Texas, 2020

Drought in Texas, July 1 to 31, 2020

July 1 to 31, 2020 · NWS EWX · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Nearly all of South Central Texas had less than 50% of normal precipitation in July. Some parts of Uvalde, Kinney, Zavala, and Maverick Counties had less than 10% of normal.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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 EWX wrote it up.

Nearly all of South Central Texas had less than 50% of normal precipitation in July. Some parts of Uvalde, Kinney, Zavala, and Maverick Counties had less than 10% of normal. The lack of rain put Edwards, Kinney, Uvalde, Val Verde, and Zavala Counties into Severe (D2) drought along with Dimmit and Maverick Counties. All of these counties had outdoor burn bans in effect. Public water supply systems in Uvalde, Zavala, Dimmit, and Val Verde Counties had water restrictions in place. Lake Amistad was 47.1 feet below conservation pool elevation.

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 Austin/San Antonio, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 30, 11:34 PM CST, 26 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 30, 11:34 PM CST, 26 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX
1234 AM CDT Wed Jul 1 2020

.AVIATION...
For the 01/06Z TAFs, a rather typical summer flight category pattern
is expected. MVFR CIGs have already moved over the I-35 sites and
will spread to KDRT by morning. CIGs then lift and mix to SCT VFR
level around midday at all sites. MVFR CIGs return Wednesday night.
ISOLD SHRA/TSRA are expected late afternoon into evening west of a
KECU to K5T9 line. Later forecasts will determine any impacts to
KDRT. S to SE winds 7 to 15 KTs increase to 12 to 18 KTs with a few
gusts to 25 KTs on Wednesday.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 232 PM CDT Tue Jun 30 2020/

SHORT TERM (Tonight through Wednesday Night)...

Hot, humid, and breezy this afternoon with temperatures ranging from
the upper 80s to mid 90s this early afternoon. Max heat index values
this afternoon will range between roughly 102 to 106 for most
locations. A few locations across the Coastal Plains may reach 107-
109 degree heat index values for an hour or two this afternoon. Much
like yesterday, a few storms have formed off the del Burros, with
convection expected to develop northward across the Trans Pecos
later this afternoon off the dryline, and western Val Verde County
could be impacted again by a (potentially severe) thunderstorm.
Convection should come to an end with the loss of daytime heating.
Another warm and humid evening and overnight period is in store with
a stratus cloud deck developing by early Wednesday morning.

Wednesday is expected to be a few degrees warmer than today as the
mid level ridge strengthens over the region. With elevated humidity
still in place, heat index values may flirt with heat advisory
criteria, ranging from 103 to 108 for most locations. As of now,
confidence is not quite high enough that 108+ heat index values will
be widespread enough or be present for more than an hour or so to
justify the issuance of a heat advisory. However, we will continue
to reassess over the next 18 hours or so to determine if a heat
advisory will indeed be required. There will be a 20 percent chance
for some showers and thunderstorms tomorrow evening toward the Del
Rio area.

Wash, rise, repeat for Wednesday night with warm and humid
conditions and a stratus cloud deck developing early Thursday
morning.

LONG TERM (Thursday through Tuesday)...

Continued domination of the subtropical ridge will allow the summer
weather to remain benign the rest of this week into the weekend. In
general, highs Thursday through the weekend should be in the 94 to
104 degree range, with enough daytime mixing to keep heat indices
from becoming too oppressive. A few of the days may even feature the
dryline pushing into the Hill Country and keeping conditions more
comfortable for northwestern portions of our area.

Precipitation chances look nil until Saturday, when a few
showers/storms may be possible along our eastern border counties.
This would be in association with a convectively enhanced feature
currently over the central CONUS that is expected to slowly drift
towards the gulf coast by the weekend and deepen. Most of the
forcing associated with this should remain outside our region but
there is perhaps higher than average uncertainty in timing and
location for these types of features.

Slightly better chances for precipitation may come Monday or
Tuesday, however there's no clear signal in terms of forcing for
ascent so time will tell. At this time, have only included any POPs
along and east of I-35. Temperatures should be a couple degrees
cooler for the early part of next week.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Austin Camp Mabry              76  98  73  98  74 /   0   0   0   0   0
Austin Bergstrom Intl Airport  76  98  72  98  73 /   0   0   0   0   0
New Braunfels Muni Airport     76  98  71  98  72 /   0   0   0   0   0
Burnet Muni Airport            74  97  71  98  73 /  -   -    0   0   0
Del Rio Intl Airport           79 101  76 102  77 /  20  -   -    0   0
Georgetown Muni Airport        76  99  72 100  74 /   0   0   0   0   0
Hondo Muni Airport             76 100  71 100  72 /  -    0   0   0   0
San Marcos Muni Airport        75  98  71  98  72 /   0   0   0   0   0
La Grange - Fayette Regional   76  98  73  98  74 /   0   0   0   0   0
San Antonio Intl Airport       76  98  73  98  74 /  -    0   0   0   0
Stinson Muni Airport           77  98  74  98  74 /  -    0   0   0   0

