Severe drought conditions affected parts of Central Texas through early January. By the middle of the month, drought conditions showed signs of improvement following a heavy snow event.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 FWD wrote it up.
Severe drought conditions affected parts of Central Texas through early January. By the middle of the month, drought conditions showed signs of improvement following a heavy snow event.
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 Fort Worth, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 31, 7:50 PM CST, 4 hours 10 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 750 PM CST Thu Dec 31 2020 ...New Short Term, Aviation... .SHORT TERM... /NEW/ /Tonight/ As 2020 comes to a cold and soggy end, we prepare to ring in the new year with the potential for accumulating winter precipitation across western North and Central Texas. No notable changes in expected snow accumulations with this update. Hazardous driving conditions on roadways may affect travel late tonight through early Friday morning. Area radars currently show widespread showers and a few pockets of embedded convection drifting northward across the region. The upper level dry slot has moved into Central and East Texas bringing an end to the moderate to heavy rainfall that led to localized flooding issues within the Flash Flood Watch area, which has since been allowed to expire. Further west, where temperatures are falling to or dipping below 32 degrees, the ongoing cold rain is beginning to mix with wintry precipitation as the thermal profile responds to the approaching upper level low. No further alterations or expansion of the Winter Storm Warning or Winter Weather Advisory are warranted at this time. Recent runs of deterministic and ensemble guidance are in general agreement on the track of the low, though there is still some variation in the eastward extent of the accumulating snow. The highest accumulations are still expected across Young, Stephens, and Eastland Counties, where a Winter Storm Warning is in place through Friday morning and accumulations of 3-4 inches with isolated higher amounts remain possible. With the track of the upper level system set to pass overhead this evening, the potential snow totals are likely to still decline sharply as you approach Interstate 35. As mentioned above, the Flash Flood Watch that had been in effect has been allowed to expire as rain in the area is winding down, though minor river flooding may continue to be an issue as water moves downstream through area creeks, rivers, and streams in the coming days. 12 && .LONG TERM... /Issued 328 PM CST Thu Dec 31 2020/ /Friday morning through Thursday/ Some lingering drizzle or flurries will dissipate by mid morning as isentropic downglide/subsidence occurs in the wake of the upper level storm system. However the low clouds will be slow to clear out and may even fill back in for any areas that do see some brief sun. Therefore 2021 will start off cloudy and chilly with highs struggling to climb. Highs will be in the mid to upper 30s in the western areas to the mid 40s over the southeast zones. Clouds are unlikely to clear Friday night, which may be good news since there were some indications that fog or freezing fog would try to develop especially over our wet ground. This should keep lows a little warmer than previously expected in the low to mid 30s. Some uncertainty exists in the forecast Saturday morning as an upper level trough moves across the southern Plains. While the lift with this system will be strong, indications were that it would be starved for moisture. The NAM/GFS/ECMWF have trended toward a little more moisture and saturation. This may be enough to produce some snow flurries or light snow across the northern zones Saturday morning. Have included a slight chance of flurries and we'll continue to monitor this potential. Otherwise the upper trough will clear our region during the day and this should bring clearing skies. Temps will warm into the 50s with more afternoon sunshine. Weak ridging aloft will prevail Sunday through Tuesday with fair skies, light winds, and gradually moderating temperatures. Highs will reach the 60s areawide Monday and Tuesday. The next system will quickly approach Tuesday night and bring stronger return flow and increasing moisture over the region. This system should have enough moisture and lift for a chance of showers and storms on Wednesday, with the best chances over the eastern parts of the region. Dry and seasonable weather will prevail Thursday. TR.92 && .AVIATION... /NEW/ /00Z TAFS/ Concerns...MVFR to IFR ceilings and visibilities through the TAF period as cold rain continues lifting northward overnight. Slight chance of rain/snow mix affecting the Metroplex TAF sites before daybreak. Northerly winds remain strong tonight, shifting to the west/northwest on Friday. Despite a few breaks in the rain and brief and intermittent ceiling improvements, flying conditions remain poor across North and Central Texas. The transition to wintry precipitation is already being reported in several locations well west of the TAF sites. RASN has been introduced to the TAFs for a brief period between 06Z and 08Z for the remaining Metroplex terminals with the exception of DAL as latest trends bring at least a slight chance for snow to mix with rain further east than previously forecast. Pockets of convection may lead to a few rumbles of thunder across North Texas this evening but should be limited in coverage and brief. Precipitation will gradually come to an end between 07-09Z. IFR cigs are expected to improve to MVFR by Friday afternoon though clouds will be slow to erode. 12 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Dallas-Ft. Worth 36 41 34 52 33 / 90 0 0 0 0 Waco 35 44 32 54 33 / 70 0 0 0 0 Paris 39 42 35 47 31 / 100 5 0 5 0 Denton 32 40 33 51 28 / 100 5 0 5 0 McKinney 36 41 34 50 31 / 90 5 0 0 0 Dallas 38 42 35 52 36 / 90 0 0 0 0 Terrell 37 42 35 51 32 / 90 5 0 0 0 Corsicana 39 44 35 53 36 / 70 0 0 0 0 Temple 34 46 32 55 33 / 60 0 0 0 0 Mineral Wells 32 39 31 51 30 / 100 0 0 5 0 && .FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flash Flood Watch until 6 PM CST this evening for TXZ094-095- 105>107-120>123-135-146>148-161-162-175. Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM CST Friday for TXZ091-101-102- 116-117-130>132-141>143-156. Winter Storm Warning until 6 AM CST Friday for TXZ100-115-129. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 1128 PM CST Thu Dec 31 2020 TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-020530- Montague-Cooke-Grayson-Fannin-Lamar-Young-Jack-Wise-Denton-Collin- Hunt-Delta-Hopkins-Stephens-Palo Pinto-Parker-Tarrant-Dallas- Rockwall-Kaufman-Van Zandt-Rains-Eastland-Erath-Hood-Somervell- Johnson-Ellis-Henderson-Comanche-Mills-Hamilton-Bosque-Hill-Navarro- Freestone-Anderson-Lampasas-Coryell-Bell-McLennan-Falls-Limestone- Leon-Milam-Robertson- 1128 PM CST Thu Dec 31 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for North and Central Texas. .DAY ONE...Tonight. 2 to 4 inches of accumulating snow will cause travel impacts overnight into the early morning hours on New Year's Day mainly along and west of Highway 281. While some snow or sleet is possible farther east towards the I-35 corridor, no significant accumulations are expected in this area. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Following a few dry days, thunderstorm chances will return to the area next Wednesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe drought conditions affected most of the county but showed signs of improvement by the middle of 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: 940471.