Persistent dryness across most of the Rio Grande Valley and Deep S. Texas ranchlands allowed a slow creep of Extreme to Exceptional (level 4 of 4) Drought as March reached its last week.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 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.
Persistent dryness across most of the Rio Grande Valley and Deep S. Texas ranchlands allowed a slow creep of Extreme to Exceptional (level 4 of 4) Drought as March reached its last week. Continued culling of cattle herds, as well as delays in spring planting and impacts on early spring growth, was noted by farmers and ranchers.
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 23, 11:46 PM CST, 14 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Brownsville TX 1246 AM CDT Tue Mar 24 2026 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 1242 AM CDT Tue Mar 24 2026 Key Messages: * Above normal temperatures and dry conditions persist through the week. * Ongoing drought and abundant cured fuels continue to drive an elevated wildfire threat across Deep South Texas. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 1047 PM CDT Mon Mar 23 2026 High pressure dominates Deep South Texas through the remainder of the week, with well-above normal temperatures and no chance of rain. A frontal boundary runs south Friday night into Saturday, briefly dropping temperatures towards normal and bringing a very low (15 percent) chance of rain just along the Rio Grande into early Saturday afternoon. Patchy fog develops overnight tonight, with conditions improving shortly after sunrise Tuesday. Expect the typical afternoon breeze Tuesday through Friday and RH values below 30 percent along and west of US281/I69C. Fire Danger Statements may be needed, but no Red Flag conditions are expected at this time, with the lowest moisture being generally west of the stronger winds until the evening hours, when humidity is recovering. The entire region remains primed for wildfires and burn bans are in effect across all of Deep South Texas, except Kenedy County. CPC is still holding onto an above normal precipitation outlook in both 6 to 10 (40-50 percent) and 8 to 14 days (50-60 percent), taking us into the first full week of April. && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1242 AM CDT Tue Mar 24 2026 Light southeast winds and mostly clear skies prevail across Deep South Texas early this morning. Patchy fog and low stratus may develop towards daybreak. Will include TEMPO's for all aerodromes between 10-14Z due to MVFR/IFR conditions. Otherwise, VFR conditions are expected for the next 24 hours. && .MARINE... Issued at 1047 PM CDT Mon Mar 23 2026 Southeasterly winds persist through the week with generally favorable marine conditions. Afternoon breezes across the bay may occasionally kick up a moderate chop or brief Small Craft Caution gusts. Northeasterly winds arrive with a frontal boundary late Friday night into Saturday afternoon, before dropping back to onshore easterly Sunday and southeasterly Monday. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BROWNSVILLE 86 68 86 67 / 0 0 0 0 HARLINGEN 88 64 90 64 / 0 0 0 0 MCALLEN 93 69 94 68 / 0 0 0 0 RIO GRANDE CITY 93 66 94 66 / 0 0 0 0 SOUTH PADRE ISLAND 77 70 78 70 / 0 0 0 0 BAYVIEW/PORT ISABEL 83 66 84 66 / 0 0 0 0 && .BRO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...None. GM...None. && SHORT TERM...56-Hallman LONG TERM....56-Hallman AVIATION...63-KC
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Exceptional (level 4 of 4, D4) Drought covered all of Brooks County to close out March. Unknown is the extent of impact on cattle ranches and hunting grounds, but herd culling due to lack of sufficient grazing pastures, and water hauling, may have created a seasonal loss.
Exceptional (level 4 of 4, D4) Drought expanded into western Kenedy, with a stripe of Extreme (D3) remaining in central inland Kenedy and a continued, for one more week, sliver of D2 (Severe) in the eastern third of inland Kenedy between the 24th and 30th of March.
Exceptional (level 4 of 4, D4) Drought expanded into western Kenedy, with a stripe of Extreme (D3) remaining in central inland Kenedy and a continued, for one more week, sliver of D2 (Severe) in the eastern third of inland Kenedy between the 24th and 30th of March.
A sliver of D3 (Extreme Drought) would arrive at the southeast tip of coastal Kenedy County on March 24th, with Severe (D2) conditions prevailing elsewhere near the coast through the 30th.
A sliver of D3 (Extreme Drought) would arrive at the southeast tip of Padre Island National Seashore (Kenedy County) on March 24th, with Severe (D2) conditions prevailing elsewhere on PINS through the 30th.
Extreme (D3, level 3 of 4) Drought arrived in coastal Willacy County on March 24, and would prevail until the end of the month.
Extreme (D3, level 3 of 4) Drought arrived on the Willacy County barrier island on March 24, and would prevail until the end of the month.
Extreme (D3, level 3 of 4) Drought arrived in coastal Cameron County on March 24, and would prevail until the end of the month.
Extreme (D3, level 3 of 4) Drought arrived on the Cameron County barrier island on March 24, and would prevail until the end of the month.
Continued heat, very low humidity, lack of rainfall, and occasional wind brought Extreme to Exceptional (D3 to D4) Drought across all of Zapata County on March 24 continue through month's end. D3 conditions arrived in the northwest sections and prevailed. Unknown was the extent of cattle herd culling due to lack of grazing land, as well as the need to haul water.
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, March 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: 1327554, 1327557, 1327563, 1327564, 1327566, 1327568, 1327569, 1327571, 1327572, 1327576.