Texas, 2024

Drought in Texas, October 29 to 31, 2024

October 29 to 31, 2024 · NWS EWX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Nearly all of South-Central Texas had less than 10% of normal rainfall in October, and the drought worsened. Hays County saw the worst change from Abnormally Dry (D0) category to Extreme (D3) drought category.

Where it happened

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.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 EWX wrote it up.

Nearly all of South-Central Texas had less than 10% of normal rainfall in October, and the drought worsened. Hays County saw the worst change from Abnormally Dry (D0) category to Extreme (D3) drought category. Bexar, Comal, Kendall, Medina, and Travis Counties went from Moderate (D1) drought category to D3. Bandera went from Severe (D2) drought category to D3. Atascosa, Caldwell, Frio, Guadalupe, Real, and Wilson Counties went from D0 to D2. Kerr, Uvalde, and Williamson Counties went from D1 to D2. Area rivers and reservoirs declined during the month. The 7-day average streamflow at the end of the month was much below (<10%) normal on the lower Guadalupe River and the upper Colorado River; below (10%-24%) normal on the Nueces River, the Frio River, the Medina River, the upper Guadalupe River, and the lower Colorado River; and normal (25%-75%) to below normal on the San Antonio River. The Edwards Aquifer dropped 1.8 feet and was 36.5 feet below normal. Medina Lake dropped 0.4 feet and was 90.9 feet below normal. Lake Travis dropped 1.3 feet and was 42.1 feet below normal. Canyon Lake dropped 1.5 feet and was 26.7 feet below normal. Of the counties in D2 or worse drought, Atascosa, Bexar, Caldwell, Comal, Frio, Guadalupe, Hays, Kendall, Medina, Real, Travis, Williamson, and Wilson had outdoor burn bans in effect at the end of the month.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Frio

When
October 29, 6:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Frio forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
28.868, -99.108 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Nearly all of South-Central Texas had less than 10% of normal rainfall in October, and the drought worsened. Hays County saw the worst change from Abnormally Dry (D0) category to Extreme (D3) drought category. Bexar, Comal, Kendall, Medina, and Travis Counties went from Moderate (D1) drought category to D3. Bandera went from Severe (D2) drought category to D3. Atascosa, Caldwell, Frio, Guadalupe, Real, and Wilson Counties went from D0 to D2. Kerr, Uvalde, and Williamson Counties went from D1 to D2. Area rivers and reservoirs declined during the month. The 7-day average streamflow at the end of the month was much below (<10%) normal on the lower Guadalupe River and the upper Colorado River; below (10%-24%) normal on the Nueces River, the Frio River, the Medina River, the upper Guadalupe River, and the lower Colorado River; and normal (25%-75%) to below normal on the San Antonio River. The Edwards Aquifer dropped 1.8 feet and was 36.5 feet below normal. Medina Lake dropped 0.4 feet and was 90.9 feet below normal. Lake Travis dropped 1.3 feet and was 42.1 feet below normal. Canyon Lake dropped 1.5 feet and was 26.7 feet below normal. Of the counties in D2 or worse drought, Atascosa, Bexar, Caldwell, Comal, Frio, Guadalupe, Hays, Kendall, Medina, Real, Travis, Williamson, and Wilson had outdoor burn bans in effect at the end of the month.

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

More

Every storm in Texas in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, October 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1219298.