&&

.EWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.
&&

Short-Term/Aviation...04
Long-Term...17

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Dimmit

When
July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Dimmit forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
28.423, -99.757 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Nearly all of South Central Texas had less than 50% of normal precipitation in July. Some parts of Uvalde, Kinney, Zavala, and Maverick Counties had less than 10% of normal. The lack of rain put Edwards, Kinney, Uvalde, Val Verde, and Zavala Counties into Severe (D2) drought along with Dimmit and Maverick Counties. All of these counties had outdoor burn bans in effect. Public water supply systems in Uvalde, Zavala, Dimmit, and Val Verde Counties had water restrictions in place. Lake Amistad was 47.1 feet below conservation pool elevation.

Drought, Edwards

When
July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Edwards forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
29.983, -100.305 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Nearly all of South Central Texas had less than 50% of normal precipitation in July. Some parts of Uvalde, Kinney, Zavala, and Maverick Counties had less than 10% of normal. The lack of rain put Edwards, Kinney, Uvalde, Val Verde, and Zavala Counties into Severe (D2) drought along with Dimmit and Maverick Counties. All of these counties had outdoor burn bans in effect. Public water supply systems in Uvalde, Zavala, Dimmit, and Val Verde Counties had water restrictions in place. Lake Amistad was 47.1 feet below conservation pool elevation.

Drought, Kinney

When
July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Kinney forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
29.350, -100.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Nearly all of South Central Texas had less than 50% of normal precipitation in July. Some parts of Uvalde, Kinney, Zavala, and Maverick Counties had less than 10% of normal. The lack of rain put Edwards, Kinney, Uvalde, Val Verde, and Zavala Counties into Severe (D2) drought along with Dimmit and Maverick Counties. All of these counties had outdoor burn bans in effect. Public water supply systems in Uvalde, Zavala, Dimmit, and Val Verde Counties had water restrictions in place. Lake Amistad was 47.1 feet below conservation pool elevation.

Drought, Maverick

When
July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Maverick forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
28.743, -100.314 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Nearly all of South Central Texas had less than 50% of normal precipitation in July. Some parts of Uvalde, Kinney, Zavala, and Maverick Counties had less than 10% of normal. The lack of rain put Edwards, Kinney, Uvalde, Val Verde, and Zavala Counties into Severe (D2) drought along with Dimmit and Maverick Counties. All of these counties had outdoor burn bans in effect. Public water supply systems in Uvalde, Zavala, Dimmit, and Val Verde Counties had water restrictions in place. Lake Amistad was 47.1 feet below conservation pool elevation.

Drought, Uvalde

When
July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Uvalde forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
29.357, -99.762 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Nearly all of South Central Texas had less than 50% of normal precipitation in July. Some parts of Uvalde, Kinney, Zavala, and Maverick Counties had less than 10% of normal. The lack of rain put Edwards, Kinney, Uvalde, Val Verde, and Zavala Counties into Severe (D2) drought along with Dimmit and Maverick Counties. All of these counties had outdoor burn bans in effect. Public water supply systems in Uvalde, Zavala, Dimmit, and Val Verde Counties had water restrictions in place. Lake Amistad was 47.1 feet below conservation pool elevation.

Drought, Val Verde

When
July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Val Verde forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
29.893, -101.152 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Nearly all of South Central Texas had less than 50% of normal precipitation in July. Some parts of Uvalde, Kinney, Zavala, and Maverick Counties had less than 10% of normal. The lack of rain put Edwards, Kinney, Uvalde, Val Verde, and Zavala Counties into Severe (D2) drought along with Dimmit and Maverick Counties. All of these counties had outdoor burn bans in effect. Public water supply systems in Uvalde, Zavala, Dimmit, and Val Verde Counties had water restrictions in place. Lake Amistad was 47.1 feet below conservation pool elevation.

Drought, Zavala

When
July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Zavala forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
28.866, -99.761 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Nearly all of South Central Texas had less than 50% of normal precipitation in July. Some parts of Uvalde, Kinney, Zavala, and Maverick Counties had less than 10% of normal. The lack of rain put Edwards, Kinney, Uvalde, Val Verde, and Zavala Counties into Severe (D2) drought along with Dimmit and Maverick Counties. All of these counties had outdoor burn bans in effect. Public water supply systems in Uvalde, Zavala, Dimmit, and Val Verde Counties had water restrictions in place. Lake Amistad was 47.1 feet below conservation pool elevation.

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 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, July 2020

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: 910203, 910204, 910205, 910206, 910207, 910208, 910209.