Texas, 2025

Drought in Texas, December 1 to 31, 2025

December 1 to 31, 2025 · NWS EPZ · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

No change was noted in the drought conditions across far west Texas in December, even with very little precipitation falling.

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 EPZ wrote it up.

No change was noted in the drought conditions across far west Texas in December, even with very little precipitation falling.

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 Nov 30, 10:21 PM MST, 1 hour 39 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Updated at 950 PM MST Sun Nov 30 2025
  • Dry conditions, gentle warming, and afternoon breezes through midweek.
  • A storm system brings a low to medium chance of lowland rain and mountain snow showers going into Thursday.
  • Dry and breezy conditions will return going into Friday and Saturday.
Area forecast discussion, Nov 30, 10:21 PM MST, 1 hour 39 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service El Paso TX/Santa Teresa NM
1021 PM MST Sun Nov 30 2025

...New DISCUSSION, AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 950 PM MST Sun Nov 30 2025

 - Dry conditions, gentle warming, and afternoon breezes through
   midweek.

 - A storm system brings a low to medium chance of lowland rain
   and mountain snow showers going into Thursday.

 - Dry and breezy conditions will return going into Friday and
   Saturday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 950 PM MST Sun Nov 30 2025

Some minor changes from previous forecast packages during the Day
4/5 period. Several weak troughs will move across the Intermountain
west through the period with very little, if any weather impacts
expected. All in all, generally quiet and fair weather conditions
can be expected through the first week of December with seasonal
temperatures and low-end chances of precipitation on Thursday and
Friday.

On Monday (Day 1), the first trough will quickly move east across
the Central Rockies with very little changes in sensible weather
across the Borderland Region. That said, the east winds we saw on
Sunday will veer to the west, allowing for temperatures to warm
slightly back to or slightly above the seasonal average for December
1st. High temperatures will top out in the low 60s across the desert
lowlands. The westerly flow regime aloft will remain in place across
the Desert SW on Tuesday and Wednesday (Day 2 & 3) leading to light
afternoon breezes and afternoon temperatures in the middle to upper
60s across the desert lowlands. With drier air in place at the
surface and winds becoming light and variable overnight, overnight
low temperatures Tuesday morning will be near or below freezing
across most of the forecast area. Low temperatures for El Paso
proper will stay clear of dropping below freezing, with lows in the
middle 30s.

By Thursday (Day 4), the next upper trough will dive southeast
across the Great Basin and Four Corners/Central Rockies vicinity.
There still remains some minor discrepancies between model/ensemble
guidance with regards to how deep/strong this upper level system
will be, along with exact track and timing. 30.18 GFS guidance has
said system slightly strong, with more moisture to work with. 30.12
ECMWF guidance is not as bullish in terms of strength, along with
being more progress and not having as much moisture associated with
it. That being said, looking at GFS/ECMWF respected ensemble suites,
along with NBM guidance, probabilities of seeing measurable
precipitation (>/= 0.01") is low (20-40 percent) across the desert
lowlands along and south of I-10 corridor. Areas north, especially
over the mountains have medium confidence of seeing precipitation
during the Thursday timeframe with greatest chances over the
Sacramento Mtns. Low levels through the duration of this system will
be above 7500 ft where light snow can be expected. NBM probs show 20-
30 percent chance of > 1.0" of snow over the Sacramento Mtns. The
upper level flow regime remains progressive. However, the upper
level storm system track remains to the north over the
Central/Northern Rockies with conditions remaining dry through the
weekend

&&

.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 950 PM MST Sun Nov 30 2025

VMC expected through the period. Skies SKC to FEW250 will becoming
SKC areawide during the overnight and morning timeframe. Winds
light 3-7 knots and VRB through the morning, becoming W/NW during
the afternoon at 8-13 knots with gusts to 20 knots.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 1041 AM MST Sun Nov 30 2025

Dry with some occasional breezy conditions are expected through
midweek. The windiest days look to be Tuesday and Wednesday.
Temperatures will be within a few degrees of normal and RH's
above 20 percent. An upper trough will move through late Wednesday
into Thursday and could bring some light precipitation to the area
but the amount of moisture available is in question. Vent rates
the next couple of days will be fair to good.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
El Paso                  65  38  66  44 /   0   0   0   0
Sierra Blanca            61  31  63  38 /   0   0   0   0
Las Cruces               60  31  61  36 /   0   0   0   0
Alamogordo               58  30  60  37 /   0   0   0   0
Cloudcroft               37  21  40  28 /   0   0   0   0
Truth or Consequences    57  31  61  35 /   0   0   0   0
Silver City              55  31  56  32 /   0   0   0   0
Deming                   63  32  65  35 /   0   0   0   0
Lordsburg                60  32  61  33 /   0   0   0   0
West El Paso Metro       63  39  64  43 /   0   0   0   0
Dell City                65  27  66  37 /   0   0   0   0
Fort Hancock             69  36  71  42 /   0   0   0   0
Loma Linda               57  34  58  40 /   0   0   0   0
Fabens                   66  34  68  42 /   0   0   0   0
Santa Teresa             62  33  63  37 /   0   0   0   0
White Sands HQ           61  38  63  43 /   0   0   0   0
Jornada Range            59  28  61  35 /   0   0   0   0
Hatch                    62  28  65  34 /   0   0   0   0
Columbus                 65  36  67  40 /   0   0   0   0
Orogrande                58  29  61  35 /   0   0   0   0
Mayhill                  51  25  55  33 /   0   0   0   0
Mescalero                48  23  50  30 /   0   0   0   0
Timberon                 48  23  49  28 /   0   0   0   0
Winston                  52  23  56  28 /   0   0   0   0
Hillsboro                58  31  62  35 /   0   0   0   0
Spaceport                57  26  61  31 /   0   0   0   0
Lake Roberts             54  26  56  28 /   0   0   0   0
Hurley                   57  30  59  32 /   0   0   0   0
Cliff                    61  28  62  30 /   0   0   0   0
Mule Creek               56  27  58  29 /   0   0   0   0
Faywood                  57  33  58  35 /   0   0   0   0
Animas                   62  33  65  36 /   0   0   0   0
Hachita                  61  31  64  36 /   0   0   0   0
Antelope Wells           65  35  66  41 /   0   0   0   0
Cloverdale               57  38  59  39 /   0   0   0   0

&&

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

FORECASTER...38-Rogers

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, Salt Basin

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 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 portion of the zone remained in Severe(D2) drought while the far west remained in Moderate(D1) drought.

Drought, Southern Hudspeth Highlands

When
December 1, 12:00 AM MST to December 31, 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 far eastern portion of the zone remained in Severe(D2) drought while the remainder of the zone continued in Moderate(D1) 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 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, December 2025

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: 1305041, 1305042.