDATED FOR LATEST AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW.

&&

.AVIATION...LIGHT WINDS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT AMID VFR CONDITIONS.
MIDDLE CLOUD SHOULD KEEP TEMPERATURES HIGH ENOUGH TO PREVENT
SUFFICIENT COOLING FOR FOG FORMATION. PREVAILING VFR THROUGH THE
DAY AND EVENING AMID RELATIVELY LIGHT EAST TO SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS. SEABREEZE
FRONT WILL CAUSE BRIEFLY STRONGER AND MORE EASTERLY WINDS BUT
SHOULD BE RELATIVELY WEAK OVERALL. /68-JGG/

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 630 PM CDT MON AUG 4 2014/

DISCUSSION...UPDATED FOR LATEST AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW.

AVIATION...SEABREEZE MOVING INLAND CURRENTLY APPROACHING KMFE.
WINDS STILL GUSTING AT KHRL BUT HAVE RELAXED AT KBRO. SLIGHTLY
GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE FOR A COUPLE MORE HOURS BEFORE BECOMING
L/V LATER THIS EVENING. SKIES WILL REMAIN MOSTLY CLEAR THROUGH THE
NIGHT. DRIER AIR TOMORROW WILL MEAN LESS CLOUD COVER THROUGH THE
DAY...WITH ONSHORE WINDS AROUND 10 KNOTS.

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 318 PM CDT MON AUG 4 2014/

SHORT TERM /NOW THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/...
IF YOU ENJOYED TODAY'S HEAT AND RELATIVELY DRY AIRMASS...TONIGHT
THROUGH TUESDAY LOOK LIKE NEARLY A CARBON COPY WITH THE ONLY
NEGLIGIBLE (TO MOST OF THE GENERAL POPULATION) A WIND SHIFT FROM THE
MORE TYPICAL SOUTH...RATHER THAN TODAY'S UNUSUAL (FOR EARLY AUGUST)
FLOW FROM THE NORTHWEST.

BY TUESDAY NIGHT...LOW LEVEL SOUTHEAST FLOW BEGINS TO BECOME MORE
ESTABLISHED AND THERE COULD BE A HINT OF MORE CLOUDINESS ESPECIALLY
TOWARD DAYBREAK WEDNESDAY ALONG WITH A SLIGHTLY MORE UNCOMFORTABLE
FEEL TO THE AIR.

ALOFT...THE FAIRLY MODERATE UPPER RIDGE REMAINS PARKED OVER TEXAS
ENSURING NO PRECIPITATION FOR THE PERIOD. AT THE SURFACE...THE WEAK
RIDGE RELOCATES BACK IN THE WESTERN GULF AS THE MORE TYPICAL LEE OF
SIERRA MADRE THROUGH WEST TEXAS TROUGH REESTABLISHES...WHICH
EXPLAINS THE RETURN OF THE SOUTHEAST FLOW.

IN TERMS OF SENSIBLE WEATHER...FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON...HAVE
LOWERED DEW POINTS A BIT AND TWEAKED WINDS TO ACCOUNT FOR
VARIABLE/NORTHERLY FLOW FOR A FEW HOURS UNTIL THE SEA BREEZE CAN
OVERWHELM IT.  SAW A GREAT PIC OF A DUST DEVIL IN THE MID
VALLEY...AND CONDITIONS ARE RIPE FOR THIS WITH HOT DRY AIR BELOW THE
CLOUD BASE AND LIGHT SURFACE WINDS THAT CAN INDUCE LOCAL
CONVERGENCE/SURFACE ROTATION TO PRODUCE THEM.  COULD BE A FEW MORE
BEFORE 4 PM...ESPECIALLY WITH DRY GROUND MAKING DUST AVAILABLE.
TEMPERATURES LOOK ON TRACK...100 WEST AND MID-UPPER 90S EAST.

ANY EVENING HIGH BASED CUMULUS SHOULD DISSIPATE SOON AFTER SUNSET
LEAVING GENERALLY CLEAR SKIES AS WINDS BECOME LIGHT...MAINLY FROM
THE SOUTHEAST BUT MORE VARIABLE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. SEE NO REASON TO
DEVIATE MUCH FROM THIS MORNING'S LOWS...PERHAPS A DEGREE HIGHER BUT
THAT'S ABOUT IT.

FOR TUESDAY...A REPEAT OF TODAY EXCEPT WINDS FROM THE
SOUTHEAST...STILL LIGHT...UNTIL THE SEA BREEZE PICKED UP THE
EAST/SOUTHEAST COMPONENT AFTER 21Z.  ABUNDANT DRY AIR ABOVE THE
CLOUD BASE ALONG WITH LIGHT WEST FLOW AN INTERESTING ITEM...AND
SHOULD ALLOW MIXING HEIGHTS/CLOUD BASES TO RISE AGAIN WITH DRY-ISH
AIR NEAR THE SURFACE. COULD THERE BE ANOTHER MID-VALLEY DUST DEVIL?
WOULDN'T RULE IT OUT...THOUGH SOUTHEAST WINDS NOT AS FAVORABLE FOR
ENOUGH ROTATION.

