Drought, Foard
- When
- February 3, 6:00 AM CST to February 28, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Foard forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 33.975, -99.778 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought in Texas, February 3 to 28, 2026
Despite occasional precipitation episodes, especially across portions of northern Oklahoma and the eastern Red River Valley during the middle of the month, near to slightly below-average precipitation totals were observed for February 2026. This led to continued and slowly expanding drought in areas along and south of Interstate 40 in Oklahoma and adjacent western-north Texas.
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
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 OUN wrote it up.
Despite occasional precipitation episodes, especially across portions of northern Oklahoma and the eastern Red River Valley during the middle of the month, near to slightly below-average precipitation totals were observed for February 2026. This led to continued and slowly expanding drought in areas along and south of Interstate 40 in Oklahoma and adjacent western-north Texas.
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 Norman, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 3, 1:08 AM CST, 4 hours 52 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Updated at 1254 AM CST Tue Feb 3 2026
- Normal to above normal temperatures most of this week to well above normal going into the weekend.
- Light rain possible Wednesday morning with freezing rain possible across northcentral Oklahoma.
- Fire danger conditions will be increasing toward the end of this week.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 3, 1:08 AM CST, 4 hours 52 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Norman OK 108 AM CST Tue Feb 3 2026 ...New NEAR TERM, SHORT TERM, LONG TERM... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 1254 AM CST Tue Feb 3 2026 - Normal to above normal temperatures most of this week to well above normal going into the weekend. - Light rain possible Wednesday morning with freezing rain possible across northcentral Oklahoma. - Fire danger conditions will be increasing toward the end of this week. && .NEAR TERM... (Through Tuesday) Issued at 1254 AM CST Tue Feb 3 2026 A weak surface front originating lee of the Colorado Rockies currently stretched across northwest Oklahoma will continue to push through our area today. The air mass immediately behind this front is mostly moderate cooler Northwestern Pacific-based as we'll still see about a 10 degree cooldown this afternoon from yesterday with above normal highs in the upper 50s to lower 60s. We should see some clearing of skies toward sunrise although northwest flow aloft will refill cloud cover with increasing mid to high cloudiness during the afternoon hours. && .SHORT TERM... (Tuesday night through Thursday night) Issued at 1254 AM CST Tue Feb 3 2026 Pressure heights further decrease overnight as our upper trough deepens a bit with cooler reinforcing air gradually approaching the Southern Plains from out of the U.S. Great Lakes Region. High pressure down at the surface will build in early Wednesday morning with a second cold front push during late morning into the afternoon. Interaction between the surface boundary and a mid-level shortwave coming down from western Kansas could produce some precipitation across northern into central Oklahoma on Tuesday morning. Mostly a "cold" rain while precipitating although northcentral Oklahoma could see a changeover to a wintry mix of freezing rain/snow to freezing drizzle due to partial melting within a warm nose along with a gradually drying out dendritic ice growth zone overhead. Will keep up to 30% POPs for Wednesday morning. Not expecting any strong cold air from this reinforcing air mass as diurnal warming will see afternoon temperatures rising to seasonably normal. By Thursday pressure heights are back on the rise as strong upper ridging builds across the Western U.S. High surface pressure settling in Wednesday night exits with breezy west-southwest winds increasing for Thursday with a warm front passage with temperatures rising well above normal for the afternoon. && .LONG TERM... (Friday through Monday) Issued at 1254 AM CST Tue Feb 3 2026 Upper ridging starts building in from the south as our warming trend persists Friday into the start of the weekend with gusty south winds by Saturday. Expecting unseasonably mild temperatures for both afternoons well in the 70s which is nearly 20 degrees warmer than normal for early February. A system coming down across the U.S. Midwest may push a cold front across the Central through Southern Plains on Sunday ending our warming trend yet still mild 60s temperatures. An upper low may close and cut-off over the Baja Peninsula on Sunday with increasing gulf moisture transport across Texas in the lower levels potentially forming a dryline across western Texas by Monday morning thus destabilizing western north Texas. A series of mid-level shortwave expelled from this stalled warm Pacific system will increase rain chances across our area on Monday with a few thunderstorms possible across our southwestern CWA near and south of the Red River. && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1048 PM CST Mon Feb 2 2026 LLWS is possible tonight as a frontal boundary continues to sink southward before exiting our area on Tuesday morning. Latest satellite indicates a stratus deck has reached north Texas and will continue to progress towards KDUA tonight. By early morning, IFR/LIFR conditions are expected at KDUA. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Oklahoma City OK 56 32 51 30 / 0 20 30 0 Hobart OK 60 32 55 28 / 0 20 20 0 Wichita Falls TX 63 34 58 31 / 0 10 20 0 Gage OK 59 30 54 26 / 0 20 10 0 Ponca City OK 51 29 50 25 / 0 20 20 0 Durant OK 62 33 54 31 / 10 0 10 0 && .OUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OK...None. TX...None. && NEAR TERM...68 SHORT TERM...68 LONG TERM....68 AVIATION...01
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
4 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought, Hardeman
- When
- February 3, 6:00 AM CST to February 28, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Hardeman forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 34.290, -99.746 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Knox
- When
- February 3, 6:00 AM CST to February 28, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Knox forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 33.606, -99.741 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Wilbarger
- When
- February 3, 6:00 AM CST to February 28, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Wilbarger forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 34.081, -99.241 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
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
- Tornadoes in Texas, February 3, 2026
- Winter Weather in Ohio, February 3, 2026
- Winter Storm in Kentucky, February 3, 2026
- Winter Weather in Kentucky, February 3, 2026
- Dense Fog in Montana, February 3, 2026
- Dense Fog in Kentucky, February 3, 2026
- Winter Weather in New York, February 3, 2026
- Winter Storm in Ohio, February 3, 2026
- Winter Storm in Indiana, February 3, 2026
- Winter Weather in Indiana, February 3, 2026
More
Every storm in Texas in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Texas, February 2026
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: 1318523, 1318524, 1318525, 1318526.