Across South Texas and the Coastal Bend during February, persistent drought and very limited rainfall continued to strain agricultural conditions. Periods of freezing temperatures early in the month caused damage to several leafy vegetable crops and burned back pasture grasses, while most areas received little meaningful precipitation despite occasional scattered showers.
Every event with a place to put it; 21 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 CRP wrote it up.
Across South Texas and the Coastal Bend during February, persistent drought and very limited rainfall continued to strain agricultural conditions. Periods of freezing temperatures early in the month caused damage to several leafy vegetable crops and burned back pasture grasses, while most areas received little meaningful precipitation despite occasional scattered showers. Soil moisture remained very short across much of the region, with some irrigation canals and stock tanks running low or dry. These dry conditions delayed widespread planting of corn, sorghum, and other row crops, as many producers waited for sufficient soil moisture to support germination, though limited planting began where moisture allowed. Irrigated small grains such as oats and wheat generally held up better than dryland fields, and onion harvest began with strong yields despite earlier cold stress. Rangeland and pasture conditions remained poor to very poor, forcing livestock producers to rely heavily on hay and supplemental feed as supplies tightened and forage availability declined. As drought impacts persisted, some producers reduced herd sizes, though strong cattle markets continued to provide some financial support.
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 Jan 31, 11:51 PM CST, 9 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Corpus Christi TX
1151 PM CST Sat Jan 31 2026
...New DISCUSSION, AVIATION, MARINE, FIRE WEATHER...
.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 1146 PM CST Sat Jan 31 2026
- Warming conditions through most of the week
- Low to medium rain chances Tuesday and Wednesday
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 1146 PM CST Sat Jan 31 2026
A brisk cold start will be in store this morning, though with
onshore flow returning it will be a little bit warmer than
yesterday. Highs are expected to get into the 60s across majority of
the area. We will continue to see a warming trend returning to the
70s and 80s by Tuesday. Our next cold front will swing through
Tuesday night into Wednesday, bringing some rain chances in the
Victoria Crossroads. This should bring temperatures down only
slightly since this front doesn't appear to be as strong, though
temperatures should recover by the end of the work week. Highs
should climb back to the 80s to the west by this weekend. The area
will remain mostly dry through the period.
Will continue to monitor the potential for some fog along the coast
on Monday night into Tuesday as water temperatures have fallen back
into the lower 50s in the bays and dewpoints in the upper 50s are
likely at that time. Inland fog is less likely as surface winds are
forecast to stay a bit elevated overnight. Will also have to monitor
for the possibility for Small Craft Advisory conditions. Winds are
forecasted to be around 20 to 25 knots which would warrant an
advisory.
&&
.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1146 PM CST Sat Jan 31 2026
VFR conditions will prevail across all terminals under mostly clear
skies and light variable winds.
&&
.MARINE...
Issued at 1146 PM CST Sat Jan 31 2026
Gentle to moderate breeze (BF 3-4) by Sunday morning and shift
around to the southeast by Sunday evening. Wind speeds will
increase again Monday night into Tuesday to moderate to strong
levels. There is a low to medium chance for showers Tuesday and
Wednesday.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 1146 PM CST Sat Jan 31 2026
RH will come up today as onshore flow returns to the region. ERC
values remain generally low, and the potential for critical fire
conditions is low. There is a low to medium chance for showers
toward the middle of next week to the east as a cold front swings
through the area. Relative humidity values will fall behind the
front to low levels (<30%) again around but winds will remain
generally at light levels. ERCs will increase around the 50-89th
percentile in the Brush Country to portions of the Coastal Plains
which would likely warrant at least an Fire Danger Statement. Will
continue to monitor how this unfolds through the week.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Corpus Christi 62 47 71 60 / 0 0 0 0
Victoria 60 38 71 57 / 0 0 0 10
Laredo 63 47 74 56 / 0 0 0 0
Alice 64 43 74 57 / 0 0 0 0
Rockport 59 48 68 58 / 0 0 0 0
Cotulla 60 42 71 53 / 0 0 0 0
Kingsville 65 45 73 58 / 0 0 0 0
Navy Corpus 60 53 68 62 / 0 0 0 10
&&
.CRP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...Cold Weather Advisory until 9 AM CST Sunday for TXZ229>234-246-
247.
Freeze Warning until 9 AM CST Sunday for TXZ229>234-239>244-246-
247.
GM...None.
&&
DISCUSSION...NP/92
AVIATION...EMF/94The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
21 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Continued D3 drought. Introduction of D4 on 2/24.
Continued D2 and D3 drought. D3 expanded to cover whole county on 2/24.
Continued D2 and D3 drought.
Continued D2 and D3 drought.
Continued D2 and D3 drought. Introduction of D4 on 2/24.
Continued D2 and D3 drought.
Continued D2 and D3 drought. Introduction of D4 on 2/24.
Continued D2 and D3 drought. Introduction of D4 on 2/24.
Continued D2 and D3 drought. Introduction of D4 on 2/24.
Continued D2 drought.
Continued D2 and D3 drought.
Continued D2 and D3 drought.
Continued D2 drought.
Continued D2 drought.
Continued D2 drought. Introduction of D3 on 2/24.
Continued D2 drought. Introduction of D3 on 2/24.
Continued D2 drought. Introduction of D3 on 2/24.
Continued D2 drought. Introduction of D3 on 2/24.
Continued D2 drought. Introduction of D3 on 2/24.
Continued D2 drought. Introduction of D3 on 2/24.
Continued D2 drought. Introduction of D3 on 2/24.
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, February 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: 1314328, 1314329, 1314330, 1314332, 1314333, 1314334, 1314336, 1314337, 1314338, 1314339, 1314340, 1314341, 1314342, 1314343, 1314344, 1314345, 1314346, 1314347, 1314348, 1314349, 1314350.