Texas, 2025

Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 2025

October 1 to 31, 2025 · NWS EPZ · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

An above normal month of rainfall helped to continue improving drought conditions for Far West Texas in October.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
4

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.

An above normal month of rainfall helped to continue improving drought conditions for Far West Texas in October.

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 Sep 30, 9:17 PM MST, 2 hours 43 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Updated at 935 PM MDT Tue Sep 30 2025
  • Dry conditions persist through the week ahead.
  • Temperatures will climb to around 5 to 8 degrees above normal by Thursday as a drier air mass takes over. Southerly winds may also become a little breezy Saturday and Sunday.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 30, 9:17 PM MST, 2 hours 43 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service El Paso TX/Santa Teresa NM
1017 PM MDT Tue Sep 30 2025

...New DISCUSSION, AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 935 PM MDT Tue Sep 30 2025

 - Dry conditions persist through the week ahead.

 - Temperatures will climb to around 5 to 8 degrees above normal by
   Thursday as a drier air mass takes over. Southerly winds may also
   become a little breezy Saturday and Sunday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 935 PM MDT Tue Sep 30 2025

The monsoon season has wrapped up, but that doesn't mean that rain
is completely out of the forecast; we will stay dry through the
coming weekend, though. An upper level ridge centered to our south
over northern Mexico won't be in much of a hurry to move off.
This ridge will keep us dry, with light winds and our high
temperatures running around 5 degrees above average.

By Saturday, the ridge shows signs of breaking down as a decent
upper level trough pushes across the Four Corners region. This
trough won't have much moisture to work with, but it may give us
some clouds. The other impact from the trough will be the breezy
winds. Right now, it doesn't look too windy. We do have a lee side
trough develop Saturday afternoon, but it doesn't look very
strong, so for now it looks like we will have breezy (15 to 25
mph) winds Saturday afternoon. Right now I'm not expecting much
blowing dust; the winds aren't that strong and recent rains should
continue to help keep the dust down. High temperatures this
weekend will continue to run a few degrees above average.

For the start of next week, another upper level ridge will
initially be centered over southeast U.S. and the circulation
around the ridge will begin to draw up some lingering moisture out
of northern Mexico. Right now it is still too early to tell if we
will get enough moisture for some rain chances for Monday
afternoon. After Monday the current extended models indicate that
some tropical moisture from a Pacific tropical system may try to
make its way into the southwest U.S. later next week, but where
the moisture goes will depend on both the track of the tropical
system and the exact location of the upper level ridge. For now
you can enjoy our quiet and warm weather through at least Sunday.

&&

.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 935 PM MDT Tue Sep 30 2025

We will see quiet weather for the tonight and Wednesday. Ceilings
tonight into the day on Wednesday will be unlimited. The winds
will be light and variable tonight, We will have light south or
southwest winds on Wednesday.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 1040 AM MDT Tue Sep 30 2025

Fire weather concerns are low with low fire danger this week with
below normal ERCs and high soil moisture. Min RH 30-40%, dropping
into the 20s by the end of the work week with light west winds 7 to
15 mph. Vent rates will be Good today and Wednesday afternoon with
transport to the east.

The ridge is expected to break down on Saturday as a closed low
sweeps into the Great Basin, leading to an increase in southwest
winds that afternoon. Winds will fall short of hitting critical
thresholds and with minimum RH only dipping into the upper teens,
elevated to critical fire weather conditions will be unlikely. The
aforementioned low will be absorbed into a larger scale trough
cruising the Canada/CONUS border, keeping dry air in place on
Sunday, along with low-end breezy conditions.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
El Paso                  91  66  92  66 /   0   0   0   0
Sierra Blanca            85  57  86  56 /   0   0   0   0
Las Cruces               86  59  87  59 /   0   0   0   0
Alamogordo               86  60  87  60 /   0   0   0   0
Cloudcroft               64  45  66  44 /   0   0   0   0
Truth or Consequences    84  58  86  59 /   0   0   0   0
Silver City              79  55  81  57 /   0   0   0   0
Deming                   88  58  90  60 /   0   0   0   0
Lordsburg                84  60  87  63 /   0   0   0   0
West El Paso Metro       88  65  90  65 /   0   0   0   0
Dell City                88  58  89  57 /   0   0   0   0
Fort Hancock             91  63  92  63 /   0   0   0   0
Loma Linda               81  60  83  59 /   0   0   0   0
Fabens                   90  63  91  62 /   0   0   0   0
Santa Teresa             86  62  88  62 /   0   0   0   0
White Sands HQ           86  63  87  62 /   0   0   0   0
Jornada Range            85  60  87  59 /   0   0   0   0
Hatch                    88  58  90  59 /   0   0   0   0
Columbus                 88  60  90  61 /   0   0   0   0
Orogrande                84  58  86  59 /   0   0   0   0
Mayhill                  76  49  77  49 /   0   0   0   0
Mescalero                76  49  78  49 /  10   0   0   0
Timberon                 73  48  74  48 /   0   0   0   0
Winston                  77  48  79  49 /  10   0   0   0
Hillsboro                84  56  86  57 /   0   0   0   0
Spaceport                84  57  86  57 /   0   0   0   0
Lake Roberts             80  48  82  51 /  10   0   0   0
Hurley                   82  54  84  56 /   0   0   0   0
Cliff                    86  55  88  58 /   0   0   0   0
Mule Creek               82  53  84  57 /   0   0   0   0
Faywood                  81  56  82  57 /   0   0   0   0
Animas                   86  59  89  61 /   0   0   0   0
Hachita                  85  58  87  59 /   0   0   0   0
Antelope Wells           86  60  88  60 /   0   0   0   0
Cloverdale               81  59  84  60 /   0   0   0   0

&&

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

FORECASTER...15-Brice

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Western El Paso County

When
October 1, 12:00 AM MST to October 31, 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 zone remained in Severe(D2) drought during the month of October.

Drought, Salt Basin

When
October 1, 12:00 AM MST to October 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 month started out with Extreme(D3) drought east and Severe(D2) drought west. By the end of the month, the east was in Severe(D2) drought and Moderate(D1) drought over the far west.

Drought, Southern Hudspeth Highlands

When
October 1, 12:00 AM MST to October 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 entire zone started out the month in Severe(D2) drought with the western half improving to Moderate(D1) drought by the end of the month.

Drought, Rio Grande Valley of Eastern Hudspeth County

When
October 1, 12:00 AM MST to October 31, 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 month started out with the entire zone in Severe(D2) drought. The western half of the zone improved to Moderate(D1) drought by 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 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, October 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: 1296401, 1296402, 1296403, 1296404.