Lack of rainfall and persistent heat allowed Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3) Drought conditions to expand farther east into Hidalgo County for the final week of February, 2026. Farmers in the area had mixed results, with early spring planting being delayed due to the top five-ten warmest conditions combined with no rainfall.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
Lack of rainfall and persistent heat allowed Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3) Drought conditions to expand farther east into Hidalgo County for the final week of February, 2026. Farmers in the area had mixed results, with early spring planting being delayed due to the top five-ten warmest conditions combined with no rainfall.
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 Feb 23, 10:18 PM CST, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Brownsville TX 1018 PM CST Mon Feb 23 2026 ...New DISCUSSION, AVIATION, MARINE, FIRE WEATHER... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 958 PM CST Mon Feb 23 2026 * A Fire Danger Statement is in effect for inland Deep South Texas, with the exception of Zapata and coastal/island counties, from 12 PM to 6 PM Tuesday. See the FIRE WEATHER section for more details. * Warmer than normal temperatures can be expected through early next week with rain-free conditions continuing. * A heat spike with record to near record-breaking temperatures is expected to occur on Thursday. * Fire weather concerns are possible mid to late week. * Adverse to hazardous marine/coastal conditions are expected to develop Tuesday afternoon through Thursday before improving late week through next weekend. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 958 PM CST Mon Feb 23 2026 An anomalously strong 585-590 dam Sonoran heat dome situated over the Baja Peninsula through the workweek will drive unseasonably warm temperatures across the Southwestern U.S., including us here in Deep South Texas. This weather feature will remain a fixture to the weather pattern as it propagates eastward over Texas next weekend supporting the continuation of warmer than normal temperatures into at least the early parts of next week. A heat spike, driven by the combination of the aforementioned heat ridge and compressional heating (downsloping) off the Sierra Madre, will result in record to near record-breaking temperatures on Thursday (February 26) across Deep South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. Outside of the early season warmth/heat spike, rain-free conditions will prevail through the forecast period or through early next week. A Fire Danger Statement is in effect for inland Deep South Texas, with the exception of Zapata and coastal/island counties, from 12 PM to 6 PM Tuesday. See the FIRE WEATHER section for more details. There will be the potential for further Fire Weather concerns developing on Wednesday as relative humidity (RH) values drop and gusty southerly winds prevail. A weak, moisture-starved cool front is expected to sweep through the region Thursday night into Friday. High temperatures for the most part will range between the mid to upper 80s near the coast to the mid 90s west through the forecast period. On Tuesday, high temperatures are expected to top out in the upper 70s to mid 80s. During Thursday's heat spike, high temps are progged to climb into the 90s across much of the area with pockets of 100s, generally along and west of IH-69C. Overnight low temps will be in the 50s and 60s through the forecast period, outside of tonight (40s/50s). && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 958 PM CST Mon Feb 23 2026 Through 06z Wednesday....VFR conditions are expected to prevail through the 06z TAF cycle under mainly clear skies. Easterly winds 5-15 kts with isolated gusts up to 15-20 kts this evening will weaken and become light and variable into tonight with speeds up to 5 kts. On Tuesday, winds will develop out of the southeast with speeds between 10-15 kts and gusts as high as 25 kts. && .MARINE... Issued at 958 PM CST Mon Feb 23 2026 Favorable marine conditions will prevail through tomorrow morning across the Gulf as the region remains under the influence of high pressure. Small Craft Exercise Caution conditions return tomorrow afternoon along the Laguna Madre and nearshore Gulf waters due to a locally enhanced pressure gradient. Winds will remain elevated through at least early Thursday morning, likely reaching Small Craft Advisory criteria late Tuesday night into Wednesday. More favorable conditions return by the end of the week and into the weekend. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 958 PM CST Mon Feb 23 2026 A Fire Danger Statement is in effect for all inland Deep South Texas, with the exception of Zapata and coastal/island counties, from 12 PM to 6 PM Tuesday. South-southeasterly 20 foot winds of around 15 mph, gusting to 20 to 25 mph (or greater), combine with minimum afternoon relative humidity values of 30 percent to 40 percent (lower further west) to produce elevated fire weather conditions. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BROWNSVILLE 53 77 64 82 / 0 0 0 0 HARLINGEN 48 79 59 87 / 0 0 0 0 MCALLEN 52 82 61 92 / 0 0 0 0 RIO GRANDE CITY 48 82 56 94 / 0 0 0 0 SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 60 72 66 76 / 0 0 0 0 BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL 53 77 61 82 / 0 0 0 0 && .BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. GM...None. && SHORT TERM...23-Evbuoma LONG TERM....23-Evbuoma AVIATION...23-Evbuoma
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Extreme (D3) Drought expanded to cover all but a small sliver of northern Hidalgo County to close February 2026. That sliver included an area along the Willacy County line, mainly from 10-12 miles east of San Manuel to the line.
Extreme (D3) Drought expanded to cover the western two-thirds of southern Hidalgo County, with Severe (D2) Drought expanding into the remainder of southern (southeastern) Hidalgo County. In this farm-rich area, spring planting was delayed due to the lack of rainfall, and citrus blooms were slowed as soil moisture values remained very low.
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: 1321040, 1321042.