79% Exceptional Drought. This was the highest coverage of Extreme to Exceptional Drought in the region since April 2013.
Every event with a place to put it; 12 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS BRO wrote it up.
D2 (Severe) to D4 (Exceptional) Drought conditions remained in place across all of the Lower Rio Grande Valley/Deep South Texas ranchlands into early April, with 94.59% of the region in Extreme (Level 3 of 4) to Exceptional (Level 4 of 4), and 54.79% Exceptional Drought. This was the highest coverage of Extreme to Exceptional Drought in the region since April 2013. There was notable crop and livestock production reductions and loss into early April; these values will be provided once received.
Widespread rains finally arrived on April 4 and 5, and would begin the process of gradual drought improvements starting on April 7 which would continue through the month.
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 Brownsville, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 31, 11:26 PM CST, 34 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Brownsville TX 1226 AM CDT Wed Apr 1 2026 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 1222 AM CDT Wed Apr 1 2026 Key Messages: - Unseasonably warm, dry, and breezy to windy conditions this week improve behind a cold front with deep moisture this weekend. - Showers and thunderstorms are expected Easter weekend and early next week, with early total rainfall estimates of 1 to locally 2 inches by Monday evening. - Breezy to windy conditions this week and a cold front this weekend will create adverse marine conditions across the bay and Gulf waters. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 1045 PM CDT Tue Mar 31 2026 A much welcomed pattern change is finally arriving with the start of April. Above normal temperatures and very breezy afternoons continue through the remainder of the week before a cold front arrives Saturday night into Sunday, offering up a 10-20 degree cooler swing into Easter and early next week. More importantly, aside from the break in the heat, confidence in beneficial rainfall is increasing for the holiday weekend. The chance for sea breeze convection has diminished below 10 percent through Friday, but there still may be some daily sign of life on radar and hopefully in some rain gauges. A much higher chance of rain is expected ahead of, with, and behind the frontal passage Saturday into Monday with a weak coastal trough and surface low hanging around, extending both instability and deeper moisture. WPC has introduced a Marginal Risk of Excessive Rainfall from Saturday into Sunday morning. PWAT values near 1.8 to 1.9 inches arrive Saturday night into Sunday, well above the 90th percentile for early April. Extreme forecast indices also highlight the CWA for excessive rainfall Saturday night into Sunday night. Any thunderstorm in this atmosphere will be an efficient rainmaker and given the lack of rainfall for well over a month to month and a half for some locations, there is an increasing runoff and flash flood threat. Long droughts in Texas upended by flooding rain is very well documented, so this will continue to be monitored through the week. There is still plenty of time to clean and prepare drainage ditches or canals and get any rain catching buckets or barrels into place. The best chance of any severe weather will be Saturday afternoon into early Sunday morning. Stay tuned! && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1222 AM CDT Wed Apr 1 2026 MVFR to VFR will prevail at the aerodromes through the next 24 hours. Moderate to breezy winds are anticipated with partly to mostly cloudy skies. && .MARINE... Issued at 1045 PM CDT Tue Mar 31 2026 Southeasterly winds persist into the weekend with an enhanced pressure gradient along the lower Texas coast increasing winds each afternoon to SCEC and borderline SCA conditions. A cold front late Saturday into Sunday brings northerly winds and potential SCA conditions across the Gulf, as well as showers and thunderstorms, including some heavy to strong showers and thunderstorms Saturday night into early Sunday. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BROWNSVILLE 73 88 73 87 / 0 0 10 0 HARLINGEN 69 92 70 92 / 0 0 10 0 MCALLEN 74 95 75 95 / 0 0 10 0 RIO GRANDE CITY 71 97 73 96 / 0 0 10 10 SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 74 80 73 80 / 10 0 10 0 BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL 71 86 70 87 / 0 0 10 0 && .BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...None. &&
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
12 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
D4 (Exceptional Drought) conditions persisted from April 1 to April 6 across all of Jim Hogg County.
D4 (Exceptional Drought) conditions persisted from April 1 to April 6 across all of Brooks County.
D4 (Exceptional Drought) conditions persisted from April 1 to April 6 across all of Northern Hidalgo County.
D4 (Exceptional Drought) conditions persisted from April 1 to April 6 across central Southern Hidalgo County. D3 (Extreme Drought) conditions persisted across eastern and western Southern Hidalgo County.
D4 (Exceptional Drought) conditions persisted from April 1 to April 6 across extreme western Willacy County. D3 (Extreme Drought) conditions persisted across eastern and western Willacy County. D2 (Severe Drought) conditions persisted across central Willacy County.
D4 (Exceptional Drought) conditions persisted from April 1 to April 6 across western Inland Kenedy County. D3(Extreme Drought) conditions persisted across central and eastern Inland Kenedy County. D2 (Severe Drought) conditions persisted across extreme northeastern and extreme south-central Inland Kenedy County.
D4 (Exceptional Drought) conditions persisted from April 1 to April 6 across northern Starr County. D3 (Extreme Drought) conditions persisted across central Starr County. D2 (Severe Drought) conditions persisted across southern Starr County.
D4 (Exceptional Drought) conditions persisted from April 1 to April 6 across eastern and central Zapata County. D3 (Extreme Drought) conditions persisted across north-central and western Zapata County.
D3 (Extreme Drought) conditions persisted across much of Cameron County April 1-6. D2 (Severe Drought) conditions persisted across extreme north-central Cameron County.
D3 (Extreme Drought) conditions persisted across all of Island Willacy County April 1-6.
D3 (Extreme Drought) conditions persisted across all of Island Cameron County April 1-6.
D3 (Extreme Drought) conditions persisted across central and southern Kenedy Island April 1-6. D2 (Severe Drought) across northern Kenedy Island April 1-6.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, April 2026
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: 1333105, 1333106, 1333107, 1333110, 1333112, 1333114, 1333115, 1333119, 1333131, 1333133, 1333142, 1333173.