Exceptional (D2) Drought shrunk in coverage on April 21, 2026, with a small pocket of Extreme (D3) conditions holding on across the Brush Country. 17% of the region - down from nearly 95% (D3 and Exceptional, D4 combined) to begin the month.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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.
Exceptional (D2) Drought shrunk in coverage on April 21, 2026, with a small pocket of Extreme (D3) conditions holding on across the Brush Country. D2 conditions covered just 56% of the area, with D3 only covering 2.17% of the region - down from nearly 95% (D3 and Exceptional, D4 combined) to begin the month. Additional rainfall, mainly on April 18th, as well as a period of much below average temperatures and light rain/drizzle, helped the cause.
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 Apr 20, 11:32 PM CST, 28 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Brownsville TX
1232 AM CDT Tue Apr 21 2026
...New AVIATION...
.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 1229 AM CDT Tue Apr 21 2026
Key Messages:
* Lingering sprinkles/showers through Tuesday morning.
* Mainly dry Wednesday through early next week with warming
temperatures.
* A High Risk for Rip Currents remains in effect till Tuesday
morning.
* Mostly adverse (Small Craft Exercise Caution) marine conditions
to continue through Friday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 933 PM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026
Latest GOES-19 visible satellite and radar imagery depicted a BKN-
OVC deck of low level stratus and stratocumulus clouds overhead. A
few sprinkles were around, but the main rain shower activity remains
offshore. This activity is associated with a coastal trough overhead
that has been meandering over the region over the past couple of
days. Through Tuesday morning, expect for any lingering showers to
come to an end as the coastal trough departs to our north. Extensive
cloud cover will continue through the day on Tuesday though showing
gradual improvements during the afternoon into the evening hours.
High temperatures will remain cooler than normal for late April
with values topping out in the lower 80s.
Mainly rain-free weather will persist through the early parts of
next week. Meanwhile, a warming trend will take place Wednesday
through Monday of next week. Wednesday through Saturday, high
temperatures will range from the upper 80s to lower 90s near the
coast to the upper 90s west. Sunday through Monday, temperatures
heat up slightly in response to a strengthening 591 dam sub-
tropical heat dome to our south across central Mexico. Daytime
highs are progged to be in the low to mid 90s near the coast to
the upper 90s west. Overnight low temperatures will mainly be in
the 70s through early next week.
&&
.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1229 AM CDT Tue Apr 21 2026
IFR conditions are generally expected to prevail through the night
and gradually improve on Tuesday, back to VFR by Tuesday
afternoon. Rain chances remain scattered, but pesky tonight at BRO
and HRL. Visibility may deteriorate near daybreak with patchy fog
developing.
&&
.MARINE...
Issued at 933 PM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026
Mostly adverse (Small Craft Exercise Caution) conditions will be
in place through Friday with wave heights over the Gulf Waters
mainly between 4-6 feet. Saturday through Monday of next week,
marine conditions become more favorable with light to moderate
winds and moderate seas.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
BROWNSVILLE 71 86 72 87 / 10 10 0 0
HARLINGEN 68 88 69 88 / 10 10 0 0
MCALLEN 72 91 72 91 / 10 10 0 0
RIO GRANDE CITY 70 90 70 93 / 10 10 0 0
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 73 79 74 81 / 10 10 0 0
BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL 70 84 71 86 / 10 10 0 0
&&
.BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...High Rip Current Risk until 7 AM CDT this morning for TXZ451-454-
455.
GM...None.
&&
SHORT TERM...23-Evbuoma
LONG TERM....23-Evbuoma
AVIATION...56-HallmanThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
While the southeastern part of Jim Hogg improved to Moderate Drought (D1), northwestern Jim Hogg County remained under Severe (D2) Drought conditions during the April 21-30 timeframe.
Central and western Cameron County remained under Severe (D2) Drought conditions during the April 21-30 timeframe.
Central and western Willacy County remained under Severe (D2) Drought conditions during the April 21-30 timeframe.
A southern fifth of Brooks County remained under Severe (D2) Drought conditions during the April 21-30 timeframe.
Southwestern Inland Kenedy County remained under Severe (D2) Drought conditions during the April 21-30 timeframe.
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: 1333294, 1333297, 1333298, 1333299, 1333300.