Several large wildfires broke out from August 12 through the 16th. As the rains ended in early July, hardly any rain fell through mid August.
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 SJT wrote it up.
Several large wildfires broke out from August 12 through the 16th. As the rains ended in early July, hardly any rain fell through mid August. Plenty of the vegetation that blossomed from the wet spring, quickly dried, and fueled the wildfires.
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 San Angelo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 12, 5:40 PM CST, 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX 640 PM CDT WED AUG 12 2015 .AVIATION... /00Z TAFS/ VFR conditions expected the next 24 hours. Could see an isolated shower or thunderstorm across the southern terminals through sunset but any activity will quickly dissipate with the loss of daytime heating. Expect light east to northeast wings through the period. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 514 PM CDT WED AUG 12 2015/ UPDATE... Updated zones and grids to go with slight chance to chance Pops mainly along and south of a Mertzon to San Angelo to Brownwood line due to current radar trends. The showers and thunderstorms should dissipate by 03Z. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 359 PM CDT WED AUG 12 2015/ SHORT TERM...(Tonight and Thursday) Look for showers and a few thunderstorms this evening and again tomorrow afternoon. Showers and thunderstorms have developed this afternoon, mainly along and south of a Big Lake to San Angelo, to San Saba line. Short-term models indicate this will be the best area for continued development this evening and again tomorrow afternoon. Otherwise, dry conditions and temperatures near persistence look good for the next 24 hours. Huber LONG TERM(time period)... High temperatures will gradually fall from the upper 90s to 101 on Friday...to mid and 90s Saturday and Sunday. This occurs...as the center high pressure aloft pushes west into the 4 corners region. Isolated showers and thunderstorms possible Friday into Saturday, as a weak upper shortwave moves west across the region. Confidence is low on potential development however...as models are showing disagreement in both timing and area of development. Next week...the GFS and ECWF models weaken the upper ridge further, with highs falling to near normal in the mid 90s. Despite the fall in heights, the model are not indicating convection over West Central Texas, and will keep next week's forecast dry. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Abilene 73 99 75 99 / 10 10 5 20 San Angelo 71 102 75 101 / 20 10 5 20 Junction 73 102 74 100 / 30 20 5 20 && .SJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && 99/99/24
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX 331 PM CDT WED AUG 12 2015 TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139- 140-154-155-168>170-132045- FISHER-NOLAN-STERLING-COKE-RUNNELS-IRION-TOM GREEN-CONCHO- CROCKETT-SCHLEICHER-SUTTON-HASKELL-THROCKMORTON-JONES-SHACKELFORD- TAYLOR-CALLAHAN-COLEMAN-BROWN-MCCULLOCH-SAN SABA-MENARD-KIMBLE- MASON- 331 PM CDT WED AUG 12 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MAINLY SOUTH OF A MERTZON...TO SAN ANGELO...TO SAN SABA LINE. THE MAIN HAZARDS WILL BE DEADLY LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. THE MAIN HAZARDS WILL BE DEADLY LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The Sutton Ranch Fire near Fort Lancaster, or 25 miles west of Ozona in western Crockett County, was started by lightning. This fire burned approximately 693 acres.
The West Fire near the Crockett and Val Verde County line, or about 28 miles south of Ozona, burned approximately 3000 acres. No damage to structures was reported.
The Head of the River Ranch Fire, located 5 miles southeast of Christoval, was ignited by lightning and burned 5200 acres. One barn was destroyed and 25 homes were threatened.
The Cox Ranch Fire, located 19 miles west southwest of Ozona, burned 433 acres.
The Jack Rabbit Fire, located 17 miles south southeast of Mason, burned 414 acres. Two homes were threatened by this fire.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, August 2015
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: 599609, 599610, 599612, 599613, 599614.