Severe drought conditions across Central Texas expanded north as the month progressed.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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 across Central Texas expanded north as the month progressed.
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 Dec 14, 6:36 PM CST, 5 hours 24 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 636 PM CST Mon Dec 14 2020 ...New Short Term, Aviation... .SHORT TERM... /NEW/ /Through Tuesday Evening/ North and Central Texas remains mostly clear this evening, but GOES-16 satellite imagery shows our next upper level system approaching from the west. Low clouds are expected to develop across Central Texas after midnight and spread toward North Texas as low level southerly winds increase in response to the approaching system and attendant surface low. Patchy drizzle may also develop across portions of Central Texas due to the influx of moisture. There remains a low potential for patchy freezing drizzle across portions of the Big Country as temperatures briefly approach freezing close to daybreak. Low temperatures across this area are expected to be near 31-32 degrees, which will help limit any impacts to mostly elevated surfaces should freezing drizzle develop. As the upper low and surface low approach Tuesday morning, strong height falls spreading over North Texas may result in light rain developing along the Red River. This should spread further across North and East Texas through the day, with patchy drizzle possible elsewhere. Although the layer of moisture remains low (forecast soundings indicate dry air above 850mb), there remains a low potential for a rain-snow mix along the Red River Tuesday afternoon and evening as the top of the layer may be high and cold enough to support ice nucleation. For areas further south, including the DFW Metroplex, dry air above 850mb and surface temperatures above freezing should keep the precipitation type as a cold rain. We'll continue to monitor trends overnight. Temperatures will remain cold across North Texas, mostly in the upper 30s to mid 40s, due to widespread cloud cover. However, areas south of I-20 and west of I-35, temperatures will warm into the 50s as skies clear Tuesday afternoon. Otherwise, expect breezy west to northwest winds as a cold front moves across the region late Tuesday afternoon and evening. Garcia && .LONG TERM... /Issued 231 PM CST Mon Dec 14 2020/ /Wednesday and Beyond/ A cold and cloudy Wednesday morning will give way to clearing skies by afternoon as the upper low opens up and accelerates off to the east. Winds will slacken by afternoon as the axis of a surface ridge slides in from the west. Though the sun will make its presence known during the second half of the day, it should still remain chilly with highs generally in the 40s. Light winds, clear skies and dry air will create ideal radiative cooling conditions for Wednesday night with widespread temperatures in the 20s expected by daybreak Thursday. Make sure to bring in the pets and sensitive plants and cover any exposed pipes. Temperatures will begin to recover on Thursday ahead of the next shortwave trough, as associated lee-side troughing generates return flow at the surface. The warmest conditions will be across the southwest third of the region where highs should reach the lower 60s. The onset of warm air advection will be later in the period the farther east you go, with highs limited to the lower and middle 50s across the northeastern zones. The approaching shortwave is progged to undergo a weakening trend and become positively tilted as it crosses the Rockies on Friday, with this trend continuing as in rolls through the Plains Friday night and Saturday. A swath of light warm/moist advection showers should develop over Southeast Texas Friday evening and stream northward into eastern portions of North and Central Texas after midnight Friday night. The upper level system will be accompanied by a Pacific cold front, which will sweep through the area late Friday night and Saturday. The front may enhance the showers across the east Saturday morning before clearing the southeastern- most counties by early afternoon. Instability will be all but non-existent according to the latest round of model guidance, and will hence keep the weather type as strictly rain showers. Similarly, QPF is expected to remain light, with rainfall totals likely remaining below a quarter of an inch. Dry and seasonable weather is expected for the rest of the weekend in the wake of the system, with temperatures ranging from lows in the 30s and 40s to highs in the 50s and 60s. It currently appears that this trend will continue through the end of the forecast period as upper ridging builds in from the west, leading to dry conditions and slightly above-normal temperatures for early next week. 30 && .AVIATION... /NEW/ /00Z TAFs/ VFR will prevail through around 6-8Z across the region, but poor flying conditions will prevail for the remainder of the forecast period. Low level southerly flow will aid in transporting moisture northward and result in MVFR/IFR ceilings at Waco by 6-7Z and the Metroplex terminals by 7-8Z. VFR will likely return at Waco by Tuesday afternoon, but the Metroplex should remain IFR through Tuesday evening. Ceilings should improve to MVFR after 00Z Wednesday across the Metroplex, but there is also a low possibility that the terminals remain IFR beyond the 24-hour window. Garcia && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Dallas-Ft. Worth 35 46 34 47 30 / 5 20 20 0 0 Waco 34 52 34 49 29 / 0 10 10 0 0 Paris 31 38 32 43 27 / 0 50 20 0 0 Denton 32 44 28 47 25 / 5 30 20 0 0 McKinney 32 43 31 46 27 / 0 40 20 0 0 Dallas 36 46 34 47 31 / 5 20 10 0 0 Terrell 32 44 33 46 26 / 0 30 10 0 0 Corsicana 36 48 36 47 31 / 0 10 10 0 0 Temple 35 55 32 52 27 / 0 5 5 0 0 Mineral Wells 32 49 30 49 27 / 0 10 5 0 0 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 243 PM CST Mon Dec 14 2020 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-151200- 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- 243 PM CST Mon Dec 14 2020 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...Tuesday through Sunday. A brief mix of rain and snow is possible along the Red River Tuesday, but no accumulations or impacts are expected. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. Bain
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe drought conditions developed in southwest Eastland County and lasted through the end of the month.
Severe drought conditions developed in southwest Comanche County and lasted through the end of the month.
Severe drought conditions developed in western Hamilton County and lasted through the end of the month.
Severe drought conditions developed across eastern Coryell County and lasted through the end of the month.
Severe drought conditions developed across western McLennan County and lasted through the end of the month.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, December 2020
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: 928667, 928669, 928670, 928672, 928673.