Precipitation was near-normal overall across north Texas in October. Certain areas experienced below normal precipitation for the month, which aggravated the prolonged drought conditions.
Every event with a place to put it; 25 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.
Precipitation was near-normal overall across north Texas in October. Certain areas experienced below normal precipitation for the month, which aggravated the prolonged drought conditions.
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 Sep 30, 10:38 PM CST, 1 hour 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 1138 PM CDT TUE SEP 30 2014 .AVIATION... THE NAM CONTINUES TO BE MOST AGGRESSIVE WITH THE RETURN OF STRATUS OVERNIGHT...BUT BEING A BIT OF AN OUTLIER LEADS TO THE BELIEF THAT IT MAY BE OVERDOING IT. AT THIS TIME...WE ARE LEANING MORE TOWARDS THE RAP AND GFS SOLUTIONS WHICH INDICATE GOOD NORTHWARD MOISTURE SURGE WITHIN THE 25KT SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL JET...BUT GENERALLY EAST OF THE I-35 CORRIDOR. THIS PLACES THE DALLAS AREA ON THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE CLOUD DECK FIRST THING IN THE MORNING...SO WE WILL MAINTAIN THE MVFR CIGS AT KDAL AND KDFW 13Z UNTIL 16Z. STRATUS SHOULD ARRIVE A FEW HOURS EARLIER AT KACT. THE REST OF THE TAF PERIOD SHOULD REMAIN VFR. STRATUS WILL LIKELY RETURN WEDNESDAY NIGHT/THURSDAY MORNING...WITH CONVECTION STILL A POSSIBILITY THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING BEYOND THIS TAF SET. 30 && .UPDATE... A FEW SHOWERS THAT DEVELOPED ACROSS THE NORTHEAST ZONES BEFORE SUNSET DISSIPATED WITH THE LOSS OF SURFACE HEATING. THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT WILL BE MOSTLY CLEAR AND QUIET. OTHER THAN REMOVING THE MENTION OF EVENING SHOWERS...NO MAJOR CHANGES ARE NEEDED TO THE FORECAST AT THIS TIME. 79 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 318 PM CDT TUE SEP 30 2014/ WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS A COUPLE OF STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGHS ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE U.S. THIS AFTERNOON WHICH ARE PART OF A LARGER LONGWAVE TROUGH. THE FIRST IS QUICKLY MOVING NORTHEAST THROUGH THE DAKOTAS AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING FORCING FOR ASCENT ACROSS MUCH OF THE UPPER MIDWEST INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THE PRIMARY SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURE WILL REMAIN WELL REMOVED FROM NORTH TEXAS. THIS LEAD SHORTWAVE AND ITS ASSOCIATED 994MB SURFACE LOW OVER THE DAKOTAS HAS HELPED PULL SOME HIGHER DEWPOINT AIR INTO NORTH TEXAS WHICH HAS RESULTED IN A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS. THESE SHOULD DIMINISH AFTER SUNSET THIS EVENING. THE MAIN SHORTWAVE OF INTEREST IS JUST NOW MOVING INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THIS FEATURE WILL QUICKLY DIVE SOUTHEAST AND DEEPEN OVER THE ROCKIES THROUGH TOMORROW EVENING. MEANWHILE SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS WILL BE UNDERWAY ACROSS SOUTHWEST KANSAS AND THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE TOMORROW. THIS SURFACE LOW WILL EJECT NORTHEAST AHEAD OF THE MAIN UPPER TROUGH ON THURSDAY SENDING A COLD FRONT THROUGH NORTH TEXAS. THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY ON THE EXACT TRACK OF THE UPPER LOW WHICH WILL HAVE IMPACTS ON THE AMOUNT OF FORCING FOR THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE FRONT ON THURSDAY. THE NAM IS THE FARTHEST SOUTH AND THEREFORE HAS THE BEST COVERAGE OF THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS THE REGION. THE OTHER GUIDANCE IS GENERALLY CLUSTERED A LITTLE FARTHER NORTH ACROSS CENTRAL OKLAHOMA AND THIS FORECAST WILL FAVOR THAT TRACK FOR THE UPPER LOW. THIS MEANS THAT THE BEST FORCING WILL STAY NORTH OF THE AREA...HOWEVER THE FRONT IS STRONG AND THERE WILL BE AMPLE MOISTURE AHEAD OF IT ALONG WITH SOME DEEP LAYER FORCING FOR ASCENT FROM THE UPPER TROUGH. CURRENT THINKING IS THAT A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ALONG THE COLD FRONT AROUND MIDDAY ALONG THE I-35 CORRIDOR WITH MOST ACTIVITY BEING NORTH OF I-20 INITIALLY. THE LINE SHOULD EXPAND SOUTHWARD IN COVERAGE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON WITH BEST OVERALL RAIN CHANCES HOLDING EAST OF I-35 THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING. THERE WILL BE SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY AND WIND SHEAR FOR A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS THURSDAY AFTERNOON PRIMARILY ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE CWA. HAIL AND STRONG WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT. THE FRONT WILL BE FAST MOVING AND SHOULD CLEAR THE AREA BY THURSDAY NIGHT WITH RAIN CHANCES ENDING AND COOLER...DRIER AIR MOVING IN. THE CENTER OF A SURFACE HIGH WILL BE OVER NORTH TEXAS SATURDAY MORNING AND THAT SHOULD BE THE COOLEST MORNING WITH LOWS IN THE LOWER 50S AREAWIDE. DRY NORTHWEST FLOW WILL PREVAIL INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH TEMPERATURES SLOWLY WARMING BACK INTO THE UPPER 80S