Texas, 2026Drought in Texas, March 17 to 31, 2026
March 17 to 31, 2026 · NWS BRO · 4 events in 4 counties and zones
Continued rain-free, warm to hot, low humidity, and occasional breezy to windy conditions allowed drought to worsen across many areas of the southern tip of Texas in mid to late March. Extreme (D3, level 3 of 4) to Exceptional (D4, level 4 of 4) continued to spread to the east and west across the region, and farmers began to really feel the impacts for early season crop planting, while ranchers…
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
Open the live radar over this ground
- 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.
Continued rain-free, warm to hot, low humidity, and occasional breezy to windy conditions allowed drought to worsen across many areas of the southern tip of Texas in mid to late March. Extreme (D3, level 3 of 4) to Exceptional (D4, level 4 of 4) continued to spread to the east and west across the region, and farmers began to really feel the impacts for early season crop planting, while ranchers continued to cull cattle herds.
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 Mar 16, 11:51 PM CST, 9 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Updated at 1247 AM CDT Tue Mar 17 2026 Key Messages: * Warming temperatures through the week. * Dry conditions expected through the forecast period. * Adverse marine and coastal conditions expected into Tuesday morning.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 16, 11:51 PM CST, 9 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Brownsville TX
1251 AM CDT Tue Mar 17 2026
...New AVIATION...
.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 1247 AM CDT Tue Mar 17 2026
Key Messages:
* Warming temperatures through the week.
* Dry conditions expected through the forecast period.
* Adverse marine and coastal conditions expected into Tuesday
morning.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 1013 PM CDT Mon Mar 16 2026
A quiet week is anticipated across Deep South Texas and the Rio
Grande Valley as sfc high pressure over the region slowly moves
eastward. Light to moderate southeasterly winds return Tuesday night
and continue through the week. Temperatures will remain a little
chilly on Tuesday with highs in the low to mid 70s, but temperatures
will continue to climb through the week. By this weekend the upper
80s to mid 90s return. Tonight will be the coldest night with lows
in the low 40s across the ranchlands to low 50s in the lower Valley.
No rain is anticipated through the forecast period.
Humidity levels remain low for Tuesday, but winds will be much
lighter. At this time will not be issuing any Fire Weather products.
However, extremely dry fuels and D2-D4 drought conditions could lead
to potential wildfires with any spark so outdoor burning is not
recommended.
At local beaches, hazardous coastal/swimming conditions continue for
the remainder of tonight. There is a High Surf Advisory and High
Risk of Rip Currents through 7 AM Tuesday morning as well as a
Coastal Flood Statement until 5 AM.
&&
.AVIATION...
(06Z TAFS)
Issued at 1247 AM CDT Tue Mar 17 2026
Light north to northeast winds prevail across Deep South Texas
early this morning. Light winds this morning will become easterly
and increase to 10 to 15 knots in the afternoon. VFR conditions
will continue for the next 24 hours.
&&
.MARINE...
Issued at 1013 PM CDT Mon Mar 16 2026
Tonight, winds and seas will continue to decrease with favorable
marine conditions returning on Tuesday. There is a Small Craft
Advisory out for all waters off the lower Texas coast until 7 AM.
Winds Tuesday though the end of the week will remain light to
moderate with seas of 2 to 3 feet.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
BROWNSVILLE 71 55 79 60 / 0 0 0 0
HARLINGEN 72 50 82 56 / 0 0 0 0
MCALLEN 75 55 84 61 / 0 0 0 0
RIO GRANDE CITY 74 50 84 58 / 0 0 0 0
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 66 60 72 66 / 0 0 0 0
BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL 69 55 77 60 / 0 0 0 0
&&
.BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...High Rip Current Risk until 7 AM CDT this morning for TXZ451-454-
455.
High Surf Advisory until 7 AM CDT this morning for TXZ451-454-
455.
GM...Small Craft Advisory until 7 AM CDT this morning for GMZ130-132-
135-150-155-170-175.
&&
SHORT TERM...68-McGinnis
LONG TERM....68-McGinnis
AVIATION...63-KCDrought, Cameron
- When
- March 17, 12:00 AM CST to March 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Cameron forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 26.152, -97.453 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme Drought (D3) made its appearance in western and southern Inland Cameron County on March 17th, while Moderate (D1) Drought in the northeast corner of Inland Cameron was erased. D3 conditions would expand to cover all but a small sliver of northern inland Cameron by the 31st. Spring planting of water-sensitive crops was delayed into April, as time was becoming limited to do so. Any production loss will be added to this entry as data are received.
Drought, Northern Hidalgo County
- When
- March 17, 12:00 AM CST to March 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)
Exceptional Drought (D4) spread from Brooks into the northern half of Northern Hidalgo County on March 17th. Extreme (D3) conditions prevailed elsewhere. D4 conditions steadily spread to all but the southern quarter of Northern Hidalgo on the 24th, and all but small slivers along the Starr and Willacy line by the 31st. Cattle herds may have needed to be culled, as water supplies dwindled and rangelands became brittle to dusty.
Drought, Southern Hidalgo County
- When
- March 17, 12:00 AM CST to March 30, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Southern Hidalgo County forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 26.397, -98.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Extreme (D3) covered all of southern Hidalgo County by the 17th, continuing throug the 30th.
Drought, Zapata
- When
- March 17, 12:00 AM CST to March 23, 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)
Exceptional (D4) Drought expanded to cover the eastern half of Zapata County on March 17, while Extreme (D3) conditions continued over a sliver of west-central and southwest Zapata. A slightly larger area of Severe (D2) was noted in northwest Zapata, a holdover from some rainfall on March 7th that originally expanded the coverage there on the 10th.
- 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.
- Strong Wind in Vermont, March 17, 2026$120,000 · 12 events
- Drought in Texas, March 17 to 31, 202618 events
- Heat in Wyoming, March 17 to 30, 20269 events
- High Wind in Montana, March 17, 202666 kt wind · 7 events
- Drought in Nebraska, March 17 to 31, 20266 events
- Drought in South Dakota, March 17 to 31, 20264 events
- Drought in Oklahoma, March 17 to 31, 20263 events
- Drought in Nebraska, March 17 to 31, 20262 events
- Flooding in New Hampshire, March 17, 20262 events
- High Wind in Wyoming, March 17, 202662 kt wind · 2 events
- Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, March 17, 20262 events
- Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, March 17, 20262 events
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: 1327542, 1327547, 1327549, 1327550.