Below normal rainfall occurred over the Brush Country during the month with very little rainfall over the western portion of the Brush Country. Severe to extreme drought continued Webb County and expanded into southwestern Duval County.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 CRP wrote it up.
Below normal rainfall occurred over the Brush Country during the month with very little rainfall over the western portion of the Brush Country. Severe to extreme drought continued Webb County and expanded into southwestern Duval County. Severe drought persisted over western La Salle County during the month. Severe drought over portions of the Coastal Bend improved early in the month.
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 Corpus Christi, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 31, 10:48 PM CST, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX
1048 PM CST Thu Dec 31 2020
.DISCUSSION...
Extended the SCA for the bays until 09z Friday, based on
expectation of continued mixing of 20-25 knot wind from aloft
(NAM deterministic output.) Anticipate frequent gusts to gale
force over the coastal waters (persistent vertical mixing of
25-35kt wind from aloft overnight per the NAM) and thus will
maintain the Gale Warning there. Note Aviation Discussion below
corresponding to the 06z TAFs.
&&
.AVIATION...
VFR conditions expected during the TAF period. NW/W wind will
gradually decrease overnight to weak/moderate, then persist at
this range through the remainder of the TAF period.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 642 PM CST Thu Dec 31 2020/
DISCUSSION...
Based on recent/expected wind, allowed the Wind Advisory over the
CWA, and the Gale Warning over the bays, to expire. Now an SCA
over the bays. Will retain the Gale Warning for the coastal waters
and monitor for possible downward adjustment. Note the Aviation
Discussion for the 00z TAFs.
AVIATION...
Expect predominate VFR conditions areawide later tonight through
the remainder of the TAF period. Breezy/windy W/NW wind early
tonight, will gradually decrease overnight/Friday.
PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 315 PM CST Thu Dec 31 2020/
SHORT TERM (Tonight through Friday Night)...
Impressive mid-level cyclone will continue to deepen as it lifts
northeast from the Edwards Plateau before reaching the DFW area
tonight. Dry slotting is finally maturing south of this upper low
which will help scour out our remaining clouds in the coming hours,
yet conditions will remain blustery through the night until the
westerly gradient flow slackens closer to daybreak. Although wind
speeds and gusts have been marginal as of late, will keep the Wind
Advisory intact until 6 PM as a little deeper mixing with clearing
skies is expected until sunset. Wind chills tonight across our
northern tier of counties do occasionally reach the upper bound of
our Wind Chill Advisory (25*F with winds 10 mph or greater), but
the limited coverage of this better aligns with an SPS for now.
As quickly as today's upper low exits the picture, another one will
materialize over the Upper Trans-Pecos on New Year's Day. This next
low will be much weaker and starved of moisture as it moves
northeast toward North TX late Friday night, but it will drag a
very weak cold front eastward that should merely reinforce dry
offshore winds. Lows tonight and Friday night may touch freezing
in some locales well inland, but not enough to warrant a Freeze
Warning. Highs remain below normal New Year's Day despite ample
sun and lighter NW winds.
LONG TERM (Saturday through Thursday)...
The long term period will be pretty quiet through the middle of next
week. A shortwave trough will approach the area Saturday, but not
expecting any precipitation with this with a stable atmosphere and
below normal PWAT values. Northwesterly flow will help to keep
temperatures cooler on Saturday with highs expected to be in the
upper 50s to low 60s. High pressure will continue to set in on
Sunday. Temperatures will warm into the upper 60s to low 70s as
southerly winds draw in warm air. Lows on Saturday night and Sunday
night will cool into the 30s, with some ares in the northern
counties approaching freezing temperatures. The warming trend will
continue through the middle of next week as high pressure remains
over the region. Temperatures next week are expected to hang around
the mid 70s to low 80s. Overnight lows through the middle of next
week will be normal to above normal for this time of year.
The next shot at precipitation will be at the end of the long-term
period. A mid to upper level trough will approach TX on Wednesday
and push a cold front into the area. PWAT values increase to 1" or
more; however, models are in disagreement with the timing of when
this moisture will filter back into the area. In any case, both the
GFS and ECMWF reflect this increase in moisture along and east of
the Coastal Plains. Lifted Index values reflect an unstable
environment. This, along with CAPE values approaching 1500-2000
j/kg, and minimal CIN could lead to thunderstorms developing in the
aforementioned areas. Being that it is late in the period, expect
some changes to the forecast as models come into agreement.
