A cold front moved through South Central Texas on the 15th and brought a dry airmass to the region. Breezy winds behind the front combined with the dry air to produce critical fire weather for several days.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 EWX wrote it up.
A cold front moved through South Central Texas on the 15th and brought a dry airmass to the region. Breezy winds behind the front combined with the dry air to produce critical fire weather for several days.
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 Austin/San Antonio, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 15, 5:32 AM CST, 2 hours 58 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX 632 AM CDT Tue Mar 15 2022 .AVIATION... /12Z TAFS/ VFR skies will extend through the TAF periods. Most of the post- frontal winds will be decoupled through around 14Z. A few gusts over 22 Knots are possible in the late morning to midday, with lighter winds to resume by mid to late afternoon. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 259 AM CDT Tue Mar 15 2022/ ..New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM... SHORT TERM... (Today through Wednesday) Issued at 245 AM CDT Tue Mar 15 2022 In the wake of the spring storm system the cold front is moving through rather weakly in the overnight hours. Upon daybreak 30 knot winds above the surface should mix down and bring some brief 15-25 and gusty winds generally east of Hwy 281 with mainly 10 to 15 mph winds by mid-afternoon. A slight NW component and relatively moderate upstream temperatures in the upper 30s and 40s over West- Central/NW TX should mean another afternoon of above normal max temps in the mid 70 to low 80s. The air will be plenty dry and with light winds, a few pockets of the Hill County may see lows in the upper 30s. Most lows will be in the 40s and that should set up for an even warmer afternoon Wednesday. FIRE WEATHER... Breezy conditions will combine with dry dewpoints along and west of the Highway 281 corridor will make for some elevated to near critical fire weather conditions today. South winds returning Wednesday will make for a elevated to near critical fire weather conditions over these same areas. LONG TERM... (Wednesday night through Monday) Issued at 245 AM CDT Tue Mar 15 2022 An upper level low will be passing to our north on Thursday and this will send a dryline into the western two-thirds of the area Thursday afternoon. No convection is expected to initiate along this feature, but very dry and warm air will move in behind this feature with afternoon humidity values dropping into the 8-20 percent range west of a Llano to Pearsall line. West winds behind the dryline will range from 15-20 mph north of Highway 90 leading to critical fire weather conditions there, but weaker winds are expected south of Highway 90 leading to elevated to near-critical fire weather conditions. Highs Thursday will range from near 90 in the west to the upper 70s in the east. The cold front associated with the upper trough will move through the area Thursday night, with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the eastern counties. Temperatures behind the front Friday afternoon will be in the 70s. North winds 10-18 mph and humidity values in the 17-35 percent range will lead to elevated to near critical fire weather conditions once again. One last day of dry air will continue Saturday before moisture begins to increase on Sunday. With the increase in moisture, rain chances may be on the increase once again by Monday. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Austin Camp Mabry 75 46 80 52 82 / 0 0 0 0 10 Austin Bergstrom Intl Airport 75 44 80 50 82 / 0 0 0 0 10 New Braunfels Muni Airport 78 45 82 50 83 / 0 0 0 0 - Burnet Muni Airport 74 45 80 52 83 / 0 0 0 0 10 Del Rio Intl Airport 83 46 86 52 91 / 0 0 0 0 0 Georgetown Muni Airport 75 45 80 51 82 / 0 0 0 0 10 Hondo Muni Airport 82 43 85 49 88 / 0 0 0 0 0 San Marcos Muni Airport 77 44 81 49 83 / 0 0 0 0 - La Grange - Fayette Regional 74 47 79 52 79 / 0 0 0 0 10 San Antonio Intl Airport 78 47 81 52 83 / 0 0 0 0 - Stinson Muni Airport 82 47 85 53 87 / 0 0 0 0 - && .EWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && Short-Term/Aviation...Oaks Long-Term...29
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX 330 AM CDT Tue Mar 15 2022 TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-160900- Llano-Burnet-Williamson-Val Verde-Edwards-Real-Kerr-Bandera- Gillespie-Kendall-Blanco-Hays-Travis-Bastrop-Lee-Kinney-Uvalde- Medina-Bexar-Comal-Guadalupe-Caldwell-Fayette-Maverick-Zavala- Frio-Atascosa-Wilson-Karnes-Gonzales-De Witt-Lavaca-Dimmit- 330 AM CDT Tue Mar 15 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for South-Central Texas.. .DAY ONE...Today And Tonight. Elevated to near critical fire weather conditions from dry air and breezy north winds are expected mainly west of the I-35 corridor today. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. Elevated to near critical fire weather conditions are expected each day through Saturday due to low humidities, breezy winds, and dry vegetation, especially west of I-35 during the midday through early evening hours. An hour or two of critical fire weather conditions in a few various spots cannot be ruled out for each day. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The Christine Wildfire started south of Christine during the morning of the 15th behind the cold front. Red Flag Warnings were issued on the 16th and 17th as the fire spread. It burned 2,900 acres before it was contained on the 19th.
The first Burr Ranch Wildfire started off FM 1098 northwest of Quemado during the afternoon of the 16th. Red Flag Warnings were in effect when the fire started and as it spread on the 17th. The fire burned 4,825 acres before it was contained on the 18th.
The Brewer Ranch Wildfire started approximately 45 miles north of Comstock off of FM 1024 during the evening of the 17th. A Red Flag Warning was in effect when the fire started. The fire destroyed 16 structures including motor homes, travel trailers, a barn, and several other vehicles. It was contained on the 18th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, March 2022
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: 1014474, 1014475, 1014476.