Texas, 2025

Drought in Texas, February 1 to 28, 2025

February 1 to 28, 2025 · NWS EPZ · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Another very dry month over far west Texas kept Extreme(D3) to Exceptional(D4) drought conditions going with no change noted.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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.

Another very dry month over far west Texas kept Extreme(D3) to Exceptional(D4) drought conditions going with no change noted.

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 Jan 31, 10:22 PM MST, 1 hour 38 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Updated at 933 PM MST Fri Jan 31 2025
  • Remaining dry through the forecast period.
  • Much warmer temperatures after Saturday, with near record high temperatures Monday through Wednesday.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 31, 10:22 PM MST, 1 hour 38 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service El Paso TX/Santa Teresa NM
1022 PM MST Fri Jan 31 2025

...New AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 933 PM MST Fri Jan 31 2025

 - Remaining dry through the forecast period.

 - Much warmer temperatures after Saturday, with near record high
   temperatures Monday through Wednesday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 254 PM MST Fri Jan 31 2025

For mid/late winter, this is one of the quieter stretches of
weather I can remember. No chance of precip, no siginificant
winds/blowing dust events. Just progressive warming and near
record high temps by Monday. The main culprit for this is a strong
blocking ridge out over the Pacific extending north-south over
150W...remaining nearly stationary through 240 hours (Feb 10).
This will result in the polar jet remaining north of the area and
the sub-tropical jet south of the area. A standing long wave
trough basically forms on the lee of the ridge, giving our area a
long stretch of dry, warm west flow aloft. Thus, no shot at precip
through the entire forecast period (through next Friday), and
gradually warming temperatures not seen since mid-November. The
stretch Monday through Wednesday looks to be the warmest, with
some lowland highs reaching 80+ degrees. These three days will
undoubtably break some records.

Temps a bit lower after Wednesday but still well above normal. A
backdoor front tries to buck the upper and may encroach into the
far eastern CWA Friday morning but quickly erode out by the
afternoon.

&&

.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 933 PM MST Fri Jan 31 2025
VFR conditions will prevail through the period with SKC through
Saturday morning, then FEW250 at TAF sites around 18z. Winds will
be light and variable through Saturday morning then turn S/SW
around 18z on Saturday and remain light except for a few gust up
to 20 mph at KTCS.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 254 PM MST Fri Jan 31 2025

Very little, if any, sensible weather through Wednesday. Fire
conditions will become elevated just due to low humidity and
drying fuels. No significant winds are expected through this
period, and also no chance of precipitation through the same
period.

Min RH: Lowlands 12-17% through Monday, decreasing to 7-12%
Tuesday through Thursday. Mountains 13-23% through Monday,
decreasing to 10-18% Tuesday through Thursday. Vent rates poor-
fair through Tuesday.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
El Paso                  33  66  39  74 /   0   0   0   0
Sierra Blanca            30  65  37  70 /   0   0   0   0
Las Cruces               26  63  35  73 /   0   0   0   0
Alamogordo               24  62  31  68 /   0   0   0   0
Cloudcroft               25  49  28  56 /   0   0   0   0
Truth or Consequences    26  64  36  70 /   0   0   0   0
Silver City              27  60  33  67 /   0   0   0   0
Deming                   23  66  33  75 /   0   0   0   0
Lordsburg                21  65  31  71 /   0   0   0   0
West El Paso Metro       33  64  41  73 /   0   0   0   0
Dell City                22  66  32  73 /   0   0   0   0
Fort Hancock             27  70  35  76 /   0   0   0   0
Loma Linda               32  58  38  66 /   0   0   0   0
Fabens                   27  67  35  74 /   0   0   0   0
Santa Teresa             28  64  35  72 /   0   0   0   0
White Sands HQ           33  63  40  73 /   0   0   0   0
Jornada Range            19  64  27  71 /   0   0   0   0
Hatch                    23  67  32  72 /   0   0   0   0
Columbus                 26  66  37  75 /   0   0   0   0
Orogrande                23  61  29  69 /   0   0   0   0
Mayhill                  28  61  35  71 /   0   0   0   0
Mescalero                24  56  30  64 /   0   0   0   0
Timberon                 23  55  28  64 /   0   0   0   0
Winston                  19  62  26  70 /   0   0   0   0
Hillsboro                27  67  35  72 /   0   0   0   0
Spaceport                20  64  26  70 /   0   0   0   0
Lake Roberts             17  61  23  68 /   0   0   0   0
Hurley                   22  63  31  70 /   0   0   0   0
Cliff                    12  66  12  71 /   0   0   0   0
Mule Creek                9  62   9  68 /   0   0   0   0
Faywood                  27  63  37  70 /   0   0   0   0
Animas                   21  69  32  74 /   0   0   0   0
Hachita                  21  67  32  73 /   0   0   0   0
Antelope Wells           26  70  36  76 /   0   0   0   0
Cloverdale               31  65  39  70 /   0   0   0   0

&&

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

FORECASTER...41-Kelly

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Western El Paso County

When
February 1, 12:00 AM MST to February 28, 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)

The entire zone remained in Extreme(D3) drought.

Drought, Eastern/Central El Paso County

When
February 1, 12:00 AM MST to February 28, 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 zone remained in Extreme(D3) drought throughout the month. The El Paso airport reported 0.03 inches of precipitation which was 0.37 inches below normal.

Drought, Northern Hudspeth Highlands/Hueco Mountains

When
February 1, 12:00 AM MST to February 28, 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)

Extreme(D3) drought conditions continued throughout the month.

Drought, Salt Basin

When
February 1, 12:00 AM MST to February 28, 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 entire zone remained in Extreme(D3) drought throughout the month.

Drought, Southern Hudspeth Highlands

When
February 1, 12:00 AM MST to February 28, 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 western half of the zone remained in Extreme(D3) drought while the east continued to be in Exceptional(D4) drought.

Drought, Rio Grande Valley of Eastern El Paso/Western Hudspeth Counties

When
February 1, 12:00 AM MST to February 28, 11:59 PM MST
Where
Rio Grande Valley of Eastern El Paso/Western Hudspeth Counties forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
31.612, -105.810 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The entire zone remained in Extreme(D3) drought. The Tornillo Cooperative Observer received no precipitation which was 0.37 inches below normal.

Drought, Rio Grande Valley of Eastern Hudspeth County

When
February 1, 12:00 AM MST to February 28, 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 Exceptional(D4) drought while the west continued in Extreme(D3) 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, February 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: 1233388, 1233389, 1233390, 1233391, 1233392, 1233394, 1233396.