TUESDAY NIGHT...SAME TREND AS TONIGHT EXCEPT SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL
CONTINUE AT A LIGHT CLIP...NOT EXPECTING CALMING THIS TIME AROUND.
WITH THE WINDS WILL COME MORE MUGGINESS...AND HAVE INTRODUCED SOME
CLOUD COVER TOWARD DAYBREAK.  /52/

LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
MEDIUM RANGE MODELS APPEAR TO BE A LITTLE BETTER AGREEMENT THIS
AFTERNOON WHEN COMPARED TO THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS.  IN GENERAL...THE
BIG PICTURE...AT LEAST WEATHERWISE...REMAINS LARGELY UNCHANGED.
RIDGING...BOTH AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT...IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN THE
DOMINANT WEATHER FEATURE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE LONG
TERM PORTION OF THE FORECAST.

A SERIES OF SHORTWAVE TROUGHS ARE FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS THE
NORTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE.  AS THIS CONTINUES...THE RIDGE'S
EASTERN SIDE MAY BE WEAKENED SOMEWHAT...AND THE OVERALL UPPER-LEVEL
PATTERN TO GENERALLY REMAIN RIDGE WEST/TROUGH EAST.  A
WESTWARD-MOVING TROPICAL WAVE IS EXPECTED TO TRAVERSE ACROSS THE
GULF OF MEXICO.  THIS FEATURE MAY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE WEAKNESS
EXTENDING SOUTHWESTWARD FROM THE ARKLATEX AND MOVE ASHORE
(SO-TO-SPEAK) THE TEXAS COAST THURSDAY.

UNFORTUNATELY...I DON'T THINK THIS FEATURE WILL BRING ANY
PRECIPITATION TO OUR RATHER ARID REGION.  EVEN THOUGH PRECIPITABLE
WATER VALUES ARE FORECAST TO APPROACH NEAR NORMAL VALUES FOR EARLY
AUGUST (APPROXIMATELY 1.8 INCHES) AS THE DISTURBANCE HEADS TOWARD
OUR AREA...FORECAST SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO SHOW FAIRLY LIMITED
LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE AND WEAK MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES.  EVEN MESOSCALE
FORCING MECHANISMS MAY BE ON THE WEAK SIDE...AS SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS
SHOULD LARGELY INHIBIT SEABREEZE DEVELOPMENT.  THAT SAID...
PRECIPITATION PROBABILITIES WILL REMAIN BELOW 15 PERCENT AT THIS
TIME.

THERE IS ANOTHER COLD FRONT ON THE MAP.  THE SHORTWAVE TROUGHS
HEADING ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS ARE EXPECTED TO PUSH THE FRONT
SOUTHWARD TOWARD THE LONE STAR STATE FOR THE END OF THE WEEK.
GIVEN THE UPPER-LEVEL PATTERN...THOUGH...IT SHOULD NOT MAKE IT
MUCH FARTHER SOUTH THAN THE RED RIVER (ASSUMING EVEN THIS OCCURS).
CLOSER TO HOME...IT STILL LOOKS LIKE A THERMAL SURFACE LOW SHOULD
STILL DEVELOP SOMEWHERE AROUND THE MEXICAN STATES OF COAHUILA OR
NUEVO LEON BY THURSDAY. THE STRONGER PRESSURE GRADIENT SHOULD
RESULT IN GUSTY WINDS OVER THE REGION BEGINNING WEDNESDAY
NIGHT/THURSDAY AND LARGELY CONTINUING THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

SPEAKING OF THE WEEKEND...THE WEAKNESS IN THE RIDGE SHOULD GO AWAY
BY SATURDAY...ALLOWING RIDGING TO REGAIN ITS HOLD OVER OUR REGION.
TEMPERATURES SHOULD REMAIN ON THE WARM (HOT?) SIDE...WITH FEW...IF
ANY...OPPORTUNITIES TO SEE PRECIPITATION. /53/

MARINE...

