Dry and warm weather in March which had brought a small area of Severe Drought (D2) into a pocket of northern Hidalgo, southwest Kenedy, and southeast Brooks County allowed drought to continue through the monitoring period that ended on April 2nd. 5 (bias corrected and measured) in the area late on March 28th and early on March 29th improved drought conditions by the April 3rd drought monitor…
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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.
Dry and warm weather in March which had brought a small area of Severe Drought (D2) into a pocket of northern Hidalgo, southwest Kenedy, and southeast Brooks County allowed drought to continue through the monitoring period that ended on April 2nd. Rainfall of 0.5 to 1.5 (bias corrected and measured) in the area late on March 28th and early on March 29th improved drought conditions by the April 3rd drought monitor update.
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 Mar 31, 11:42 PM CST, 18 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Brownsville TX 1242 AM CDT Sun Apr 1 2018 .DISCUSSION...Updated for latest aviation discussion below. && .AVIATION...Light southeast winds with a few passing clouds prevail across deep south Texas early this morning. MVFR conditions expected to develop through the overnight hours as low stratus forms. South-southeast winds will increase and become breezy mid to late morning. Low level clouds are expected to gradually lift to VFR levels by late morning and continue through the afternoon hours. Wind gusts will slowly diminish after sunset but surface winds should remain moderate through the evening hours. MVFR ceilings may occur by late Sunday evening. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 605 PM CDT Sat Mar 31 2018/ DISCUSSION...Updated for latest aviation discussion below. AVIATION...After a wonderful day for just about any activity - flying included - increasing MVFR overnight clouds below robust subsidence inversion later tonight followed by another two-plus day Valley Wind Machine event is the gist of the forecast through Sunday. Clear skies and moderate southeast winds begin tonight, but as inversion sets up somewhere between 12 and 18 hundred feet or so after midnight, "underrunning" southerly flow should provide the moisture required to create broken stratus despite continued very dry air above the inversion, with no sunshine to scour it out. Model soundings suggest lowest ceilings would be in McAllen, even hinting at brief IFR periods - but with only gradual recovery of low level humidity think IFR will wait until Sunday night if at all. With the increasing clouds, winds below the inversion may increase a hair and have kept speeds above 10 knots after midnight which will negate any possibility of mist (BR). The clouds will lift slowly initially after daybreak, and more quickly by noon; expect scattered to broken MVFR through 10 or 11 AM before quickly becoming FEW as thick layer of very dry air quickly takes over in well mixed lower atmosphere. Mentioned FEW- SCT cirrus just for information, but main story transitions to winds. Full sunshine and slowly tightening gradient will bring near 20 knot south-southeast sustained winds spreading from east to west through the afternoon, and 30 knot gusts can't be ruled out though have stopped just short of those speeds for now. 52/BSG PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 233 PM CDT Sat Mar 31 2018/ SHORT TERM (Now through Sunday night): Surface high pressure along the Gulf Coast and very dry air just off the sfc will continue to provide tranquil weather for Deep South Texas through the next 36 hours. Main forecast issue will be fog formation tonight. With Gulf moisture returning along the sfc and dry air aloft, the atmosphere will be in good shape for fog formation. The capping inversion is very low, and this may pin moisture too low to the ground for widespread fog formation. Southeast flow will also be 5 to 7 knots overnight, so some mixing of the drier air from aloft will still occur. Putting all this together leads to the best fog formation mainly across larger grassy areas right around sunrise Sunday. Winds will begin to increase Sunday morning, with breezy conditions through the afternoon. The gradient between Gulf surface ridging and the cold front stalled across north Texas will tighten the gradient considerably, leading to winds approaching 20 knots, with some gusts near 30 later in the afternoon. Moisture will again focus near the surface Sunday night, bringing another threat of fog formation area wide. LONG TERM (Monday through Saturday): Deepening low pressure across the central High Plains will interact with high pressure over the Gulf to support strong southeast winds Monday. Guidance is picking up on stronger southeast winds Monday and Monday night, especially along the coast, pushing conditions closer to or into the windy category during the day. In the mean time, a low latitude trajectory short wave trough will track across northern Mexico Monday into Monday night with divergent mid level flow over the Big Bend and RGV Plains Monday night into Tuesday. A cold front will approach the area at the surface on Tuesday, but won't make its final push through the CWA until Wednesday morning. The short wave aloft will lift out ahead of the surface boundary, and guidance is showing lower end shower and thunderstorm chances with the front. Stronger storms will not be likely with the lack of significant upper support. The core of the high pressure center will be well to the north also, and will scoot quickly east into the southeast United States and the northeast Gulf once the front is through, setting up