Drought — Zapata, Texas

2026-01-13 to 2026-01-31 · Zapata, Texas

Event narrative

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.

Wider weather episode

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.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1315237. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.