Drought conditions receded slightly from southeast to northwest, otherwise conditions remained similar to the first few months of 2015.
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 receded slightly from southeast to northwest, otherwise conditions remained similar to the first few months of 2015.
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 Feb 28, 11:33 PM CST, 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 1133 PM CST SAT FEB 28 2015 .AVIATION... /06Z TAFS/ VERY LITTLE CHANGE FROM PREVIOUS 03Z TAFS OTHER THAN TO EXTEND -FZDZ AT DFW METRO AIRPORTS AS TEMPS HOVERING AT 32F FEW MORE HOURS. OTHERWISE...WAN ALOFT SHOULD HELP TEMPS WARM A FEW DEGREES BY 12Z/SUNRISE/ WITH ALL PRECIP GOING TO -DZ OR -SHRA. WACO WILL REMAIN ALL LIQUID WITH ALL AIRPORTS SEEING PREVAILING N/NE FLOW 4-9 KTS THROUGH THE FORECAST. IFR/LIFR CIGS WILL PREVAIL THROUGHOUT THE 24 HRS ACROSS ALL AIRPORTS WITH VSBYS FLUCUATING BETWEEN IFR AND MVFR DEPENDING ON PRECIP INTENSITY. 05/ && .UPDATE... QUICK UPDATE TO EXTEND THE ADVISORY INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS SUNDAY ACROSS THE WEST AND NORTHWEST COUNTIES. ALTHOUGH THE MAJORITY OF THE PRECIPITATION IS STILL EXPECTED TO BE ALONG AND EAST OF I-35 OVERNIGHT...VISIBILITIES ARE STILL IN THE 2 TO 3 MILE RANGE AND WE ARE GETTING REPORTS OF LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE IN AREAS WHERE TEMPERATURES ARE STILL 29-30 DEGREES. THIS WILL SUPPORT MORE OF AN ICE ACCUMULATION ISSUE ON AREA ROADS. FARTHER EAST...THERE WILL STILL BE SOME PROBLEMS MAINLY ON BRIDGES THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...BUT TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE SLOWLY TOWARD MORNING. TEMPS ARE ALREADY IN THE 30-32 RANGE WHICH USUALLY LIMITS ANY TRAVEL PROBLEMS TO BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. NO OTHER CHANGES AT THIS TIME. DUNN && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 345 PM CST SAT FEB 28 2015/ TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN NEAR STEADY OR SLOWLY WARM TONIGHT WITH THE FREEZING LINE AT SUNSET ROUGHLY FROM GOLDTHWAITE TO WEATHERFORD TO GAINESVILLE. WE EXPECT PERIODS OF LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE IN LOCATIONS ALONG AND WEST OF THE FREEZING LINE WITH PERIODS OF MAINLY DRIZZLE OR VERY LIGHT RAIN ELSEWHERE. WE HAVE DECIDED TO EXTEND THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR LOCATIONS WEST OF A LINE FROM GOLDTHWAITE TO WEATHERFORD TO MINERAL WELLS AND LET THE CURRENT WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY EXPIRE AT 6 PM FOR ALL OTHER COUNTIES THAT CURRENTLY REMAIN IN THE ADVISORY. THE SNOW COVER TODAY HAS BEEN LARGELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SLOW WARMUP AS EVIDENT BY THE MORE RAPID WARMUP IN THE COUNTIES THAT SAW VERY LITTLE MEASURABLE WINTER PRECIPITATION. ADDITIONAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE NEGLIGIBLE OVERALL BUT THE ADDITION OF EVEN LIGHT ICING TO ALREADY ICY SPOTS WILL CONTINUE TO CREATE TRAVEL IMPACTS. WE EXPECT THAT ALL SITES WILL WARM TO FREEZING OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE OVERNIGHT AS THE SHALLOW ARCTIC AIRMASS CONTINUES TO SLOWLY MODIFY DUE TO RELATIVELY WARM PRECIPITATION FALLING THROUGH IT. TEMPERATURES SUNDAY MORNING SHOULD BE ABOVE FREEZING WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A FEW EXTREME NORTHWEST COUNTIES. STRONG LOW LEVEL WARM AIR ADVECTION WILL CONTINUE OVER THE SLOWLY MODIFYING ARCTIC AIRMASS TO PRODUCE PERIODS OF LIGHT RAIN OR DRIZZLE ALONG WITH OVERCAST SKIES AND SOME PATCHY FOG. HIGHS ON SUNDAY WILL BE GENERALLY IN THE 40S...EXCEPT FOR SOME UPPER 30S IN THE NORTH AND 50S IN THE SOUTH. A SECONDARY SURGE OF COOL AIR WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTH TEXAS SUNDAY NIGHT AS A SHORT WAVE ROTATES ACROSS THE UPPER MID WEST. TEMPERATURES SUNDAY NIGHT WILL COOL MAINLY INTO THE 30S AND 40S BUT SHOULD REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING. LIFT