Texas, 2024

Drought in Texas, September 1 to 30, 2024

September 1 to 30, 2024 · NWS EPZ · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Below normal precipitation for the month of September and the entire monsoon season kept most of far west Texas in Severe(D2) to Extreme(D3) drought.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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
6

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 EPZ wrote it up.

Below normal precipitation for the month of September and the entire monsoon season kept most of far west Texas in Severe(D2) to Extreme(D3) drought.

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 El Paso, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 31, 10:18 PM MST, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 31, 10:18 PM MST, 1 hour 42 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service El Paso Tx/Santa Teresa NM
1118 PM MDT Sat Aug 31 2024

...New AVIATION...

.SYNOPSIS...
Issued at 108 PM MDT Sat Aug 31 2024

Moisture and storm chances persist across southern and eastern
areas through early next week. Dry air will keep other areas
quiet during that period. The drying trend spreads across the
region for the middle of the week. Temperatures cool off early in
the week, rebounding to near or above normal later in the period.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 108 PM MDT Sat Aug 31 2024

Today has been a battle between upper ridging to the north and a
low-level moisture boundary draped across the CWA. The best
moisture has been south of this boundary where CU build-up has
been ongoing and isolated showers and storms have developed. 1000+
J/kg CAPE is being analyzed by SPC Mesoanalysis south of the I-10
corridor with dew points in the low 60s and PWs of around 1.3"
across far west TX. The strongest storms are expected in Hudspeth
county for the rest of the afternoon with less coverage and
intensity as you go north and west. The activity should decay in
the early evening.

The unsettled pattern is expected to continue for a portion of
our area for the next couple days. Easterly winds keep surface
moisture in place and dew points in the 50s as an inverted trough
develops over the region. For Sunday, the better moisture spreads
westward along the Int'l border with drier air holding on along
the northern tier. Isolated showers and storms develop tomorrow
afternoon mainly over the southern half of the CWA. For Monday, a
surface trough looks to move into west TX, bringing additional
moisture to eastern areas, including the Sacs. Upslope flow and
deeper moisture may result in locally heavy rainfall and flash
flooding out east, especially over the Salt fire burn scar. Some
stronger storms are possible as well due to modest directional
shear and decent instability.

Heading into midweek, the upper ridge is nudged to the southwest
by a shortwave coming across the northern Rockies. The more-
present high pressure will begin to clear out moisture to the east
and weaken the inverted trough on Tuesday. Hudspeth county hangs
on to slight storm chances for Tuesday afternoon. The rest of the
forecast will see the high pressure dominate the region and keep
us mainly dry. The GFS is hinting at a backdoor front moving in
next Friday, giving mountain areas a chance of storms into next
weekend. Temperatures cool to about 10 degrees below normal for
Monday, then warming to near or just above average around midweek
under the building high.

&&

.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1118 PM MDT Sat Aug 31 2024

Generally VFR conditions through the period. SCT100 SCT-BKN250
Developing after 18Z, mainly over the mountains and near the
International Border...isolated BKN080CB 5SM -TSRA. Pea-size hail
and wind gusts to 35 knots with a few of these storms.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 108 PM MDT Sat Aug 31 2024

Fire weather concerns remain low through the forecast period.
Moisture and storm chances persist mainly over southern and eastern
areas through Monday. Elsewhere, high pressure and drier air will
keep rain chances at a minimum. Lingering moisture gets flushed out
by midweek as the ridge builds in. Modestly breezy east winds are
expected through early next week. Temperatures will be below normal
early in the week, then warming to near normal around midweek.

Min RHs will be 20-35% on Sunday, then 40-65% in FWZs 113 and 56
on Monday. Vent rates range from good to very good on Sunday, then
poor to good.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
El Paso                  70  86  68  82 /  20  30  20  40
Sierra Blanca            62  78  60  73 /  20  50  40  70
Las Cruces               65  86  63  82 /  20  30  20  20
Alamogordo               61  86  60  82 /  10  20  20  30
Cloudcroft               45  62  45  57 /  10  20  30  50
Truth or Consequences    63  85  62  81 /  10  10  10  10
Silver City              58  81  56  80 /  20  40  20  20
Deming                   64  85  62  83 /  20  30  20  10
Lordsburg                64  86  63  85 /  30  30  20  10
West El Paso Metro       69  85  66  82 /  20  30  20  40
Dell City                63  84  63  78 /  10  30  40  50
Fort Hancock             66  85  65  81 /  20  50  40  70
Loma Linda               62  78  60  73 /  10  30  20  50
Fabens                   67  84  66  81 /  20  40  20  50
Santa Teresa             66  83  64  81 /  20  40  20  40
White Sands HQ           67  85  65  82 /  10  20  20  30
Jornada Range            64  84  62  83 /  10  20  10  30
Hatch                    64  87  62  86 /  20  20  20  20
Columbus                 66  84  64  83 /  20  40  20  20
Orogrande                62  83  62  80 /  10  20  20  30
Mayhill                  49  73  50  66 /  10  20  40  50
Mescalero                49  73  49  69 /  10  20  30  50
Timberon                 48  71  47  66 /  10  30  30  50
Winston                  52  78  50  76 /  10  20  10  10
Hillsboro                59  84  58  82 /  20  30  20  20
Spaceport                61  86  59  83 /  10  20  10  20
Lake Roberts             52  80  49  79 /  20  40  20  20
Hurley                   58  82  57  80 /  20  30  20  10
Cliff                    57  90  55  90 /  20  40  10  10
Mule Creek               59  83  56  83 /  20  40  10  10
Faywood                  60  81  58  80 /  20  30  20  20
Animas                   62  86  61  85 /  30  40  20  10
Hachita                  62  83  60  83 /  30  30  20  20
Antelope Wells           62  83  60  83 /  30  40  20  20
Cloverdale               60  81  58  79 /  30  40  20  20

&&

.EPZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...None.
NM...None.
&&

FORECASTER...17-Hefner

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Western El Paso County

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Western El Paso County forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
31.769, -106.235 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Severe(D2) drought continued for the zone throughout September.

Drought, Eastern/Central El Paso County

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Eastern/Central El Paso County forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
31.769, -106.235 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The northern half of the zone remained in Severe(D2) drought while the south remained in Moderate(D1) drought. The El Paso airport reported 0.50 inches of precipitation which was 1.02 inches below normal.

Drought, Northern Hudspeth Highlands/Hueco Mountains

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Northern Hudspeth Highlands/Hueco Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
31.612, -105.810 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The northern half of the zone remained in Severe(D2) drought while the south continued in Moderate(D1) drought.

Drought, Salt Basin

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Salt Basin forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
31.456, -105.386 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The eastern half of the zone remained in Extreme(D3) drought while the west was in Severe(D2) drought.

Drought, Southern Hudspeth Highlands

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Southern Hudspeth Highlands forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
31.456, -105.386 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The eastern half of the zone remained in Extreme(D3) drought while the west continued in Severe(D2) drought.

Drought, Rio Grande Valley of Eastern Hudspeth County

When
September 1, 12:00 AM MST to September 30, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Rio Grande Valley of Eastern Hudspeth County forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
31.456, -105.386 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The eastern half of the zone remained in Extreme(D3) drought while the west continued in Severe(D2) drought.

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, September 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: 1216079, 1216080, 1216082, 1216083, 1216084, 1216085.