A general lack of rainfall allowed for drought conditions to intensify across southern Cameron County by mid May, with Severe (D2) drought conditions returning to the region. Rainfall the last week of the month, allowed conditions to improve to D1.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
A general lack of rainfall allowed for drought conditions to intensify across southern Cameron County by mid May, with Severe (D2) drought conditions returning to the region. Rainfall the last week of the month, allowed conditions to improve to D1.
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 15, 5:31 PM CST, 6 hours 29 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Brownsville TX 631 PM CDT Mon May 15 2017 .DISCUSSION...Updated for latest aviation discussion below. && .AVIATION...MVFR ceilings will develop at all TAF sites this evening and will persist through much of Tuesday. The other issue will be wind. Breezy to windy conditions will develop Tuesday, especially along the coast, thus impacting BRO and HRL most. Gusts to 35 knots will be possible. The stronger winds will mix out low clouds to some extent, but higher ceilings, if they are able to lift to VFR, may remain transient and limited. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 303 PM CDT Mon May 15 2017/ SHORT TERM (Tonight through Tuesday Night):Deep South Texas will be between the subtropical ridge over the Western GOM and NE Mexico and a shortwave trough moving across the SW Deserts. Low level moisture, albeit currently shallow, will be increasing over the next 24-36 hours as the southerly flow strengthens. Tonight we will continue to see clouds thicken and lower as the surface base inversion strengthens. Warm and humid with a moderate breeze anticipated. Tuesday still looks rainfree but dew points will be increasing along with the wind as the pressure gradient strengthens as surface pressures fall over West Texas. GFS guidance remains bullish showing winds approaching wind advisory within our wind corridor between the interstates 69C and 69E. Not all that confident to issue a wind advisory at this time and will let the overnight crew view the 00Z model package. As for temperatures highs still ranging about 3 to 5 degrees above normal even with the cloud cover but ovenight lows Tuesday night will be 6 to 8 degrees above normal with clouds and wind prevailing. LONG TERM (Wednesday through Monday): Models are in fair agreement and consistency with the mid level flow while the surface features are also in decent agreement until near the end of the forecast period. The most interesting day of the period looks to be Wednesday as a moderately sharp shortwave trough passes to the northeast of the forecast area. At the surface a surface trough/dryline over SW TX/NE Mexico drifts eastward into our western areas of the CWA winds turn northwest to north with compressional heating to take place. Morning clouds to quickly dissipate and temperatures to increase through the afternoon as dew points drop. Held onto the previous forecasters high temps (which are above guidance) with only a few minor adjustments in the east where the dryline is not expected to reach and clouds should hang on much of the day. The clouds and added moisture in the eastern third of the region look to combine with the tail end of the upper trough and a possible sea breeze to at least initiate a slight chance of showers or thunderstorms. As the shortwave passes to the east Wednesday broad Southwest flow to dominate the rest of the period as a large scale upper trough/low strengthens over the Rockies. This trough works its way through the plains next weekend with some timing and placement differences of a cold front. This will play havoc on rain chances Saturday night through Monday with plenty of uncertainty and day to day changes among the models. Have played down the chances slightly and have gone broad brush slight chances (20%) at this time. Temperatures will not see much variation until late in the weekend and early next week with very warm overnight lows and slightly above normal highs. MARINE: Tonight through Friday...Pressure gradient increases tonight through Tuesday night as a shortwave trough advances into West Texas. Exercise caution conditions tonight will likely be upgraded to small craft advisories Tuesday as the gradient peaks. A surface trough moves into the Rio Grande Plains Wednesday with a temporary weakening of the gradient at least for Wednesday afternoon and evening. Broad upper level trough strengthens over the Rockies Thursday and Friday with surface pressures lowering over the Southern Plains. A moderate to strong southeast flow ensues with seas building. Periodic small craft advisory conditions are anticipated for the end of the work week. && .BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. GM...None. && This product is also available on the web at: HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RGV 54/63
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Brownsville TX 510 PM CDT Mon May 15 2017 TXZ248>257-162215- Zapata-Jim Hogg-Brooks-Kenedy-Starr-Hidalgo-Inland Willacy- Inland Cameron-Coastal Willacy-Coastal Cameron- 510 PM CDT Mon May 15 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of Deep South Texas. .DAY ONE...Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday An elevated risk of rip currents Tuesday through Sunday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed. GMZ130-132-135-150-155-170-175-162215- 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- 510 PM CDT Mon May 15 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of 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 Low end small craft advisory conditions will be possible Tuesday through Saturday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought conditions intensified across southern Cameron County as the area continued to miss out on rainfall. Rainfall the last week of May, allowed for some slight improvement to D1 conditions.
Drought conditions intensified across southern coastal Cameron County as the area continued to miss out on rainfall. Rainfall the last week of May, allowed for some slight improvement to D1 conditions.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, May 2017
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: 704004, 704005.