BY MONDAY. DUNN && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX 73 92 75 88 62 / 5 5 10 40 20 WACO, TX 71 92 75 90 64 / 5 5 5 30 30 PARIS, TX 69 89 72 87 60 / 10 5 10 50 30 DENTON, TX 68 92 74 88 58 / 5 5 10 30 10 MCKINNEY, TX 70 91 74 88 59 / 5 5 10 40 20 DALLAS, TX 73 92 75 89 63 / 5 5 5 40 20 TERRELL, TX 73 92 74 89 61 / 5 5 5 50 30 CORSICANA, TX 72 91 73 90 63 / 10 5 5 40 40 TEMPLE, TX 69 92 73 90 63 / 5 5 5 20 30 MINERAL WELLS, TX 68 93 71 89 57 / 5 5 10 20 10 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 306 PM CDT TUE SEP 30 2014 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-011230- 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- 306 PM CDT TUE SEP 30 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ON THURSDAY. THE BEST THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL BE ALONG AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 35/35W AS A COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FEW STRONG OR SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HAIL AND STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS WITH ANY STRONG OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. CAVANAUGH
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
25 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe/D2 drought conditions covered Montague County for all of October 2014.
Severe/D2 drought conditions covered Cooke County for all of October 2014.
Severe/D2 drought conditions covered Grayson County for all of October 2014.
Young County spent October of 2014 split between D3/Extreme drought conditions over the northwest half of the county to D4/Exceptional over the southeast half.
Extreme/D3 drought conditions covered Jack County for all of October 2014.
Severe/D2 drought conditions in place across Wise County for most of October 2014 deteriorated to D3/Extreme drought by the final week of the month as rainfall remained below normal for the month.
For weeks 1 through 3 of October 2014, Denton County was split between Severe/D2 drought over the western half to Extreme/D3 drought over the eastern half. Extreme/D3 conditions covered all of the county for the final week of the month as the rainfall deficit continued.
Collin County spent all of October 2014 split between Severe/D2 drought in the eastern half of the county to Extreme/D3 in the western half.
Severe/D2 drought conditions covered the majority of Hopkins County for all of October 2014.
Severe/D2 drought conditions covered the majority of Rockwall County for all of October 2014.
Exceptional/D4 drought conditions were in place across Stephens County for all of October 2014.
Exceptional/D4 drought conditions were in place across Palo Pinto County for all of October 2014.
Exceptional/D4 drought conditions were in place across Parker County for all of October 2014.
Exceptional/D4 drought conditions were in place across Tarrant County for all of October 2014.
Exceptional/D4 drought conditions were in place across Hood County for all of October 2014.
Dallas County was classified by the U.S. Drought Monitor as remaining predominantly under Severe/D3 drought conditions for all of October 2014.
Johnson County was classified by the U.S. Drought Monitor as remaining predominantly under Severe/D3 drought conditions for all of October 2014.
Somervell County was classified by the U.S. Drought Monitor as remaining predominantly under Severe/D3 drought conditions for all of October 2014.
Erath County was classified by the U.S. Drought Monitor as remaining predominantly under Severe/D3 drought conditions for all of October 2014.
Eastland County spent October of 2014 essentially split between Extreme/D3 conditions across the eastern half of the county and Severe/D2 across the west.
Comanche County spent October of 2014 essentially split between Extreme/D3 conditions across the eastern half of the county and Severe/D2 across the west.
Severe/D2 drought conditions across all of Hamilton County at the beginning of October improved to Moderate/D1 conditions by the middle of the month across all but the far northern portions of the county where slightly drier conditions prevailed.
Severe/D2 drought conditions across all of Bosque County at the beginning of October improved to Moderate/D1 around the middle of the month across the southern half of the county. D2/Severe conditions continued across the northern half of the county through the end of the month.
Severe/D2 drought conditions across all of Hill County at the beginning of October improved to Moderate/D1 around the middle of the month across the southern half of the county. D2/Severe conditions continued across the northern half of the county through the end of the month.
Severe/D2 drought conditions covered Ellis County for all of October, 2014.
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, October 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: 542607, 544692, 544693, 544694, 544695, 544696, 544697, 544698, 544701, 544702, 544780, 544781, 544782, 544783, 544784, 544785, 544786, 544787, 544788, 544789, 544790, 544792, 544793, 544794, 544795.