During a rather dry April and first week of May, little to no rainfall was recorded over the center of the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas. The lack of rain, combined with temperatures in the 90s and lower 100s and afternoon humidity in the teens and twenties, as well as periods of gusty north winds up to 25 mph, allowed the return of Severe (D2) drought conditions to return to the region…
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.
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.
During a rather dry April and first week of May, little to no rainfall was recorded over the center of the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas. The lack of rain, combined with temperatures in the 90s and lower 100s and afternoon humidity in the teens and twenties, as well as periods of gusty north winds up to 25 mph, allowed the return of Severe (D2) drought conditions to return to the region to start May. The remainder of the region remained dry with D1 and D0 conditions expanding in area.
The severe D2 drought conditions were short lived as rain fell across the region on May 9th and 10th, eliminating the D2 conditions by the 13th.
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 May 5, 11:50 PM CST, 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 1250 AM CDT TUE MAY 6 2014 .DISCUSSION...UPDATED FOR LATEST AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW. && .AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO PREVAIL ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS AS SUBSIDENCE CONTINUES ACROSS THE REGION. MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL INTERACT WITH LOW PRESSURE OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS LATER TODAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN BREEZY SOUTHEAST WINDS DEVELOPING LATER THIS MORNING WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KNOTS POSSIBLE IN THE AFTERNOON. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 635 PM CDT MON MAY 5 2014/ DISCUSSION...UPDATED FOR LATEST AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW. AVIATION...SATELLITE IMAGES AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATE CLEAR SKIES ACROSS THE CWA EARLY THIS EVENING. EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY AS NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT CONTINUES TO PROVIDE SUBSIDENCE ACROSS THE AREA. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 213 PM CDT MON MAY 5 2014/ SHORT TERM.../NOW THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/...AT LEAST ONE MORE DAY OF FAIR WEATHER BEFORE A MORE NOTICEABLE INCREASE IN HUMIDITY. MID LEVEL RIDGE AXIS TO MOVE EAST OF TEXAS LATER TUESDAY KEEPING OUR ATMOSPHERE OVER DEEP SOUTH TEXAS RATHER DRY. 12Z SOUNDING OBSERVED A PWAT OF 0.71 INCHES WHICH IS AROUND 50 PERCENT OF NORMAL. FORECAST SOUNDING FOR REMAINS BELOW 1 INCH OR BELOW THE 25 PERCENTILE FOR MAY. GIVEN THIS AND SUBSIDENCE STILL WITH THE RIDGE PASSING OVERHEAD A PERSISTENT FORECAST REMAINS IN PLAY. SOME INCREASE IN LOW CLOUDS OVER THE WEST LATER TONIGHT WITH PATCHY FOG ACROSS THE NORTHERN RANCHLAND DUE TO THE SHALLOW MOISTURE. COASTAL AREAS MIGHT NOT SEE CLOUDS UNTIL EARLY TUESDAY MORNING BEFORE DAYTIME HEATING PROVIDE THE DEEP MIXING TO WASH OUT THE STRATUS LATER. PARTLY CLOUD TO MOSTLY SUNNY LOOK GOOD FOR TUESDAY. PRESSURE GRADIENT IS TRENDING SLIGHTLY STRONGER WITH PRESSURES LOWERING ALONG THE LEE SIDE OF THE SIERRA MADRE AS THE UPSTREAM MID LEVEL TROUGH MOVES INTO CALIFORNIA. DO NOT SEE A WINDY DAY JUST YET AND WILL MAINTAIN BREEZY DURING THE DAY WITH SOME GUSTS AROUND 30 MPH. TEMPERATURES TO REMAIN MILD TO WARM WITH SOUTHEAST WINDS OFF THE GULF KEEPING TEMPERATURES AT BAY AND NEAR MAY NORMALS. LONG TERM.../WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... A DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST BEGINS TO LIFT NE INTO THE UPPER MID WEST LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. THE UPPER LEVEL GRADIENT BEGINS TO STRENGTHEN PULLING DEEPER LOW LEVEL MOISTURE FROM THE TROPICS INTO DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. 1000/500 MB RH VALUES INCREASE TO 60 PERCENT AND HIGHER FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY IN ADDITION TO THE UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE OVER THE CWA WILL ENHANCE THE POTENTIAL FOR SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS LATE WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AS THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM MOVES EAST. INCREASE THE INHERITED POPS FOR THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT TO 30 PERCENT AS THE DEEPER MOISTURE IS PUSH EASTWARD. