Drought conditions continued to worsen across the western and central counties of North Texas. Extreme and Exceptional Drought conditions persisted in these counties where less than 2 inches of rain had fallen for the month of December.
Every event with a place to put it; 24 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.
Drought conditions continued to worsen across the western and central counties of North Texas. Extreme and Exceptional Drought conditions persisted in these counties where less than 2 inches of rain had fallen for the month of December.
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 Nov 30, 11:40 PM CST, 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 1140 PM CST SUN NOV 30 2014 .AVIATION... FOR THE 06Z TAFS...DETERMINING FLIGHT CATEGORY RESTRICTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH STRATUS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR DRIZZLE BEHIND THE COLD FRONT ARE THE PRIMARY AVIATION WEATHER CONCERNS. STARTED OFF THE 06Z TAFS IN NORTH FLOW FOR ALL DFW AREA AIRPORTS AS THE LEADING EDGE OF THE WIND SHIFT LINE ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR A KDAL TO KGKY LINE AT 06Z...WHEN THIS SET OF TAFS BECOMES VALID. THE BIGGEST FORECAST CHALLENGE HAS BEEN THAT MODELS HAVE BEEN OVERESTIMATING EITHER THE LIFT...OR THE AVAILABLE MOISTURE TO BE LIFTED...BY THE COLD FRONT. LOW STRATUS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT HAS BEEN VERY SLOW TO ORGANIZE...AND NO PRECIPITATION WAS OBSERVED ALONG THE FRONT AT 0530Z. AS A RESULT...BACKED OFF ON THE TIMING OF THE ONSET OF MVFR CIGS AT DFW AREA TAF SITES BY 3 HOURS BEHIND THE LEADING EDGE OF THE FRONT. LEFT THE ONSET OF STRATUS IN CONCERT WITH THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE AT WACO WHERE INFRARED SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATED STRATUS WAS DEVELOPING WELL AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. WITH MODELS APPARENTLY OVERESTIMATING MOISTURE OR LIFT...BACKED OFF ON THE MENTION OF DRIZZLE IN THE DFW AREA TAFS AS WELL. LIGHT RAIN OR DRIZZLE LOOKS MORE LIKELY ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS...SO LEFT A FEW HOURS OF LIGHT RAIN IN THE WACO AREA TAF. OTHERWISE...EXPECT MVFR CIGS TO HOLD NEAR THE FRONTAL INVERSION DURING MUCH OF THE DAY ON MONDAY. CIGS WILL LIKELY LIFT ABOVE 2000 FT AGL SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE. HEATING AT THE TOP OF THE STRATUS LAYER SHOULD HELP TO MIX SOME DRIER AIR INTO THE CLOUDS LIFTING THE CLOUD DECK A FEW HUNDRED FEET. SOME FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE THAT STRATUS WILL BECOME BROKEN OR SCATTERED AROUND SUNSET...BUT WITH PERSISTENT COLD AIR ADVECTION MONDAY...DID NOT WANT TO GO COMPLETELY VFR JUST YET. COLD AIR ADVECTION AND NORTH WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO COME TO AN END EARLY TUESDAY MORNING AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES ACROSS THE REGION...CAUSING WINDS TO BECOME LIGHT AND VARIABLE BEFORE SUNRISE TUESDAY MORNING. ADDED A GROUP TO THE END OF THE DFW TAF TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS CHANGE IN WINDS. CAVANAUGH && .UPDATE... THE ARCTIC COLD FRONT IS NOW MAKING ITS WAY ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN COUNTIES OF NORTH TEXAS. AS OF 930 PM IT WAS NEAR A LINE FROM SHERMAN TO DECATUR TO BRECKENRIDGE. BOWIE HAS DROPPED 15 DEGREES SINCE THE FRONT ARRIVED ABOUT 2 HOURS AGO SO TEMPERATURES WILL BE A LITTLE SLOWER TO FALL BEHIND THE FRONT BUT TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY COOLER BY DAYBREAK. HI-RES AND NEW 00Z MODEL DATA CONTINUE TO DEVELOP LIGHT RAIN AND SHOWERS ACROSS MAINLY THE EASTERN HALF OF THE REGION OVERNIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING. A FEW AREAS OF LIGHT RAIN AND SHOWERS MAY STRETCH AS FAR SOUTHWEST AS THE GOLDTHWAITE AREA AND POINTS SOUTH OF THERE. WILL KEEP A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SHOWERS ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST COUNTIES OF THE CWA