Texas, 2018

Drought in Texas, February 1, 2018

February 1, 2018 · NWS OUN · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Extreme and severe drought persisted in western north Texas through the first half of the month. Toward the last week of February, rainfall brought some relief to the eastern parts of this area, pushing the severe and extreme drought westward a bit.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS OUN wrote it up.

Extreme and severe drought persisted in western north Texas through the first half of the month. Toward the last week of February, rainfall brought some relief to the eastern parts of this area, pushing the severe and extreme drought westward a bit.

What forecasters said that day

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 Norman, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 31, 10:52 PM CST, 1 hour 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 31, 10:52 PM CST, 1 hour 8 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Norman OK
1052 PM CST Wed Jan 31 2018

.DISCUSSION...

&&

.AVIATION...
North winds will increase Friday over much of Oklahoma in the
wake of a cold front. The gusts over central Oklahoma will
decrease later in the afternoon. VFR conditions are expected.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 521 PM CST Wed Jan 31 2018/

DISCUSSION...
00Z TAFs.

AVIATION...
Cold front continues to move southeast through the area. At the
moment, it is approaching KOKC and KLAW. Have started TAFs at
these sites with north post-frontal winds. If the front is not
quite through these sites by 00Z, but it should only be a few
minutes after 00Z before the front and northerly winds move in.
Winds will increase in some areas later this evening, and in most
areas mid morning on Thursday. VFR conditions are expected with
only high cirrus clouds expected.

PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 357 PM CST Wed Jan 31 2018/

DISCUSSION...
The cold front that moved across northwestern and west central
Oklahoma this morning has become nearly stationary this
afternoon. Ahead of the front, very warm, dry and breezy
conditions prevail. The front will push more rapidly to the south
by early this evening and this will help with humidity recovery
across southern Oklahoma and north Texas.

Cold surface high pressure over southern Canada/northern Plains
will build southeast into the mid Mississippi Valley through
Friday. This will result in northerly surface winds through early
Friday with near to slightly below average high temperatures.

A shortwave trough will move from the Pacific Northwest on Friday
then across the southern Plains by late Saturday/early Sunday.
Modest moisture return ahead of this feature and weak forcing may
result in a few showers across southeastern Oklahoma late Saturday
into early Sunday.

Models differ on the amount of cooling/timing with a cold front on
Sunday with the ECMWF colder then the GFS. For now, have blended
higher with high temperatures for Sunday and Monday, especially
across the southern half of the forecast area.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Oklahoma City OK  38  52  23  47 /   0   0   0   0
Hobart OK         36  53  23  49 /   0   0   0   0
Wichita Falls TX  40  58  27  52 /   0   0   0   0
Gage OK           30  47  20  48 /   0   0   0   0
Ponca City OK     34  46  17  44 /   0   0   0   0
Durant OK         44  59  31  50 /   0   0   0   0

&&

.OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...None.
TX...None.
&&

09/09/09
Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 31, 10:55 PM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED
National Weather Service Norman OK
1055 PM CST Wed Jan 31 2018

OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-020500-
Harper-Woods-Alfalfa-Grant-Kay-Ellis-Woodward-Major-Garfield-
Noble-Roger Mills-Dewey-Custer-Blaine-Kingfisher-Logan-Payne-
Beckham-Washita-Caddo-Canadian-Oklahoma-Lincoln-Grady-McClain-
Cleveland-Pottawatomie-Seminole-Hughes-Harmon-Greer-Kiowa-Jackson-
Tillman-Comanche-Stephens-Garvin-Murray-Pontotoc-Coal-Cotton-
Jefferson-Carter-Johnston-Atoka-Love-Marshall-Bryan-Hardeman-
Foard-Wilbarger-Wichita-Knox-Baylor-Archer-Clay-
1055 PM CST Wed Jan 31 2018

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of northern...
western...central...and southern Oklahoma...and western
north Texas.

.DAY ONE...Tonight...

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday...

.Fire Weather...
Elevated wildfire concerns may return on Monday across Oklahoma
and north Texas due to dry and breezy conditions.

Get graphics and more details at weather.gov/norman...and follow
our weather forecast office on Twitter and Facebook.

MBS

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Archer

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Archer forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
33.615, -98.688 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Baylor

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Baylor forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
33.617, -99.213 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Clay

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Clay forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
33.786, -98.208 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Foard

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Foard forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
33.975, -99.778 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Hardeman

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Hardeman forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
34.290, -99.746 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Knox

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Knox forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
33.606, -99.741 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Wichita

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Wichita forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
33.988, -98.704 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Wilbarger

When
February 1, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Wilbarger forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
34.081, -99.241 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Texas in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, February 2018

Sources

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: 737212, 737213, 737214, 737215, 737216, 737217, 737218, 737219.