Texas, 2025

Drought in Texas, May 1 to 31, 2025

May 1 to 31, 2025 · NWS CRP · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

In May, South Texas agriculture experienced a mix of favorable growing conditions and persistent weather-related challenges. While scattered thunderstorms and isolated rain events brought much-needed moisture to some areas (boosting stock tank levels, forage growth, and crop development) hot temperatures, high winds, and short to very short topsoil and subsoil moisture continued to stress crops…

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

Open the live radar over this ground

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 CRP wrote it up.

In May, South Texas agriculture experienced a mix of favorable growing conditions and persistent weather-related challenges. While scattered thunderstorms and isolated rain events brought much-needed moisture to some areas (boosting stock tank levels, forage growth, and crop development) hot temperatures, high winds, and short to very short topsoil and subsoil moisture continued to stress crops in other parts of the region. Damage from hail and strong winds, including gusts up to 115 mph, impacted approximately 2,500 acres of row crops. The following is a summary from Texas A&M AgriLife regarding the state of crops in this region from this month: Corn, cotton, sorghum, sesame, and citrus crops generally progressed well, though many showed signs of heat stress and required additional rainfall, especially in later growth stages. Pest pressures increased, including cotton fleahoppers, rice stink bugs, and armyworms, prompting treatment efforts. Pasture and rangeland conditions improved overall, especially in areas that avoided prolonged flooding from earlier storms, leading to decreased supplemental feeding and improved livestock condition. Hay production ramped up, with some first cuttings completed or underway. Despite localized improvements, continued heat, wind, and inconsistent rainfall patterns maintained drought-related concerns for agricultural producers across the district.

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 Corpus Christi, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 30, 11:37 PM CST, 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 30, 11:37 PM CST, 23 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX
1237 AM CDT Thu May 1 2025

...New AVIATION...

.SHORT TERM...
(Tonight through Thursday night)
Issued at 116 PM CDT Wed Apr 30 2025

Key Messages:

- Low chance for light showers/thunderstorms Thursday morning,
  followed by a moderate heat risk in the afternoon.

A shortwave trough is moving through northern Texas and the Texas
Panhandle. At the surface, this is pushing an extensive area of
showers and thunderstorms through the Dallas Metroplex. This MCS
structure will continue to move eastward, with storms forming and
propagating to the northeast on the southern tail as it moves
through southeast Texas. The biggest question is how intense the
showers and thunderstorms will be as it moves through the Houston
metro. Some hi-res guidance is showing an outflow boundary from
the southern tail of this MCS and popping up showers and
thunderstorms along the Middle Texas coast. The other half of the
guidance has the southern tail convection fizzling out as it
approaches the Hwy 59 corridor, and thus reducing chances for
showers and thunderstorms near the Victoria Crossroads Thursday
morning. For this reason, I have increased PoPs along coastal
counties near sunrise and diminishing throughout Thursday morning.
Minimal accumulations expected at this time, but in a stronger
shower/thunderstorm, a few tenths of rainfall is not outside the
realm of possibility. Thursday night another shortwave moves
across South Texas introducing chances for widespread
shower/thunderstorm activity.

Due to the moistness of the Gulf staying in the area, dewpoints in
the low to mid 70s will keep our morning lows in the 70s Thursday
morning with highs climbing into the 90s to low 100s (upper 80s
along the coastline and into the Victoria Crossroads). Given this
humid airmass, heat risk will increase to moderate across the
Brush County and toward the Rio Grande.

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Friday through next Tuesday)
Issued at 116 PM CDT Wed Apr 30 2025

- Soggy weekend with widespread showers/thunderstorms

- Marginal Risk of Excessive Rainfall through Saturday

Friday, the flow aloft will be split with troughing along the West
and in the Great Lakes, with ridging along the Rockies and into
the Great Plains. Below all this, the subtropical jet will be
increasing influence in South Texas providing the necessary
widespread diffluence to support a widespread rain event Friday
through Sunday. The probability for rainfall amounts exceeding 1
inch for the 3-day period ending Sunday morning generally is low
to moderate (30-50% chance), potentially making for soggy Cinco de
Mayo festivities this weekend. Per the latest forecast package,
the area with the highest forecast amounts will be across the
western Brush Country. We will have to continue to monitor these
trends. As of right now, WPC still has portions of northern Brush
Country under a Marginal through of Excessive Rainfall from
Thursday through Saturday, with all of the forecast area under
this marginal threat on Saturday.

This area will continue to pushing east through the upcoming week,
with a return of precipitation from Tuesday through mid week.
Confidence in forecast rainfall amounts are low given the
uncertainty in how strong the Pacific closed low will be as it
moves into the Southwest and how quickly it does so.

Temperatures will be in the 90s on Friday, but with widespread
rain and overcast skies dominating the forecast this weekend,
highs will struggle to climb above the 80s. By the upcoming work
week, highs across the Brush Country climb into the low 90s while
remaining in the 80s in the Victoria Crossroads.

