Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 2021

Name: Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 2021
Start: 2021-12-01T00:00
End: 2021-12-31T23:59
Location: Texas

December 1 to 31, 2021 · NWS AMA · 17 events in 17 counties and zones

December was an extremely dry month for the combined Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles. Absolutely no precipitation occurred and this contributed to worsening soil conditions.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 17 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: 17

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.

December was an extremely dry month for the combined Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles. Absolutely no precipitation occurred and this contributed to worsening soil conditions. Soil across the area went from dry to very dry. Cattle and livestock needed supplemental feeding with range land grasses being non-existent. Winter wheat was suffering in dry lands. There were even reports of the dry soils leading to wheat fields being lost to high wind events. Also, multiple wildfires occurred during high wind events during the month with fuels being extremely dry.

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 Nov 30, 10:39 PM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 30, 10:39 PM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
1039 PM CST Tue Nov 30 2021

.AVIATION...06Z TAFS...
VFR conditions will prevail at all TAF sites over the next 24
hours, with mostly clear skies and fairly light winds. Overall the
wind directions may vary, but should remain north to northwesterly
for the majority of the TAF period.

Weber

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 203 PM CST Tue Nov 30 2021/

SHORT TERM...Tonight through Wednesday Night...

Dry northwesterly upper flow across the Panhandles tonight through
Wednesday evening. The upper flow transitions to more zonal late
Wednesday night or by 12Z Thursday. No precipitation is expected
through Wednesday night.

Surface high building down into the Panhandles tonight into
Wednesday before moving off to the east by late Wednesday. Lee
surface low and associated trough will develop Wednesday across
eastern New Mexico and eastern Colorado. Warmer downsloping
southwesterly winds are expected across the forecast area
Wednesday night.

Schneider

LONG TERM...Thursday through Monday...

Pattern aloft will remain quiet for the remainder of the week and
into the weekend with zonal flow over the northern CONUS and weak
lows pushing across the southwest CONUS before becoming absorbed
into the flow to the north. Good warm air advection near the
surface is expected Thursday with troughing across eastern New
Mexico and 850-mb temperatures ranging as high as 18-20 deg C.
Potential record breaking high temperatures are possible with
warming into the upper 70s. Amarillo's record high is 78 (set back
in 2021) with a current forecast of 77, Dalhart's record is 78
(set back in 1995) with a current forecast of 73, and Borger's
record is 76 (set back in 1995) with a current forecast of 79.

A relative weak front will pass through Friday turning winds to
the north with some breezy conditions and cooler temperatures back
into the 60s across the much of the Panhandles. Lingering north
winds on Saturday, along with a lingering cooler air mass will
keep temperatures from warming out of the 50s.

The flow aloft will begin to change Sunday with a weak wave
present in the flow across the northern CONUS that will bring
another front through the Panhandles Sunday, keeping temperatures
in the 60s. With this system coming out of the Pacific Northwest,
any moisture will likely remain way north of the forecast area.
Meanwhile, a cutoff low will sit across Baja Cali and help to feed
moisture to our south across southern and southeast Texas.

Temperatures attempt to rebound into the 70s early next week ahead
of the next system that is likely to bring yet another front by
mid-week. Lots of uncertainty remains with this next system, but
some deterministic models and ensemble members are leaning
towards a chance for precipitation across the Panhandles.

Rutt

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Amarillo TX                36  72  38  77  44 /   0   0   0   0   0
Beaver OK                  31  71  34  78  36 /   0   0   0   0   0
Boise City OK              32  70  34  75  35 /   0   0   0   0   0
Borger TX                  34  73  37  80  43 /   0   0   0   0   0
Boys Ranch TX              31  72  32  78  38 /   0   0   0   0   0
Canyon TX                  32  73  35  77  43 /   0   0   0   0   0
Clarendon TX               40  74  41  77  47 /   0   0   0   0   0
Dalhart TX                 28  70  29  72  31 /   0   0   0   0   0
Guymon OK                  31  71  34  77  35 /   0   0   0   0   0
Hereford TX                32  73  34  77  42 /   0   0   0   0   0
Lipscomb TX                32  72  36  78  40 /   0   0   0   0   0
Pampa TX                   35  71  40  77  45 /   0   0   0   0   0
Shamrock TX                37  74  39  79  44 /   0   0   0   0   0
Wellington TX              35  75  38  78  44 /   0   0   0   0   0

&&

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

&&

89

Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 30, 6:52 PM CST, 5 hours 8 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED
National Weather Service Amarillo TX
652 PM CST Tue Nov 30 2021

OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-317-011300-
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-
652 PM CST Tue Nov 30 2021

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

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday.