SUPPLIED BY THE COLD FRONT IN COMBINATION WITH SOME WEAK LARGE SCALE LIFT FROM AN APPROACHING PACIFIC TROUGH WILL BRING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS TO THE ENTIRE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. THE UPPER TROUGH IN THE PACIFIC WILL DEEPEN NEAR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MONDAY NIGHT WHILE A SURFACE TROUGH DEEPENS ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THIS PATTERN WILL BRING A SURGE OF WARM AND MOIST AIR NORTHWARD INTO NORTH TEXAS MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES WILL ALSO INCREASE AT THE SAME TIME DUE TO INCREASING LARGE SCALE LIFT AND THIS WILL RESULT IN A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. THE BEST CHANCE OF STORMS WILL BE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY EVENING WHEN A PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH MOVES IN FROM THE WEST. VERTICAL WIND SHEAR AND INSTABILITY MAY BE SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT SOME STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY EAST OF THE INTERSTATE 35 CORRIDOR LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY EVENING. A STRONG COLD FRONT IS PROGGED TO MOVE ACROSS NORTH TEXAS TUESDAY NIGHT AND BRING MUCH COLDER AIR AND WINDY CONDITIONS. SINCE THE UPPER LOW WILL STILL BE WEST OF THE REGION AT THIS TIME...THERE WILL BE A POTENTIAL FOR MORE WINTER WEATHER WEDNESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. IT IS MUCH TOO EARLY TO ASSESS THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS FROM THIS EVENT BUT FORECAST SOUNDINGS SUGGEST THAT SLEET WOULD BE THE PRIMARY PRECIPITATION TYPE AND IF MODEL QPF IS CORRECT...IT COULD BE MEASURABLE AND POSSIBLY SIGNIFICANT. ALL PRECIPITATION SHOULD END BY THURSDAY AS THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS PASSES TO THE EAST. WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT SHOULD SET UP ACROSS NORTH TEXAS NEXT WEEKEND WITH SLOWLY WARMING TEMPS AND NO PRECIPITATION. 79 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX 31 41 40 52 52 / 50 40 50 40 50 WACO, TX 33 40 40 55 55 / 50 40 50 40 40 PARIS, TX 33 43 38 41 41 / 60 50 60 50 50 DENTON, TX 31 37 37 47 47 / 40 40 50 40 50 MCKINNEY, TX 32 38 38 47 47 / 50 40 50 40 50 DALLAS, TX 32 39 39 52 52 / 50 40 50 40 50 TERRELL, TX 32 41 40 48 48 / 60 50 60 50 40 CORSICANA, TX 34 42 42 56 56 / 60 50 60 50 40 TEMPLE, TX 32 44 44 57 57 / 50 40 50 40 30 MINERAL WELLS, TX 31 38 34 47 47 / 40 30 40 40 50 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM CST SUNDAY FOR TXZ091-092- 100>102-115>117-129-130-141-142. && 05/91
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 343 PM CST SAT FEB 28 2015 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-012145- 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- 343 PM CST SAT FEB 28 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS...NORTHEAST TEXAS AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THROUGH TONIGHT LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CONTINUE NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM SULPHUR SPRING TO ROCKWALL AND LAMPASAS THROUGH 6 PM...THEN NORTHWEST OF A GAINESVILLE TO GOLDTHWAITE LINE THIS EVENING UNTIL MIDNIGHT. A LIGHT GLAZE OF ICE IS POSSIBLE...MAINLY ON ELEVATED SURFACES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH TEXAS MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS. AN AREA OF LIGHT SLEET AND LIGHT SNOW WILL SPREAD SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS ANOTHER ARCTIC COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH. ICE AND SNOW ACCUMULATIONS UP TO ONE INCH ARE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
24 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe/D2 drought conditions during most of March improved to Moderate/ D1 by the final week, due to rainfall amounts between 1.5 and 2 inches received during the period from March 18 to March 21.
