Drought in Texas, January 13 to 31, 2026

Name: Drought in Texas, January 13 to 31, 2026
Start: 2026-01-13T00:00
End: 2026-01-31T23:59
Location: Texas

January 13 to 31, 2026 · NWS BRO · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Little to no rainfall and a mixture of heat followed by cold and generally dry weather, including a hard freeze toward the end of January combined to steadily worsen drought conditions across northern Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Brooks, Starr, and Zapata County. Coverage of Extreme Drought increased to more than 70% of these areas by the 13th, which continued through month's end.

Where it happened

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.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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 BRO wrote it up.

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 Brownsville, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 12, 10:30 PM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

Updated at 1025 PM CST Mon Jan 12 2026 * Mainly dry and tranquil weather pattern with seasonable temperatures are expected to persist through next Tuesday. * A cool front is expected to sweep through the region Wednesday night into Thursday and could bring adverse to hazardous marine conditions.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 12, 10:30 PM CST, 1 hour 30 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Brownsville TX
1030 PM CST Mon Jan 12 2026

...New DISCUSSION, AVIATION, MARINE...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 1025 PM CST Mon Jan 12 2026

* Mainly dry and tranquil weather pattern with seasonable
  temperatures are expected to persist through next Tuesday.

* A cool front is expected to sweep through the region Wednesday
  night into Thursday and could bring adverse to hazardous marine
  conditions.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 1025 PM CST Mon Jan 12 2026

A mainly dry and tranquil weather pattern is expected across Deep
South Texas through the forecast period or through next Tuesday. At
least one cool front is on track to sweep through the region mid
week.

Through tonight, any lingering showers, which have mainly been
confined to the Northern Ranchlands and areas west of IH-69E,
will gradually come to an end from the west to east.

Forecast models and ensembles continue to depict a major large-
scale weather pattern change taking place midweek this week. The
500 mb pattern is expected to become highly amplified and will
feature a dipole type pattern (warm/hot West U.S. vs. a cool/cold
East U.S. alignment) with anomalously strong ridging over the
eastern Pacific Ocean into western Canada/U.S. and anomalously
strong troughing downstream over central and eastern U.S. This
pattern coincides with a negative Eastern Pacific Oscillation/-EPO,
a positive Pacific North America Oscillation/+PNA, and a negative
Arctic Oscillation/-AO as models suggest. That said, at least one
cool/cold front is expected to sweep through the region mid week
this week.

Ahead of this cool front and still under a northwest flow regime at
the sfc and aloft, Tuesday will feature seasonable temperatures
with highs in the mid 60s to lower 70s. Wednesday will be one of
the warmer days of the forecast period thanks to a bit more
sunlight or incoming solar radiation compared to prior days. High
temps will top out in the upper 70s to lower 80s across Deep South
Texas. The dry continental cool front is expected to pass through
the region Wednesday night into Thursday. This will result in
slightly cooler temperatures on Thursday with highs returning to
near seasonable levels (upper 60s to lower 70s).

High temperatures rebound on Friday as a return flow develops out of
the south. High temperatures are expected to top out in the mid 70s
to near 80F degrees along the RGV. There's a bit more uncertainty in
whether or not a second cool/cold front makes its way down to the
valley later this week. That said, temperatures have trended warmer
over the past 24 hours acknowledging the fact that the second front
may not make it's way all the way down to the valley. We'll continue
to monitor trends in the days ahead. That said, high temperatures
Saturday through Tuesday will top out in the 70s. Overnight low
temperatures through much of the forecast period will be in the
40s and 50s.

&&

.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1025 PM CST Mon Jan 12 2026

Through 06z Wednesday....VFR conditions are expected to prevail
through the 06z TAF period under a mostly cloudy (OVC-BKN) stratus
deck.

Winds will be out of the north with speeds between 5-10 kts.
Otherwise, winds will be light and variable to calm.

&&

.MARINE...
Issued at 1025 PM CST Mon Jan 12 2026

Marine conditions will be favorable for much of the forecast period
with light to moderate winds and low to moderate seas. Wednesday
night into Thursday, adverse to hazardous marine conditions are
expected to develop and a Small Craft Advisory may be needed in
response to a cool/cold front.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
BROWNSVILLE             54  69  52  78 /  10  10  10   0
HARLINGEN               49  67  49  78 /  10  10  10   0
MCALLEN                 52  68  51  80 /  20  10   0   0
RIO GRANDE CITY         48  66  45  78 /  30  10   0   0
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND      61  67  59  74 /  10  10  10   0
BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL     54  69  51  78 /  10  10  10   0

&&

.BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...High Rip Current Risk until 6 AM CST Tuesday for TXZ451-454-455.

GM...None.
&&

SHORT TERM...23-Evbuoma
LONG TERM....23-Evbuoma
AVIATION...23-Evbuoma

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Brooks

When: January 13, 12:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Brooks forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 27.032, -98.219 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

By mid month, Extreme (D3) Drought conditions expanded southeastward to encompass much of Brooks County with the exception of the southeastern part of the county, which remained under Severe (D2) Drought. These conditions of D2 Drought over the southeastern parts of the county and D3 Drought over much of Brooks County remained in place through the remainder of the month.

Drought, Northern Hidalgo County

When: January 13, 12:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Northern Hidalgo County forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 26.397, -98.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

By mid month, Severe (D2) Drought expanded slightly eastward to include nearly all of Northern Hidalgo County with the exception of the extreme southeastern part. The extreme northwestern part of Northern Hidalgo County saw Extreme (D3) Drought develop by mid month. These conditions remained in place through the remainder of the month.

Drought, Jim Hogg

When: January 13, 12:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Jim Hogg forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 27.043, -98.697 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

By mid January, Extreme (D3) Drought encompassed all of Jim Hogg County with D3 Drought persisting through the remainder of the month. Ranchers began to report difficulty maintaining cattle herds and needing to haul water to the ranch to sustain them. Hay availability was becoming limited.

Drought, Starr

When: January 13, 12:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Starr forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 26.562, -98.738 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

By mid month, D3 (Extreme Drought) expanded eastward to include most of Starr County (with the exception of the extreme eastern part, which remained in Severe, or D2, Drought) as dryness intensified. D3 Drought would then go on to persist through the remainder of the month across much of Starr County.

Ranchers began to report difficulty maintaining cattle herds and needing to haul water to the ranch to sustain them. Hay availability was becoming limited.

Drought, Zapata

When: January 13, 12:00 AM CST to January 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Zapata forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 27.001, -99.169 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

By mid month, Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3) Drought conditions expanded westward to encompass much of Zapata County with the exception of the extreme west-northwestern part of the county, which remained under D1 (Moderate) Drought. D3 Drought was observed over the eastern half of Zapata County. These conditions remained in place through the remainder of the month.

Ranchers began to report difficulty maintaining cattle herds and needing to haul water to the ranch to sustain them. Hay availability was becoming limited.

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

Every storm in Texas in 2026 Every state in 2026 This day in weather history Warnings in Texas, January 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: 1315233, 1315234, 1315235, 1315236, 1315237.