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE FROM THE MID TO UPPER 90S ACROSS THE WEST AND UPPER 80S AT THE COAST THROUGH THURSDAY AND BEGIN TO TREND A FEW DEGREES LOWER THROUGH SAT DUE TO THE ABUNDANT CLOUD COVER FROM THE CONVECTION ACTIVITY. UPPER TROUGH EXISTS THE REGION BY SATURDAY RETURNING THE WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT AND FILTERING IN DRY AIR INTO THE CWA. THE TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN TO RISE BACK UP INTO THE UPPER 90S ACROSS THE WEST WITH A FEW LOCATIONS ALONG THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER REACHING THE TRIPLE DIGITS AND NEAR THE COAST IN THE MID 90S WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS. THIS PATTERN WILL PREVAIL THROUGH MONDAY WITH ANOTHER CHANCE OF CONVECTION DEVELOPING FOR MONDAY ALONG THE SIERRA MOUNTAINS BUT VERY LIMITED MOISTURE WILL KEEP THE LOWER VALLEY IN THE SILENT 10 PERCENT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE LONG TERM. HIGH TEMPERATURES MONDAY WILL REACH THE UPPER 90S ACROSS MUCH OF THE CWA. MODEL TO MODEL CONSISTENCY BETWEEN THE GFS AND THE ECMWF IS PRETTY DECENT TODAY THROUGH THIS WEEKEND WITH GOOD AGREEMENT SHOWING UP ON THE TIMING AND STRENGTH OF THE NEXT SERIES OF TROUGH. OVERALL CONFIDENCE IN THE UPCOMING FORECAST WORDING IS ABOVE AVERAGE. MARINE...NOW THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...SUSTAINED WINDS ON THE LAGUNA MADRE ARE NEAR SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS OVER 25 MPH. WILL HOLD ON TO THE CURRENT SCA AS WINDS TO REMAIN AT CURRENT LEVELS UNTIL SUNSET. PRESSURE GRADIENT TO REMAIN PERSISTENT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT AS MID LEVEL RIDGE PASSES TO THE EAST AND UPSTREAM TROUGH MOVES INTO THE WESTERN U.S. MARGINAL SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY OVER THE OFFSHORE WATERS TONIGHT AND TUESDAY WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS ON THE LAGUNA TUESDAY AFTERNOON. WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT STRENGTHENS AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN CONUS MOVES EASTWARD WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THE SOUTHEAST WINDS INCREASE WITH POSSIBLE SCEC CONDITIONS LATE THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY OVER THE GULF WATERS AND THE LAGUNA. ONCE THIS TROUGH EXITS THE AREA...ZONAL FLOW DEVELOPS OVER TEXAS WITH A LIGHTER PRESSURE GRADIENT ALLOWING FOR WINDS TO LOWER AND SEAS TO RETURN TO 2 TO 4 FEET OVER THE GULF WATERS FOR THE WEEKEND. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL 73 87 75 85 / 10 10 20 20 BROWNSVILLE 73 88 75 88 / 10 10 20 20 HARLINGEN 72 90 75 90 / 10 10 20 20 MCALLEN 73 93 75 94 / 10 10 20 30 RIO GRANDE CITY 73 95 75 96 / 10 20 20 30 SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 73 84 73 82 / 10 10 20 20 && .BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. GM...NONE. && THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT: HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RGV 63
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 848 PM CDT MON MAY 5 2014 TXZ248>257-070200- ZAPATA-JIM HOGG-BROOKS-KENEDY-STARR-HIDALGO-INLAND WILLACY- INLAND CAMERON-COASTAL WILLACY-COASTAL CAMERON- 848 PM CDT MON MAY 5 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS AT THE BEACHES OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND AND AT BOCA CHICA BEACH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. AN ELEVATED RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IS POSSIBLE AT BEACHES OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND AND AT BOCA CHICA BEACH THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. GMZ130-132-135-150-155-170-175-070200- 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- 848 PM CDT MON MAY 5 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. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE LOWER TEXAS COAST TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. CASTILLO
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Dry conditions throughout April and the first week of May, allowed for Severe (D2) drought conditions to develop over southern Brooks County.
Dry conditions throughout April and the first week of May, allowed for Severe (D2) drought conditions to develop over southeastern Jim Hogg County.
Dry conditions throughout April and the first week of May, allowed for Severe (D2) drought conditions to develop over northern Starr County.
Dry conditions throughout April and the first week of May, allowed for Severe (D2) drought conditions to develop over northern Hidalgo County.
Dry conditions throughout April and the first week of May, allowed for Severe (D2) drought conditions to develop over southwestern Kenedy County.
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, May 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: 523970, 523972, 523973, 523975, 523976.