northeast to east winds Wednesday night into Thursday, turning to southeast winds by Thursday night. A mix of clouds and sun through the period, with strong southeast winds Monday. Temperatures will be slightly above average Monday and Tuesday. A slight chance to chance of showers and tstms will develop Tuesday night into Wednesday as a cold front makes its way across the area, with lingering showers through Thursday. Temps will cool a bit behind the front, to slightly below average, but will recover quickly by Friday. MARINE: Now through Sunday night: Light onshore flow continues, generally around 10 knots this afternoon. The continued long fetch across the Gulf will maintain seas around 4 feet, with a 7 to 8 second period. The long fetch will continue through Sunday morning before southeast flow becomes more dominant across the Gulf. Winds will increase to 15 to 20 knots Sunday afternoon, increasing wave heights to around 5 feet during the day. The shorter fetch across the Gulf will also shorten the period to 5 or 6 seconds going into Sunday night. Monday through Thursday night: Moderate to fresh southeast winds will slowly build seas Sunday night through Tuesday, mainly due to strengthening high pressure over the Gulf and lower pressure over the Plains. Wave heights offshore will tease the seven feet mark Monday night into Tuesday, with small craft advisory conditions possible then. Conditions will improve some Tuesday night with the approach of a cold front, which will arrive on Wednesday, bringing fresh to strong northeast winds and high seas through Thursday. A few showers and thunderstorms may move out over the waters along the front Tuesday night into Wednesday. Small craft should exercise caution conditions will be possible on the Laguna madre Sunday night through Tuesday and again on Wednesday. && .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 449 PM CDT Sat Mar 31 2018 TXZ256-257-011130- Coastal Willacy-Coastal Cameron- 449 PM CDT Sat Mar 31 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Lower Texas Coast. .DAY ONE...Tonight A moderate threat for rip currents will continue at the beaches this evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Rip Currents at the beaches: A moderate threat for rip currents will continue at the beaches Sunday. A moderate to high threat for rip and south to north longshore currents is expected Monday into Tuesday. A high threat for rip currents is expected Wednesday following a cold front, continuing into Thursday. Inland winds: South winds up to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph Monday may be capable of blowing unfastened light weight objects around. North winds could reach these speeds again Wednesday with similar potential impacts. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed. TXZ248>255-011130- Zapata-Jim Hogg-Brooks-Kenedy-Starr-Hidalgo-Inland Willacy- Inland Cameron- 449 PM CDT Sat Mar 31 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for inland portions of Deep South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. .DAY ONE...Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Winds: South winds up to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph are possible Monday mainly along and east of U.S. 281/Interstate 69C. These winds will be capable of blowing unfastened light weight objects around. Wildfire Spread Potential: Dry to possibly very dry air combined with strong northerly winds behind a cold front may allow for rapid growth or spread of wildfires Wednesday afternoon across the Rio Grande Plains. For persons headed to the beaches: A moderate threat for rip currents will continue at the beaches Sunday. A moderate to high threat for rip and south to north longshore currents is expected Monday into Tuesday. A high threat for rip currents is expected Wednesday following a cold front, continuing into Thursday and perhaps longer. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed. GMZ130-132-135-150-155-170-175-011130- 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- 449 PM CDT Sat Mar 31 2018 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...Sunday through Friday Small Craft Advisories for winds are expected for the Laguna Madre and portions of the Lower Texas Gulf waters Sunday afternoon through early Tuesday due to increasing southerly flow of 20 knots or higher, and for all waters Wednesday due to strong northerly flow of 20 to 25 knots behind a cold front. Seas, swells, and wind waves may be locally hazardous Monday through early Tuesday, and again Wednesday through Thursday following a cold front. Long period swells Thursday may require prolonged Small Craft Advisories. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed. 52/BSG
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe (D2) Drought continued in extreme southeastern Brooks County until the April 3rd Drought Monitor update, which included 0.5 to 1.5 inches of rain that fell late on March 28th and early on March 29th. Improvement to Moderate (D1) drought levels began on the 3rd.
Severe (D2) Drought continued in northeastern Hidalgo County until the April 3rd Drought Monitor update, which included 0.5 to 1.5 inches of rain that fell late on March 28th and early on March 29th. Improvement to Moderate (D1) drought levels began on the 3rd.
Severe (D2) Drought continued in extreme southwestern Kenedy County until the April 3rd Drought Monitor update, which included 0.5 to 1.5 inches of rain that fell late on March 28th and early on March 29th. Improvement to Moderate (D1) drought levels began on the 3rd.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, April 2018
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: 754073, 754074, 754077.