Young County was split between Extreme/D3 across the west and Exceptional/D4 conditions across the east. These conditions were in place for all of March, 2015.
Jack County was split between Extreme/D3 across the north and Exceptional/D4 conditions across the south. These conditions were in place for all of March, 2015.
Extreme/D3 drought covered all but the northern third of Wise County, where Severe/D2 conditions were in place for all of March, 2015.
Denton County spent March of 2015 split between Severe/D2 conditions across the northern half of the county and D3/extreme across the south.
Severe/D2 drought conditions county-wide at the beginning of March improved to Moderate/D1 across the northern third of the county around the middle of the month. Conditions remained split between D2 in the south and D1 in the north through the end of the month.
Hopkins County spent all of March, 2015 split between D2/Severe drought in the western two-thirds of the county and D1/Moderate in the eastern third.
Drought conditions in Stephens County during March, 2015 ranged from D4/exceptional in the northeastern corner to Extreme/D3 across the central portion of the county to Severe/D2 across the southwest.
Exceptional/D4 drought conditions covered the vast majority of Palo Pinto County for the entire month of March, 2015.
Extreme/D3 drought conditions covered the majority of Palo Pinto County during all of March, 2015. Approximately a quarter of the county (northern portions) experienced Exceptional/D4 drought.
Exceptional/D4 drought conditions at the beginning of March improved to Extreme/D3 during the first week of the month. Conditions remained as such through the end of the month.
Extreme/D3 conditions county-wide at the beginning of the month receded to only cover the western third of the county during the first week. Severe/D2 conditions covered the rest of the county, and conditions remained as such through the end of the month.
Severe/D2 conditions covered Rockwall County for all of March, 2015.
Kaufman County spent all of March 2015 with Severe/D2 conditions across sthe northwestern third of the county and Moderate/D1 across the rest of the county.
Eastland County spent March of 2015 with Extreme/D3 conditions across the eastern half of the county and Severe/D2 across the western half.
Erath County began March of 2015 with Extreme/D3 conditions across the northern half of the county and Severe/D2 across the southern half. Extreme/D3 conditions expanded to include all of the county around the middle of the month, and these conditions remained in place through the end of the month.
Extreme/D3 drought conditions covered Hood County for all of March, 2015.
Extreme/D3 conditions covered all but the southeastern corner of Johnson County, where Severe/D2 conditions were in place, for all of March, 2015.
Severe/D2 conditions county-wide at the beginning of March improved across the southeastern half of the county during the first week of the month. From then through the end of the month, the county remained split between Severe/D2 across the northwest and Moderate/D1 across the southeast.
Severe/D2 conditions at the beginning of March deteriorated to Extreme/D3 across the eastern half of the county during the second week of the month. From then through the end of the month, the county was split between Severe/D2 across the west and Extreme/D3 across the eastern half.
Mills County spent all of March, 2015 with Severe/D2 drought conditions in place.
Severe/D2 drought conditions across the northern third of Hamilton County at the beginning of March expanded to include all of the county around the middle part of the month. These conditions remained in place through the end of the month.
Severe/D2 conditions across the northern half of Bosque County at the beginning of March expanded to include all of the county around the middle of the month. At that time, Extreme/D3 conditions had also spread south to include the northern third of the county. Conditions remained as such through the end of the month.
Hill County spent March, 2015 split between Severe/D2 drought in the north and Moderate/D1 drought in the south.
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, March 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: 566009, 566010, 566011, 566013, 566014, 566126, 566127, 566128, 566129, 566621, 566622, 566623, 566624, 566625, 566626, 566627, 566628, 566630, 566631, 566632, 566633, 566634, 566635, 566636.