WITH A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS GENERALLY EAST OF INTERSTATE 35. REGARDING THE POTENTIAL FOR FREEZING DRIZZLE ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM EASTLAND TO DECATUR TO GAINESVILLE MONDAY MORNING...THERE IS STILL A LOW CHANCE FOR THIS TO HAPPEN AND KEPT THE MENTION IN THE FORECAST...BUT MAY NOT SEE MUCH DEVELOP WITH A LACK OF LIFT BEHIND THE FRONT. EVEN THE ISENTROPIC LIFT OVER THE COLD SURFACE AIR MASS LOOKS MINIMAL. HOWEVER...IN AREAS WHERE FREEZING DRIZZLE MAY OCCUR...NO TRAVEL IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED WITH ROAD AND BRIDGE TEMPERATURES STILL VERY WARM. ROADS AND BRIDGES MAY BE SLIGHTLY DAMP FROM THE DRIZZLE. LIGHT AMOUNTS OF ICE MAY FORM ON WINDSHIELDS OR OTHER ELEVATED SURFACES. OTHERWISE...UPDATED THE HOURLY TRENDS TO ACCOUNT FOR THE MOVEMENT OF THE FRONT AND DID NEED TO LOWER DEWPOINTS BEHIND THE FRONT BASED ON THE LATEST OBSERVATIONS AND ALSO THE NEWEST MODEL DATA. 82/JLD && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 250 PM CST SUN NOV 30 2014/ TEMPERATURES THIS TIME TOMORROW WILL BE 35 TO 45 DEGREES COLDER THAN THEY ARE THIS AFTERNOON BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION EARLY MONDAY MORNING. AT 2 PM THE COLD FRONT WAS NEAR AN AMARILLO TO HOBART TO NORMAN LINE AND WAS MOVING SOUTH AROUND 15 MPH. MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES BEHIND THE FRONT WERE ALLOWING FOR SOME AIRMASS MODERATION ALONG THE LEADING EDGE...BUT WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THIS IS AIRMASS IS ARCTIC IN ORIGIN. BUT BECAUSE THE UPPER PATTERN IS TRANSITIONING INTO ZONAL FLOW...THIS MEANS THE SURFACE HIGH AND CORE OF THE COLD AIRMASS WILL HEAD MORE EAST THAN SOUTH...THUS ONLY GIVING NORTH TEXAS A RATHER BRIEF RETURN TO WINTER-LIKE WEATHER. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE NW ZONES AROUND 8 PM...AND AS IS THE CASE WITH SHALLOW ARCTIC AIRMASSES...WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD WITH EASE ACROSS THE WESTERN ZONES DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. WE EXPECT THE FRONT TO CROSS THROUGH THE METROPLEX BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 4 AM FROM NW TO SE. BY SUNRISE THE FRONT SHOULD BE ALONG A LINE FROM KILLEEN TO CORSICANA TO CANTON. THE FRONT WILL CLEAR THE SOUTHEAST ZONES BY MID MORNING. TEMPERATURES BEHIND THE FRONT WILL DROP INTO THE 30S AND 40S...SO WHILE HIGH TEMPS IN THE SOUTHEAST ZONES ARE IN THE 50S AND 60S...MOST OF THE DAY WILL BE QUITE CHILLY. WIND CHILLS OVER THE REGION WILL BE ABOUT 10-15 DEGREES COLDER THAN THE AIR TEMP. SUBSTANTIAL GULF MOISTURE AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF CAPE BELOW AN INVERSION NEAR 800MB WILL ALLOW A FEW SHOWERS TO DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT...WITH BEST CHANCES OVER THE EASTERN ZONES WHERE POPS WILL BE HIGHEST. THE DEPTH OF THE ARCTIC AIRMASS WILL BE VERY SHALLOW...ONLY A FEW THOUSAND FEET THICK...AND MOST OF THE GULF MOISTURE WILL BE LIFTED UP AND OVER THE COLD AIR. LOW CLOUDS ARE A GUARANTEE BEHIND THE FRONT...BUT THIS PROCESS SHOULD ALSO SQUEEZE OUT SOME DRIZZLE...WHICH WILL PROBABLY LAST A FEW HOURS AFTER FROPA. THE DRIZZLE IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE HEAVY...AND LIKELY WILL NOT RESULT IN MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION. HOWEVER...WITH TEMPS FALLING BELOW FREEZING TO THE NORTHWEST OF A CISCO TO DECATUR TO SHERMAN LINE MONDAY MORNING...THIS PRECIP WOULD BECOME FREEZING DRIZZLE BETWEEN 6 AM AND 10AM. WE DO NOT EXPECT ANY IMPACTS FROM THIS ACTIVITY...AS GROUND TEMPS WILL STILL BE VERY WARM AND EVEN BRIDGES/OVERPASSES SHOULD STILL BE WARM ENOUGH TO PREVENT ANY ICE ACCUMULATION. HOWEVER...A VERY LIGHT GLAZE IS POSSIBLE ON ELEVATED SURFACES INCLUDING WINDSHIELDS...SIGNS...AND TREES. THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST IS GOING TO BE DAMP AND MAINLY CLOUDY. THE LOW CLOUDS NEAR THE FRONTAL INVERSION WILL BE TOUGH TO BREAK AND SHOULD PERSIST INTO TUESDAY FOR MOST OF THE