&&

.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1236 AM CDT Thu May 1 2025

MVFR CIGs will persist once again tonight for our easternmost sites,
with our western sites forecast to lower to MVFR levels closer to
sunrise. Southeasterly winds will generally be around 10 knots
overnight. Low probabilities for patchy fog exist across the Coastal
Plains, including KALI and KVCT. Included TEMPO groups to denote
brief MVFR VSBYs and IFR CIGs Thursday morning. CIGs will gradually
lift back to VFR by mid-to-late morning alongside gusty winds,
sustained around 15-20 knots with gusts up to 25 knots.

As for precipitation, low chances (20-40%) of isolated showers and
storms exist Thursday morning across the Coastal Plains and into the
Victoria Crossroads. Overall confidence/predictability remains low
at this time. However, opted to include mention of -SHRA for KVCT
where confidence is highest.

&&

.MARINE...
Issued at 116 PM CDT Wed Apr 30 2025

Onshore flow will be moderate to fresh (BF 4-5) tonight leading to Small
Craft Should Exercise Caution conditions. The flow will diminish
Thursday to gentle to moderate (BF 3-4) by the afternoon. Some
light showers and thunderstorms near Matagorda Bay possible
Thursday morning. Expect a gentle to moderate (BF 3-4) onshore
flow through Saturday with seas decreasing from 5 ft to 3-4 ft by
this weekend with increased chances of scattered to widespread
showers and thunderstorms. By Monday, onshore flow increases to
moderate to fresh (BF 4-5) with seas increasing to 4-6 ft.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 116 PM CDT Wed Apr 30 2025

Moisture will increase Thursday through the weekend, negating
fire weather concerns. Low shower and thunderstorm chances
Wednesday through Thursday will increase to medium Friday through
the weekend.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Corpus Christi    74  87  71  81 /  10  10  50  60
Victoria          71  88  66  82 /  10  30  60  60
Laredo            72  95  70  82 /  30  20  70  60
Alice             72  92  69  82 /  10  10  60  60
Rockport          75  86  71  83 /  10  10  60  70
Cotulla           71  94  69  82 /  30  30  70  40
Kingsville        73  89  70  82 /  10  10  50  60
Navy Corpus       75  83  72  79 /  10  10  60  70

&&

.CRP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...None.
GM...None.
&&

SHORT TERM...AE/82
LONG TERM....AE/82
AVIATION...KRS/98

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 30, 6:57 PM CST, 5 hours 3 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX
757 PM CDT Wed Apr 30 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0729 PM     Hail             1 NNE Whitsett          28.64N 98.27W
04/30/2025  M1.25 Inch       Live Oak           TX   Law Enforcement

            DPS Reported half-dollar sized hail at
            intersection if I-37 and FM 99, near
            Whitsett.

&&

JM
Local storm report, Apr 30, 7:13 PM CST, 4 hours 47 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX
813 PM CDT Wed Apr 30 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0804 PM     Hail             3 ENE Pawnee            28.65N 97.96W
04/30/2025  E1.25 Inch       Bee                TX   Public

            mPing Report.

&&

JM
Local storm report, Apr 30, 7:43 PM CST, 4 hours 17 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX
843 PM CDT Wed Apr 30 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0843 PM     Hail             1 ESE Normanna          28.53N 97.78W
04/30/2025  E1.00 Inch       Bee                TX   Emergency Mngr

            Bee County EMC Reported.

&&

JM
Local storm report, Apr 30, 8:02 PM CST, 3 hours 58 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX
902 PM CDT Wed Apr 30 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0801 PM     Hail             1 NNE Pawnee            28.65N 98.00W
04/30/2025  E1.75 Inch       Bee                TX   Trained Spotter

&&

JM
Local storm report, Apr 30, 8:58 PM CST, 3 hours 2 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX
958 PM CDT Wed Apr 30 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0805 PM     Hail             1 S Pawnee              28.65N 98.00W
04/30/2025  E2.75 Inch       Bee                TX   Law Enforcement

            Photos showing windows completely broken out
            on all sides of police vehicle from very
            large hail while officer was in vehicle.

&&

JM

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, Webb

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 AM CST
Where
Webb forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
27.761, -99.332 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Continued D3 and D2.

Drought, La Salle

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 AM CST
Where
La Salle forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
28.345, -99.100 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Continued D3 and D2.

Drought, Duval

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 AM CST
Where
Duval forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
27.681, -98.509 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Continued D2.

Drought, McMullen

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 AM CST
Where
McMullen forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
28.353, -98.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Continued D3 and D2.

Drought, Live Oak

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 31, 11:59 AM CST
Where
Live Oak forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
28.351, -98.125 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Continued D3 and D2.

Drought, Jim Wells

When
May 1, 12:00 AM CST to May 13, 11:59 AM CST
Where
Jim Wells forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
27.731, -98.090 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

D2 improved to D1.

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, May 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: 1253950, 1253951, 1253952, 1253953, 1253954, 1253955.