Drought, Clay
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 4, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Clay forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 33.786, -98.208 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought in Texas, September 1 to 4, 2023
Severe (or greater) drought continued to slowly expand across the Red River Valley of western-north Texas early in the month.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 4
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 OUN wrote it up.
Severe (or greater) drought continued to slowly expand across the Red River Valley of western-north Texas early in the month.
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 Norman, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 31, 9:33 PM CST, 2 hours 27 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 31, 9:33 PM CST, 2 hours 27 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Norman OK 1033 PM CDT Thu Aug 31 2023 ...New AVIATION... .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Friday) Issued at 215 PM CDT Thu Aug 31 2023 The mid-level ridge across the southwest U.S. has started to drift eastward today with a return to southerly winds across the Southern Plains. The ridge will continue to move eastward tomorrow as a closed-low develops across the west coast. As a result, forecast temperatures will continue their gradual increase tomorrow with a ~595 dam ridge centered across northwest Oklahoma/Kansas. The end result is above-average temperatures are forecast (ranging from the low 90s across the northeast to low 100s deg F across the southwest). Dew points will be much lower than when we saw excessive heat in August. Heat indices are forecast to be similar (or even lower!) than the air temperature with the lower dew points. Mahale && .LONG TERM... (Friday night through next Wednesday) Issued at 215 PM CDT Thu Aug 31 2023 The mid-level ridge will persist through at least the weekend into early next week--resulting in continued hot temperatures. Record- breaking heat still appears unlikely. For example, there is only about a ~10% chance at Wichita Falls of reaching their record high of 108 deg F on Sunday. Even so, temperatures will be ~7 to 10 deg F above average for early September. Dew points should remain low enough through at least the weekend to keep heat indices below Heat Advisory Criteria. By late in the weekend into early next week, an upper-level low in Texas is forecast to drift to the northwest. There remains uncertainty on how far northwest the upper-level low will travel (it'll depend on the location of the mid-level ridge and the approach of a western trough). For now, there is a low chance of rain across southeast Oklahoma (~20%) to account for the low's close proximity. Besides the heat, the other weather impact is increasing fire weather conditions this weekend into early next week across western north Texas and western Oklahoma. Currently, the worst fire weather conditions are expected Monday with breezy southerly winds and a low- level thermal ridge ahead of an approaching trough. Near critical conditions are possible. Mahale && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1031 PM CDT Thu Aug 31 2023 VFR conditions expected through the period with light east to southeast wind. Southeast winds will be a little stronger 15Z-00Z across western Oklahoma with gusts around 20KT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Oklahoma City OK 66 93 63 95 / 0 0 0 0 Hobart OK 66 99 64 99 / 0 0 0 0 Wichita Falls TX 69 100 66 100 / 0 0 0 0 Gage OK 63 98 62 99 / 0 0 0 0 Ponca City OK 64 92 61 95 / 0 0 0 0 Durant OK 67 96 61 96 / 0 0 0 0 && .OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OK...None. TX...None. && SHORT TERM...10 LONG TERM....10 AVIATION...11
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 31, 3:33 PM CST, 8 hours 27 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Norman OK 433 PM CDT Thu Aug 31 2023 OKZ004>048-050>052-TXZ083>090-012145- Harper-Woods-Alfalfa-Grant-Kay-Ellis-Woodward-Major-Garfield- Noble-Roger Mills-Dewey-Custer-Blaine-Kingfisher-Logan-Payne- Beckham-Washita-Caddo-Canadian-Oklahoma-Lincoln-Grady-McClain- Cleveland-Pottawatomie-Seminole-Hughes-Harmon-Greer-Kiowa-Jackson- Tillman-Comanche-Stephens-Garvin-Murray-Pontotoc-Coal-Cotton- Jefferson-Carter-Johnston-Atoka-Love-Marshall-Bryan-Hardeman- Foard-Wilbarger-Wichita-Knox-Baylor-Archer-Clay- 433 PM CDT Thu Aug 31 2023 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of northern... western...central...and southern Oklahoma...and western north Texas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight... No hazardous weather is expected. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday... .Fire Weather... Hot temperatures combined with low humidity, breezy winds, and dry vegetation could lead to Elevated Fire Weather conditions Friday afternoon through Monday across western Oklahoma and western north Texas. Near-Critical conditions are possible Monday. .Thunderstorms... Thunderstorms chances return to parts of the area on Wednesday. A few strong storms appear possible. .Air Quality... An Air Quality Alert will be in effect on Friday for the Oklahoma City and Lawton metropolitan areas. Persons with existing heart or respiratory ailments should reduce physical exertion and outdoor activity. Get graphics and more details at weather.gov/norman...and follow our weather forecast office on Twitter and Facebook.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
4 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought, Hardeman
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 4, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Hardeman forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 34.290, -99.746 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Wichita
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 4, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Wichita forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 33.988, -98.704 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Wilbarger
- When
- September 1, 12:00 AM CST to September 4, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Wilbarger forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 34.081, -99.241 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
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
- Flash Flooding and Flood in California, September 1 to 2, 2023
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Nevada, September 1 to 2, 2023
- Flash Flooding and Dust Storm in California, September 1, 2023
- Wildfire in Washington, September 1 to 11, 2023
- Wildfire in Idaho, September 1 to 25, 2023
- Drought in Louisiana, September 1 to 30, 2023
- Wildfire in Colorado, September 1 to 5, 2023
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in California, September 1 to 2, 2023
- Wildfire in Washington, September 1 to 5, 2023
- Wildfire in Colorado, September 1 to 30, 2023
- Wildfire in Colorado, September 1 to 30, 2023
- Drought in Kansas, September 1 to 30, 2023
More
Every storm in Texas in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, September 2023
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: 1139343, 1139344, 1139345, 1139346.