Drought in Texas, December 1 to 11, 2024

Name: Drought in Texas, December 1 to 11, 2024
Start: 2024-12-01T00:00
End: 2024-12-11T23:59
Location: Texas

December 1 to 11, 2024 · NWS SHV · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 SHV wrote it up.

Severe (D2) drought conditions continued across parts of Northeast Texas through early December. This was in response to a flash drought that resulted from an exceptionally hot and dry period during the late summer, beginning in August with well below normal rainfall and an extended period of upper 90s to triple-digit high temperatures. The total rainfall amounts during this late summer period and through much of the fall season were only near 25% of normal or less before more appreciable rainfall occurred by early winter. This dryness contributed to lower than normal streamflow observed across area creeks, streams, and rivers through the early part of December.

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 Shreveport, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 30, 10:10 PM CST, 1 hour 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 30, 10:10 PM CST, 1 hour 50 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
1010 PM CST Sat Nov 30 2024

...New UPDATE...

.UPDATE...
Issued at 957 PM CST Sat Nov 30 2024

A quick update to decrease overnight lows a few degrees based on
current and short-term trends. Models are suggesting we will see
mostly clear skies for a good portion of the overnight period.
When combined with light winds, very good radiational cooling
should take place. With current temps running a little cooler than
the current forecast, decided to adjust temps downward as a
result. Most of the region should see temps below freezing, with
many areas falling into the upper 20s. The exception will be in
our far western East Texas counties, where temps are expected to
remain just above freezing. But, it will be very close in those
areas, so I wouldn't be surprised to see a few isolated readings
at or below freezing. Otherwise, the remainder of the forecast
remains on track. Northwest flow aloft will bring another cool
front into our zones north of Interstate 30 by daybreak. No precip
is expected with this front, but it will bring some cloud cover
to Southeast Oklahoma, Southwest/South-Central Arkansas, and
adjacent extreme Northeast Texas around its arrival.

20

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(This evening through Sunday Night)
Issued at 107 PM CST Sat Nov 30 2024

Overnight dew points remained lower than previously anticipated,
allowing for the majority of locations to freeze overnight.
Meaning, we've gotten our freeze products out of the way early
this year. This of course is assuming we don't dramatically warm
and hard freeze down the line, then we'd consider doing freeze
products once more. With that being said, below average
temperatures should remain across the region for the short-term,
with lows remaining below freezing in some locations. Under clear
skies, afternoon highs should generally range in the low to
mid-60s.

/44/

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Monday through next Friday)
Issued at 107 PM CST Sat Nov 30 2024

No major changes in the overall thinking of the long-term. NW flow
aloft will remain overhead, keeping the region dry until the
middle of the workweek. However, surface moisture will begin to
work back into the region by Tuesday, allowing for rain to begin
in some of our western zones by early Wednesday morning. This
upcoming rain event still looks be fueled by isentropic ascent, as
opposed to of a more traditional low pressure system or cold
front. However, by next weekend, the flow aloft will begin to
shift back towards the SW, keeping rain in the forecast through
then.

/44/

&&

.AVIATION...
(00Z TAFS)
Issued at 850 PM CST Sat Nov 30 2024

For the 01/06Z TAF update, a reinforcing frontal boundary will
gradually reintroduce light northerly winds through the period.
Some brief high cloud decks will enter the airspace, but VFR
vis/cigs will prevail through the period. /16/

&&

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SHV  60  32  63  36 /   0   0   0   0
MLU  57  28  61  31 /   0   0   0   0
DEQ  55  28  59  28 /   0   0   0   0
TXK  58  29  61  32 /   0   0   0   0
ELD  57  28  59  28 /   0   0   0   0
TYR  60  34  63  37 /   0   0   0   0
GGG  60  31  63  34 /   0   0   0   0
LFK  61  33  66  37 /   0   0   0   0

&&

.SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...None.
LA...None.
OK...None.
TX...None.
&&

SHORT TERM...44
LONG TERM....44
AVIATION...16

Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 30, 11:44 AM CST, 12 hours 16 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED
National Weather Service Shreveport LA
1144 AM CST Sat Nov 30 2024

ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073-LAZ001>006-010>014-017>022-OKZ077-TXZ096-
097-108>112-124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167-011745-
Sevier-Howard-Little River-Hempstead-Nevada-Miller-Lafayette-
Columbia-Union-Caddo-Bossier-Webster-Claiborne-Lincoln-De Soto-
Red River-Bienville-Jackson-Ouachita-Sabine-Natchitoches-Winn-Grant-
Caldwell-La Salle-McCurtain-Bowie-Franklin-Titus-Camp-Morris-Cass-
Wood-Upshur-Marion-Smith-Gregg-Harrison-Cherokee-Rusk-Panola-
Nacogdoches-Shelby-Angelina-San Augustine-
1144 AM CST Sat Nov 30 2024

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for our Four-State area of southern
Arkansas, northern Louisiana, eastern Texas and southeast Oklahoma.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

No hazardous weather is anticipated at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

Rain chances return as early as Tuesday Night across portions of the
region with rain chances increasing Wednesday through Friday. At
this time, temperatures appear warm enough such that any
precipitation as early as Tuesday Night should fall as a cold rain.
Temperatures will continue to moderate through the week but no strong
or severe thunderstorms are forecast at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

24

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Franklin

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 11, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 33.176, -95.218 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Wood

When: December 1, 12:00 AM CST to December 11, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Wood forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 32.786, -95.382 (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

Every storm in Texas in 2024 Every state in 2024 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, December 2024

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: 1225997, 1225998.