Severe drought conditions developed over parts of Central Texas by the first of February. Some of these locations missed out on beneficial rains which occurred across much of the region, allowing severe drought conditions to linger through the end of the month.
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 FWD wrote it up.
Severe drought conditions developed over parts of Central Texas by the first of February. Some of these locations missed out on beneficial rains which occurred across much of the region, allowing severe drought conditions to linger through the end of the month.
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 Jan 31, 11:50 PM CST, 10 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 1150 PM CST Wed Jan 31 2018 .AVIATION... Concerns...Timing of wind shift with cold front. Possible low end MVFR/high-end IFR ceilings at Waco 11-14z. A cold front that extended near a KFSM-KSPS-KTCC line at 01/05z will continue to move southeast and should reach the Metroplex TAF sites 13-15z and through KACT 17-18z. South winds around 15 knots will become southwesterly just ahead of the front and then shift to the northwest and north with frontal passage. Some stratus is expected to develop over South Texas overnight and should spread northeast possibly affecting KACT during the 10-15z period. Thus have included a TEMPO BKN015 for that time period. 58 && .DISCUSSION... /Issued 314 PM CST Wed Jan 31 2018/ It has been a warm and breezy day, but winds will diminish this evening and temperatures will be a little cooler tomorrow behind a cold front that sweeps through most of the area during the morning hours. Behind the front, winds will become northerly and highs will only reach the lower 60s along the Red River to the lower 70s in the southern zones. The good news is that the front will bring higher dewpoints so no critical fire weather conditions are expected with relative humidity 10% to 15% higher than today's readings. The front may squeeze out a few sprinkles over the eastern zones in the afternoon hours, but moisture will be too limited and trapped below a stout inversion for any appreciable rainfall. Cold advection will continue into the nighttime hours Thursday night as a surface high builds into the Midwest. Lows will drop below freezing in the northwestern zones but only reach the mid 40s across the south. Highs on Friday will be in the low to mid 50s, but sunshine will give way to more cloud cover by the late afternoon. Low level winds will become southerly and moisture will surge northward with cloudy skies expected Friday night and into Saturday. Highs Saturday will range from the upper 40s over the northeast zones where low clouds and possibly drizzle may occur all day, but warm advection and afternoon sunshine over the western zones means temperatures could reach near 70 degrees there. Despite a significant reservoir of arctic air across Canada, the upper level pattern will deflect this cold air and keep it well to our northeast. We will however experience periodic and frequent cold fronts as shortwave energy ripples through the region in the northwesterly flow aloft. The first of these ripples will bring a low chance of light rain showers Saturday night and Sunday to areas east of I-35. A cold front will succeed this shortwave by Sunday with northerly winds and clearing skies. Temperatures on Sunday will be warmer than Saturday for most areas due to the increased sunshine and very limited cold advection. Cold advection may increase by Sunday night per the ECMWF, but regardless, winds are expected to turn around to the south during the day on Monday ahead of the next shortwave. This system will result in another low chance of light rain showers Tuesday and Tuesday night east of I-35 along the next cold front. Again, temperatures behind the Tuesday front will just dip a few degrees for Wednesday. The northwesterly flow aloft will prevail next week and into the following weekend. This is certainly a dry pattern, but the one sliver of good news is that it's not a pattern that leads to excessively low humidity and windy days like a progressive zonal pattern can. Thus critical fire weather conditions (i.e. Red Flag Warnings) are not anticipated next week. TR.92 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Dallas-Ft. Worth 48 65 37 53 44 / 0 0 0 0 5 Waco 49 71 41 54 45 / 0 5 0 5 10 Paris 48 63 34 50 37 / 0 10 0 0 5 Denton 45 63 34 53 42 / 0 0 0 0 5 McKinney 47 64 35 52 41 / 0 0 0 0 5 Dallas 49 66 38 54 43 / 0 0 0 0 5 Terrell 49 66 37 53 42 / 0 5 0 0 5 Corsicana 51 68 40 53 45 / 0 5 5 5 10 Temple 50 72 42 54 46 / 0 5 0 5 20 Mineral Wells 43 63 33 53 42 / 0 0 0 0 5 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && 58
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 652 PM CST Wed Jan 31 2018 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-011200- 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- 652 PM CST Wed Jan 31 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for North and Central Texas. .DAY ONE...Tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. Elevated fire weather concerns will continue Thursday behind a cold front, but conditions will not be as significant as they are today. Areas generally north of I-20 and west of I-35W will see both gusty north winds and low humidity values. Remain cautious with any activities that may result in new fire starts. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe (D2) drought conditions were ongoing at the beginning of February and continued through the end of the month.
Severe (D2) drought conditions were ongoing at the beginning of February and continued through the end of the month.
Severe (D2) drought conditions were ongoing at the beginning of February and continued through the end of the month.
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, February 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: 742479, 742480, 742481.