AREA. SOME CLEARING MAY OCCUR OVER THE NW ZONES TUESDAY...WHICH WOULD ALLOW HIGHS TO REBOUND TO NEAR 50 THERE...BUT MOST OF THE AREA WILL STAY CLOUDY AND CHILLY WITH HIGHS IN THE 40S. SOUTHERLY FLOW RETURNS TUESDAY NIGHT...WITH THIS WARM/MOIST AIR BEING LIFTED UP AND OVER THE COLD AIR AT THE SURFACE. THIS WEAK ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL LIKELY RESULT IN FOG/DRIZZLE TUESDAY NIGHT AND INTO WEDNESDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN A MODERATING TREND TUESDAY NIGHT. MODELS ARE LIKELY TOO WARM WITH HIGHS WEDNESDAY AS THE COLD AIR TYPICALLY HANGS IN LONGER IN THIS PATTERN...ESPECIALLY WHEN FOG AND DRIZZLE DEVELOP. WILL KEEP HIGHS IN THE UPPER 50S NORTHEAST TO MID 60S WEST. BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT THE WARM FRONT SHOULD HAVE MOVED THROUGH THE REGION...WHICH MEANS DEWPOINTS WILL BE BACK IN THE 50S WITH LOW TEMPS ALSO REMAINING IN THE MID TO UPPER 50S. A WARM AND MOIST AIRMASS WILL SETTLE IN OVER NORTH TEXAS THURSDAY INTO NEXT WEEKEND. LOWS WILL BE IN THE 50S AND 60S AND HIGHS WILL BE IN THE 60S AND 70S. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WILL BE NEAR 1.5 TO 1.6 INCHES...WHICH IS CLOSE TO A RECORD FOR DECEMBER. UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS LITTLE UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT TO CONVERT THIS MOISTURE INTO APPRECIABLE RAINFALL...SO JUST LOW CHANCES OF SHOWERS ARE IN THE FORECAST. FRIDAY MAY HAVE A SLIGHTLY BETTER CHANCE OF RAIN AS A VERY WEAK FRONT SLIDES INTO THE AREA AND DISSIPATES...BUT UNLIKE THE GFS THE ECMWF IS PRACTICALLY DRY WITH THIS FRONT. THE BEST CHANCES OF RAINFALL WILL LIKELY WAIT UNTIL PERHAPS SUNDAY OR NEXT MONDAY WHEN A STRONG UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM MOVES IN FROM THE PACIFIC. THE GFS IS FASTER THAN EVERY OTHER MODEL WITH THIS SYSTEM...AND THEREFORE WILL KEEP POPS LOW UNTIL SUNDAY AND INTO SUNDAY NIGHT...BUT EVEN THIS MAY BE TOO EARLY. TR.92 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX 39 41 32 47 45 / 20 10 5 5 10 WACO, TX 49 57 33 46 46 / 20 20 10 10 10 PARIS, TX 43 43 32 48 44 / 40 20 10 10 10 DENTON, TX 35 37 29 49 44 / 20 10 5 5 10 MCKINNEY, TX 39 39 31 48 44 / 30 10 5 5 10 DALLAS, TX 40 42 32 46 46 / 20 10 5 5 10 TERRELL, TX 45 46 32 47 45 / 30 20 10 10 10 CORSICANA, TX 53 58 34 46 46 / 30 30 10 10 10 TEMPLE, TX 53 59 34 46 46 / 20 20 10 10 10 MINERAL WELLS, TX 34 36 28 51 46 / 10 10 0 5 5 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && /
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 232 PM CST SUN NOV 30 2014 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-011200- 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- 232 PM CST SUN NOV 30 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. AREAS OF FOG MAY DEVELOP AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT GENERALLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20 THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. VISIBILITIES MAY BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN 1 MILE AT TIMES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. AREAS OF FOG AND DRIZZLE MAY BE ONGOING DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS MONDAY. FOG WILL BE MOST LIKELY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20. AREAS OF DRIZZLE ARE LIKELY BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. SOME PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL BE POSSIBLE EARLY MONDAY MORNING MAINLY NORTHWEST OF AN EASTLAND TO MINERAL WELLS TO GAINESVILLE LINE. NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED AS GROUND TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY REMAIN WARM. AREAS OF FOG ARE EXPECTED ON WEDNESDAY MORNING ACROSS MOST OF NORTH TEXAS. VISIBILITIES MAY BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN 1 MILE AT TIMES ACROSS THE REGION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. DUNN
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
24 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
