Texas, 2020

Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 2020

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

5 in. of rain in October which is 5% or less 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.

Most of South Central Texas received less than 0.5 in. of rain in October which is 5% or less of normal. The drought worsened across the region with Medina County going from Moderate (D1) Drought to Extreme (D3) Drought, Uvalde and Zavala Counties from Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3), and Bandera, Dimmit, Frio, and Maverick Counties to Severe (D2). Uvalde had Stage 1 water restrictions in effect. The Edwards Aquifer was 7.9 feet below normal. Medina Lake was 29.5 feet below Conservation Pool level. All of the counties in D2 or worse drought had outdoor burn bans in effect except Uvalde.

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, Bandera

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Bandera forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
29.747, -99.246 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Most of South Central Texas received less than 0.5 in. of rain in October which is 5% or less of normal. The drought worsened across the region with Medina County going from Moderate (D1) Drought to Extreme (D3) Drought, Uvalde and Zavala Counties from Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3), and Bandera, Dimmit, Frio, and Maverick Counties to Severe (D2). Uvalde had Stage 1 water restrictions in effect. The Edwards Aquifer was 7.9 feet below normal. Medina Lake was 29.5 feet below Conservation Pool level. All of the counties in D2 or worse drought had outdoor burn bans in effect except Uvalde.

Drought, Dimmit

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 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)

Most of South Central Texas received less than 0.5 in. of rain in October which is 5% or less of normal. The drought worsened across the region with Medina County going from Moderate (D1) Drought to Extreme (D3) Drought, Uvalde and Zavala Counties from Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3), and Bandera, Dimmit, Frio, and Maverick Counties to Severe (D2). Uvalde had Stage 1 water restrictions in effect. The Edwards Aquifer was 7.9 feet below normal. Medina Lake was 29.5 feet below Conservation Pool level. All of the counties in D2 or worse drought had outdoor burn bans in effect except Uvalde.

Drought, Frio

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Frio forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
28.868, -99.108 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Most of South Central Texas received less than 0.5 in. of rain in October which is 5% or less of normal. The drought worsened across the region with Medina County going from Moderate (D1) Drought to Extreme (D3) Drought, Uvalde and Zavala Counties from Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3), and Bandera, Dimmit, Frio, and Maverick Counties to Severe (D2). Uvalde had Stage 1 water restrictions in effect. The Edwards Aquifer was 7.9 feet below normal. Medina Lake was 29.5 feet below Conservation Pool level. All of the counties in D2 or worse drought had outdoor burn bans in effect except Uvalde.

Drought, Maverick

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 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)

Most of South Central Texas received less than 0.5 in. of rain in October which is 5% or less of normal. The drought worsened across the region with Medina County going from Moderate (D1) Drought to Extreme (D3) Drought, Uvalde and Zavala Counties from Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3), and Bandera, Dimmit, Frio, and Maverick Counties to Severe (D2). Uvalde had Stage 1 water restrictions in effect. The Edwards Aquifer was 7.9 feet below normal. Medina Lake was 29.5 feet below Conservation Pool level. All of the counties in D2 or worse drought had outdoor burn bans in effect except Uvalde.

Drought, Medina

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Medina forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
29.356, -99.110 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Most of South Central Texas received less than 0.5 in. of rain in October which is 5% or less of normal. The drought worsened across the region with Medina County going from Moderate (D1) Drought to Extreme (D3) Drought, Uvalde and Zavala Counties from Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3), and Bandera, Dimmit, Frio, and Maverick Counties to Severe (D2). Uvalde had Stage 1 water restrictions in effect. The Edwards Aquifer was 7.9 feet below normal. Medina Lake was 29.5 feet below Conservation Pool level. All of the counties in D2 or worse drought had outdoor burn bans in effect except Uvalde.

Drought, Uvalde

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 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)

Most of South Central Texas received less than 0.5 in. of rain in October which is 5% or less of normal. The drought worsened across the region with Medina County going from Moderate (D1) Drought to Extreme (D3) Drought, Uvalde and Zavala Counties from Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3), and Bandera, Dimmit, Frio, and Maverick Counties to Severe (D2). Uvalde had Stage 1 water restrictions in effect. The Edwards Aquifer was 7.9 feet below normal. Medina Lake was 29.5 feet below Conservation Pool level. All of the counties in D2 or worse drought had outdoor burn bans in effect except Uvalde.

Drought, Zavala

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 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)

Most of South Central Texas received less than 0.5 in. of rain in October which is 5% or less of normal. The drought worsened across the region with Medina County going from Moderate (D1) Drought to Extreme (D3) Drought, Uvalde and Zavala Counties from Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3), and Bandera, Dimmit, Frio, and Maverick Counties to Severe (D2). Uvalde had Stage 1 water restrictions in effect. The Edwards Aquifer was 7.9 feet below normal. Medina Lake was 29.5 feet below Conservation Pool level. All of the counties in D2 or worse drought had outdoor burn bans in effect except Uvalde.

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, October 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: 921783, 921784, 921785, 921786, 921787, 921788, 921790.