Drought in Texas, September 1 to 30, 2020

Name: Drought in Texas, September 1 to 30, 2020
Start: 2020-09-01T00:00
End: 2020-09-30T23:59
Location: Texas

September 1 to 30, 2020 · NWS AMA · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Where it happened

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.

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: 5

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 AMA wrote it up.

While many places improved in drought conditions leading up to September, a several counties across the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandle continued to experience severe drought (D2) conditions while a small area in the southwest Texas Panhandle remained in extreme drought (D3) status. Only one day of rain occurred in September, however it was enough to keep some areas from degrading with regard to drought status. The most common impacts were limited range land grasses for ranchers and lost crops to farmers. Also, some farmers were not able to start planting winter wheat at the end of the month due to the lack of soil moisture.

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 Amarillo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 31, 5:47 PM CST, 6 hours 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 31, 5:47 PM CST, 6 hours 13 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
647 PM CDT Mon Aug 31 2020

.AVIATION...
A few thunderstorms may try to develop after about 10Z tonight
near AMA. At this point, do not have enough confidence in this
happening to add to the TAF. Thunderstorms may develop in the
central Texas Panhandle again Tuesday afternoon. Again, confidence
in a thunderstorm affecting the AMA TAF site is low, so will not
mention at this time. Skies are expected to remain VFR outside of
thunderstorms and winds are expected to remain around 10 knots or
less, except for DHT which should see a little bit stronger wind
behind a cold front around mid day on Tuesday.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 258 PM CDT Mon Aug 31 2020/

SHORT TERM...Tonight through Tuesday Night...

West to southwest flow aloft will bring in some lingering moisture
overrunning the surface cold front. Isolated showers/storms possible
this evening, but very little instability expected, therefore no
severe weather is anticipated.

Cutoff low expected to eject from the upper level trof and drop over
the Four Corners region tomorrow afternoon.  This in conjunction
with the stalled retreating cold front will put the Panhandles in
the moist sector tomorrow afternoon and evening.  Lee surface low to
set up and provide a dryline interaction.  Warm moist air in the low
levels and decent jet aloft with the right entrance region setup
over head will allow for scattered to widespread severe storms to
develop.  Now, if the surface trof pushes further east quicker than
expected, we could be completely shut down for the majority of the
central and western Panhandles. But for now all hazards are in play
for all the Panhandles, except for the northern OK Panhandle, and
northeast OK/TX Panhandle.  The tornado threats currently very low,
but not a non-zero threat, and it's set for the southern Panhandles,
with Amarillo in play.  A lot could change and we'll continue to look
at our threats and collaborate with SPC for any changes to the
severe outlook for tomorrow.

Weber

LONG TERM...Wednesday through Saturday...

Tuesday through Thursday, models are depicting a shortwave trough
with a cutoff low over NM. This will continue some rain chances
through Wednesday and possibly into Thursday night depending on
the eastward progression of this system. The ECMWF has the slowest
progression of all the solutions. By Thursday morning H5 high
pressure starts to build over CA and NV. The sooner the cutoff low
can leave the FA the sooner this high will build into the area.
The NBM has been giving some chance PoPs into Friday. Have been
leaning towards slight-chance PoPs due to the high uncertainty of
the system. Have thus far, lowered PoPs slightly, but as to still
maintain some continuity with surrounding forecast offices.

There will be a decrease in temperatures on Wednesday from a
frontal passage Tuesday night. Thursday temperatures will be
slightly above normal with highs in the low 90s and upper 80s.
Another cold front will move through Thursday night cooling
Friday's daytime temperatures down to near normal. Depending on
how the rain pans out on Friday, there could be a dry period
Saturday through Sunday then PoPs return on Sunday night with only
a slight chance.

Hoffeditz

&&

.AMA Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
TX...None.
OK...None.