According to the US Drought Monitor, most of Montague County spent all of December in D2/Severe Drought category.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the southern third of Cooke County spent all of December in D2/Severe Drought category.
According to the US Drought Monitor, most of Hunt County spent all of December in D2/Severe Drought category.
According to the US Drought Monitor, most of Hopkins County spent all of December in D2/Severe Drought category.
According to the US Drought Monitor, Young County spent all of December in D3/Extreme and D4/Exceptional Drought category. The D4 conditions were located across the SE half of the county.
According to the US Drought Monitor, Jack County spent all of December in D3/Extreme Drought category.
According to the US Drought Monitor, Parker County spent all of December in D4/Exceptional Drought category.
According to the US Drought Monitor, Palo Pinto County spent all of December in D3/Extreme and D4/Exceptional Drought category.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the drought conditions in Stephens County ranged from D2/Severe in the southwest portions of the county to D4/Exceptional Drought in the northeast quadrant of the county.
According to the US Drought Monitor, D2/Severe drought conditions persisted in the northern half of the Wise County while D3/Extreme drought conditions persisted in the southern half of the county.
According to the US Drought Monitor, D2/Severe drought conditions persisted in the northern half of the Denton County while D3/Extreme drought conditions persisted in the southern half of the county.
According to the US Drought Monitor, Collin County spent all of December in D2/Severe and D3/Extreme drought conditions.
According to the US Drought Monitor, Tarrant County spent all of December in D3/Extreme and D4/Exceptional Drought category.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the drought conditions in Dallas County ranged from D2/Severe in the southeast portions of the county to D4/Exceptional Drought in the far west portions of the county.
According to the US Drought Monitor, Rockwall County spent all of December in D2/Severe and D3/Extreme drought conditions.
According to the US Drought Monitor, the eastern half of Eastland County spent all of December in D2/Severe and D3/Extreme drought conditions.
According to the US Drought Monitor, Erath County spent all of December in D3/Extreme Drought category, but conditions across the northern part of the county deteriorated into D4/Exceptional Drought category in the latter half of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, D2/Severe Drought conditions spread across Comanche County during the month of December.
According to the US Drought Monitor, Hood County spent all of December in D4/Exceptional Drought category.
According to the US Drought Monitor, Somervell County spent all of December in D3/Extreme Drought conditions.
According to the US Drought Monitor, Johnson County began the month of December in D2/Severe to D4/Exceptional Drought category, but conditions deteriorated into D3/Extreme and D4/Exceptional Drought across all of the county in the latter half of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, Erath County spent all of December in D2/Severe Drought category, but conditions across the northwestern part of the county deteriorated into D3/Extreme Drought category in the latter half of the month.
According to the US Drought Monitor, D2/Severe Drought conditions spread across Bosque County during the month of December.
According to the US Drought Monitor, D2/Severe Drought conditions spread across Hill County during the month of December.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, December 2014
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: 550848, 550849, 550850, 550851, 550852, 550853, 550854, 550855, 550856, 550857, 550858, 550859, 550860, 550861, 550862, 550863, 550864, 550865, 550866, 550867, 550868, 550869, 550870, 550871.