MARINE...
Strong to very strong offshore flow will persist overnight with
conditions improving first over the bays this evening, then over
the open waters by early Friday morning. The Gale Warning is now
in effect until 6 AM New Year's Day for the nearshore and open
waters where 30 knot winds with higher gusts will be most common.
Westerly winds will decline to Small Craft Advisory levels early
Friday morning, then become weak to moderate by midday through
Friday night as low pressure pulls farther away from the Gulf. A
weak to moderate northwesterly flow becomes mostly weak by
Saturday night. Weak southerly flow will take over on Sunday. Weak
onshore flow returns late Monday night into Tuesday morning,
becoming moderate late Tuesday night into Wednesday ahead of a
cold front. Showers and thunderstorms are possible ahead on
Tuesday night into Wednesday ahead of the front.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Corpus Christi 38 61 36 63 39 / 0 0 0 0 0
Victoria 35 58 36 60 38 / 0 0 0 0 0
Laredo 36 61 36 62 40 / 0 0 0 0 0
Alice 36 63 36 64 36 / 0 0 0 0 0
Rockport 42 61 38 61 43 / 0 0 0 0 0
Cotulla 33 61 34 63 36 / 0 0 0 0 0
Kingsville 37 62 36 64 37 / 0 0 0 0 0
Navy Corpus 42 59 43 61 47 / 0 0 0 0 0
&&
.CRP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...None.
GM...Gale Warning until 6 AM CST Friday For the following zones:
Coastal waters from Baffin Bay to Port Aransas out 20 NM...
Coastal waters from Port Aransas to Matagorda Ship Channel
out 20 NM...Waters from Baffin Bay to Port Aransas from 20
to 60 NM...Waters from Port Aransas to Matagorda Ship
Channel from 20 to 60 NM.
Small Craft Advisory until 3 AM CST Friday For the following
zones: Bays and Waterways from Baffin Bay to Port Aransas...
Bays and Waterways from Port Aransas to Port O'Connor.
&&
WC/87...AVIATIONHazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX 323 PM CST Thu Dec 31 2020 TXZ229>234-239>247-342>347-442-443-447-012130- La Salle-McMullen-Live Oak-Bee-Goliad-Victoria-Webb-Duval- Jim Wells-Inland Kleberg-Inland Nueces-Inland San Patricio- Coastal Aransas-Inland Refugio-Inland Calhoun-Coastal Kleberg- Coastal Nueces-Coastal San Patricio-Aransas Islands- Coastal Refugio-Coastal Calhoun-Kleberg Islands-Nueces Islands- Calhoun Islands- 323 PM CST Thu Dec 31 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for South Texas. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and Tonight A Winds Advisory remains in effect until 6 PM from the southern Rio Grande Plains to the southern Coastal Bend and along the islands through Port O'Connor. Wind chill values tonight could range range from 25 to 30 degrees for inland areas. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday Scattered thunderstorms are possible Wednesday ahead of a cold front. GMZ230-235-250-255-270-275-012130- Bays and Waterways from Baffin Bay to Port Aransas- Bays and Waterways from Port Aransas to Port O'Connor- Coastal waters from Baffin Bay to Port Aransas out 20 NM- Coastal waters from Port Aransas to Matagorda Ship Channel out 20 NM-Waters from Baffin Bay to Port Aransas from 20 to 60 NM- Waters from Port Aransas to Matagorda Ship Channel from 20 to 60 NM- 323 PM CST Thu Dec 31 2020 This hazardous weather outlook is for the Middle Texas Coastal Waters. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and Tonight A Gale Warning remains in effect for the bays until 6 PM and for the nearshore and open waters until 6 AM New Year's Day. A Small Craft Advisory is in effect for the bays from 6 PM until Midnight tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday Scattered thunderstorms are possible Tuesday night into Wednesday ahead of a cold front.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe to extreme drought continued over the county during the month. Extreme drought expanded to cover the southern half of the county during the latter half of the month.
Severe drought continued over the western half of the county during the month.
Severe drought expanded over the southwestern part of the county during the month. Extreme drought developed over the extreme southwestern part of the county by the end of the month.
Severe drought ended early in the month.
Severe drought ended early in the month.
Severe drought ended early in the month.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, January 2021
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: 938325, 938326, 938327, 938328, 938329, 938330.