NOW THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...
THIS IS AS QUIET AS YOU'LL SEE ON THE LOWER TEXAS GULF WATERS.
WORTH MENTIONING IS BUOY 42020 WHICH CURRENTLY HAS WAVE HEIGHTS AT
0.66 FEET AND A SWELL PERIOD OF 4 SECONDS...BASICALLY "FLAT"
CONDITIONS. WITH ANOTHER NIGHT AND FOLLOWING DAY OF LIGHT WINDS
AHEAD...WILL KEEP THE 1 FOOT SEAS GOING RIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY.
RETURN FLOW SHOULD BRING A MORE SUSTAINED SOUTHEAST WIND TUESDAY
NIGHT...PERHAPS REACHING 15 KNOTS...BUT SHOULDN'T BUILD SEAS ANY
HIGHER THAN 2 FEET. ATMOSPHERE ABOVE THE WATER CONTINUES TO BE
DRY...SO HAVE REMOVED THE PRECIPITATION. /52/

WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...
RIDGING IS EXPECTED TO DOMINATE WEATHER CONDITIONS OVER THE MARINE
AREA THROUGH THE LONG TERM PORTION OF THE FORECAST.  A SURFACE LOW
IS STILL EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER NORTHERN MEXICO WEDNESDAY AND
YIELD A TIGHTER PRESSURE GRADIENT FOR THE END OF THE WEEK.  THIS
COULD RESULT IN SMALL CRAFT NEEDING TO EXERCISE CAUTION AT TIMES
THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK...AS STRONGER WINDS ARE SEEN
OVER THE MARINE AREA.  OTHERWISE...WAVE HEIGHTS SHOULD LARGELY
REMAIN AROUND 3-4 FEET...WITH AN AVERAGE PERIOD OF 4-5 SECONDS. /53/

AVIATION...
WHILE NOT AFFECTING THE TERMINAL FORECAST...WE'VE HAD REPORTS OF
PRETTY VIGOROUS LOW LEVEL TURBULENCE ACROSS THE MID VALLEY THIS
AFTERNOON.  THEREFORE...APPROACHES AND TAKEOFFS FOR GENERAL AVIATION
AIRCRAFT COULD BE A BIT BUMPY THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON/JUST PRIOR TO
SUNSET...AND THE SAME CONDITION COULD DEVELOP TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

JUST SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF FOR PILOTS PLANNING TRIPS TODAY AND
TUESDAY. /52/

&&

.BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...NONE.
GM...NONE.
&&

THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT:
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RGV

68/60

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 4, 3:41 PM CST, 8 hours 19 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
441 PM CDT MON AUG 4 2014

TXZ248>257-052145-
ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY-
INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON-
441 PM CDT MON AUG 4 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL CLIMB TO 105 TO 111 DEGREES EACH AFTERNOON
THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

GMZ130-132-135-150-155-170-175-052145-
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-
441 PM CDT MON AUG 4 2014

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...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Kenedy

When: August 5, 12:00 AM CST to August 11, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Kenedy forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 26.928, -97.636 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

While far northern Kenedy County received between half to an inch of rain, the rest of the county was not as lucky. Severe (D2) drought edged into the far SW corner of the county, while much of remainder of the county experienced moderate (D1) drought conditions. Abnormally dry conditions continued across the NW and SE corners of the county.

Drought, Hidalgo

When: August 5, 12:00 AM CST to August 25, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hidalgo forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 26.397, -98.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Little rain fell during the first week of August across Hidalgo County allowing drought conditions to worsen. Severe (D2) drought spread further north and east across Hidalgo County, with the western third of the county in Severe (D2) drought, the middle third of the county in moderate (D1) drought and the eastern third of the county abnormally dry (D0). Beneficial rain during the second week of the month didn’t improve drought conditions, rather drought conditions held steady.

Drought, Brooks

When: August 5, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Brooks forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 27.032, -98.219 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Beneficial rain fell across northern and eastern Brooks County during the first week of August. While this did not improve drought conditions across these areas, drought conditions did hold steady, with the much of the northern half of the county abnormally dry (D0). Further south though, where less rain fell, severe (D2) drought conditions spread along the southern edge of the county. Occasional rain during the remainder of the month allowed drought conditions to hold steady through the end of the month.

Drought, Jim Hogg

When: August 5, 12:00 AM CST to August 11, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Jim Hogg forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 27.043, -98.697 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Periods of moderate to heavy rainfall fell across northern Jim Hogg County during the first week of the month. While the rainfall was beneficial it did not improve drought conditions where it fell, rather it allowed them to hold steady. The northern quarter of the county remained drought free and the quarter below that remained abnormally dry (D0). Less rain fell across the southern half of the county. Severe (D2) drought conditions spread over the far SE corner of the county, while the remainder of the southern half of the county stayed in moderate (D1) drought conditions.

Drought, Starr

When: August 5, 12:00 AM CST to August 11, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Starr forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 26.562, -98.738 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Spotty rain fell across Starr County during the first week of the month, but it did little to improve drought conditions. Severe (D2) drought spread further north and east across Starr County. The eastern three quarters of the county were engulfed in severe (D2) drought, while the other quarter held onto moderate (D1) drought conditions.

What these are

Drought: A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Texas in 2014 Every state in 2014 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, August 2014

Sources

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: 540979, 540980, 540981, 540982, 540983.