No hazardous weather is expected 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

17 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Dallam

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where: Dallam forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 36.278, -102.602 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Conditions continued worsen with absolutely no precipitation falling during the month of December. With the entire county starting in severe drought (D2), extreme drought (D3) developed quickly starting with the far northern and western portions of the county by mid-December. By the end of December all but a small portion of the far southwest corner was in extreme drought. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought, Sherman

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Sherman forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 36.278, -101.893 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Not a drop of water fell from the sky during the month of December. With most of the county in severe drought (D2) to begin with, extreme drought conditions (D3) took over the entire county by the end of the third week. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought, Hansford

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hansford forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 36.278, -101.354 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

December ended with no precipitation falling from the sky. Severe drought (D2) conditions were already in place at the beginning of the month. By the third week of December extreme drought (D3) conditions that were present to the northwest were now present in almost entirely in Hansford County. A few small areas in the southern two corners were not classified in D3 until after week 4. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought, Hartley

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hartley forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 35.840, -102.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hartley County was already in severe drought (D2) going into December. Nothing really changed until the end of the month when the lack of precipitation forced conditions in the northeastern third of the county into extreme drought (D3). Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought, Moore

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Moore forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 35.838, -101.893 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Moore County was already in severe drought (D2) going into December. Nothing really changed until the end of the month when the lack of precipitation forced conditions in the northeastern third of the county into extreme drought (D3). The extremely dry conditions contributed to a wildfire that consumed 3607 acres on December 10th. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought, Hutchinson

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hutchinson forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 35.840, -101.355 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The vast majority of Hutchinson County was already in severe drought (D2) conditions going into December. Zero precipitation during the month of December made conditions worse with the entire county falling into extreme drought (D3) by the end of the month. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought, Roberts

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Roberts forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 35.839, -100.813 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Almost three fourths of Roberts county was in severe drought (D2) going into the month of December. Due to the lack of precipitation during the month conditions worsened to extreme drought (D3) for almost the entire county at the end of the month. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought, Hemphill

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Hemphill forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 35.838, -100.270 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hemphill County started out with the southwest in severe drought (D2) conditions. Zero precipitation fell during the month worsening the drought. By the end of the month the southwest two thirds had fallen into extreme drought (D3) conditions while the other third slipped into severe drought. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought, Oldham

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Oldham forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 35.405, -102.603 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Oldham County started the month of December with severe drought (D2) conditions across the entire county. Soils continued to dry out through the month, especially in the far eastern portion of the county where extreme drought (D3) conditions were classified by the end of the month. During the month the county did have a wildfire that was caused by powerlines being knocked down by hihg winds and catching the dry vegetation on fire. This fire consumed approximately 700 acres. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought, Potter

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Potter forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 35.401, -101.894 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Potter County started the month of December in severe drought (D2). Zero precipitation fell in December leading to conditions falling into extreme drought (D3) classification after the last week. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought, Carson

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Carson forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 35.404, -101.354 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Carson County started the month in severe drought (D2) conditions across almost the entire county. Zero precipitation fell during the month with the majority of the county ending up extreme drought (D3) by months end. The exception being a small area in the far south remaining in severe drought at the end of the month. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date. It is noted a farmer lost all their wheat crop to a wind storm mid month as the soil was too dry to hold the wheat.

Drought, Gray

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 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 December in severe drought (D2) across the entire county. Zero precipitation fell during the month leading to the worsening of drought. By the middle of the month the entire county slipped into extreme drought (D3) where it stayed through months end. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought, Wheeler

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Wheeler forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 35.401, -100.270 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wheeler County started out in severe drought conditions for the month of December. With the exception of the far northeast corner where conditions were only classified as moderate drought (D1) to begin with. Dry conditions continued and by the third week the entire county was at least in severe drougth with the far western third of the county slipping into extreme drought (D3). By the end of the month the entire county had slipped into extreme drought. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought, Deaf Smith

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 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 started the month of December in severe drought (D2) conditions across the entire county. Zero precipitation fell during the month leading to worsening conditions, especially in the eastern third to half of the county the was classified in extreme drought (D3) by months end. The extremely dry conditions contributed to a wild fire that burned approximately 400 acres. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought, Randall County

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 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 started the month of December in severe drought (D2) with the exception of the far southeast corner where moderate drought (D1) existed. Zero precipitation fell during the month leading to severe drought in the southeast third to half of the county with the rest of the county in the west to northwest slipping into extreme drought (D3) conditions. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought, Collingsworth

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 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 the month of December in severe drought (D2) conditions throughout the entire county. Zero precipitation fell during the month leading to the northeast third to half of the county slipping into extreme drought (D3) conditions. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought, Donley

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Donley forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 34.965, -100.814 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Donley County started the month of December with severe drought (D2) conditions in the northeast half of the county. Zero precipitation fell during the month leading to the entire county slipping into severe drought, with the far northeast corner seeing extreme drought (D3) by months end. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

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 2021 Every state in 2021 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, December 2021

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: 995724, 995725, 995726, 995727, 995728, 995729, 995730, 995731, 995732, 995733, 995734, 995735, 995736, 995737, 995738, 995739, 995740.