&&

15/77

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 31, 8:53 PM CST, 3 hours 7 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
953 PM CDT Mon Aug 31 2020

OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-317-011500-
Cimarron-Texas-Beaver-Dallam-Sherman-Hansford-Ochiltree-Lipscomb-
Hartley-Moore-Hutchinson-Roberts-Hemphill-Oldham-Potter-Carson-
Gray-Wheeler-Deaf Smith-Randall-Armstrong-Donley-Collingsworth-
Palo Duro Canyon-
953 PM CDT Mon Aug 31 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Texas and Oklahoma
Panhandles.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Thunderstorms are possible across the Panhandles. Thunderstorms
reaching severe criteria is not expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.

Thunderstorms will be possible Tuesday through Saturday across
the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles. Some severe storms may be
possible Tuesday. Heavy rain, large hail, and damaging winds will
be the main threat. An isolated tornado cannot be ruled out
either. Wednesday and beyond the threat for widespread severe
storms is low at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not anticipated at this time.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Armstrong

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Armstrong forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 34.965, -101.357 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The western to southwest one third of the county was in severe drought (D2) through the entire month. There was a small portion of the southwest corner of the county that was in extreme drought (D3) going into the first of the month. This area of D3 quickly improved to D2 with beneficial rains that fell on the first of the month. No other precipitation fell the rest of the month with D3 conditions creeping back into the southwest corner by the end of the month. The county still remained in a 6 -12 rain deficit year to date by the end of the month. Ranchers are still having to sell cattle or buy feed with range land grasses limited to non-existent.

Drought, Collingsworth

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Collingsworth forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 34.965, -100.270 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Collingsworth County started out in with moderate drought (D1) in the west and northern part of the county, while almost half of the county in the east and southeast saw severe drought (D2) conditions. Thunderstorms on September 1st improved some of this area of severe drought but still left a good portion of the southeast corner in D2 status. The county remained in a 6 to 12 inch deficit year to date by the end of the month leaving some ranchers and farmers dealing with agricultural impacts such as shortage of range land grasses for cattle and dry soil conditions for crops.

Drought, Randall County

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Randall County forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 34.966, -101.897 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Randall County was in extreme drought (D3) across the southern two thirds of the county going into September. The northern third was in severe drought conditions (D2). Conditions continued to worsen with less than a tenth of inch of rain on September 1st and no rain occurred for the rest of the month. By the end of September, a small sliver of the county in the far southwest degraded into exceptional drought (D4). Conditions were so bad in September that farmers could not begin to plant winter wheat and were waiting for some soil moisture to return before planting could begin. Soil moisture was rated very poor to poor through the month of September. Some wells around canyon were reportedly going dry. Lake Tanglewood was reported to be at it's lowest level since the 2011-2012 drought and some boat lifts and piers were no longer usable. Ranchers are still having to sell cattle or buy feed with range land grasses non-existent. The county remained in a 6-12 rain deficit year to date by the end of the month.

Drought, Deaf Smith

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Deaf Smith forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 34.966, -102.605 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Deaf Smith County was in extreme drought (D3) across the southern half of the county going into September. The northern half was in severe drought conditions (D2). Conditions continued to worsen with less than a tenth of inch of rain on September 1st and nothing the rest of the month. By the end of the month about a third of the county in the south degraded into exceptional drought (D4). Conditions were so bad that farmers could not begin to plant winter wheat until soil moisture returned. Soil moisture was rated very poor to poor through the month of September. Ranchers are still having to sell cattle or buy feed with range land grasses almost non-existent. The county remained in a 6-12 rainfall deficit year to date by the end of the month.

Drought, Gray

When: September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Gray forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 35.401, -100.813 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Gray County started the month of September with a majority of the county in severe drought (D2). The exception to this was the far west and far southern part of the county that was only in moderate drought (D1). Gray County received a quarter to three quarters of an inch of rain on September 1st. This was only enough moisture to keep the county from degrading through the month as there was no other rainfall for the month. Condition were so bad that farmers could not begin to plant winter wheat until soil moisture returned. Soil moisture was rated poor to fair through the month of September. Ranchers are still having to sell cattle or buy feed with range land grasses limited. The county remained in a 6-12 year to date rainfall deficit by the end of the month.

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

Every storm in Texas in 2020 Every state in 2020 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, September 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: 922932, 922933, 922934, 922935, 922936.