Extreme Cold/Wind Chill — Willacy Island, Texas

2026-01-26 · Willacy Island, Texas

Event narrative

Extreme Cold Warning Criteria (Wind chills at or below 20F) was reached at Port Isabel Airport (PIL) for about 7 hours from 3am - 10am CST Monday January 26th. By proxy with observations at Rincon del San Jose (TCOON, southeast Kenedy), it can be assumed that there were 7 hours of wind chill reaching locally-defined extreme low levels on the Willacy barrier island. Minimum wind chills were estimated to be 15F soon after daybreak.

Wider weather episode

An Arctic cold front ushered in the coldest air mass of the season to Deep South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley with widespread cold temperatures between January 25-27, 2026. Cold temperatures (wind chill) below 30F arrived during the late evening of the 24th across the ranchlands and spread to the lower Rio Grande Valley before daybreak on the 25th. A cold afternoon set the stage for the overnight of the 25th into the morning of the 26th, as skies cleared but fresh breezes/stronger winds near the coast prevailed. The 26th was the coldest ambient and feels-like temperature of the calendar year so far, with a freeze in all areas, and wind chill below 20F in most areas.

Clear skies and calm winds allowed rapid temperature drops during the evening of the 26th, with many inland locations recording their second hard freeze in as many nights early on the 27th. Locations closer to the coast saw winds veer to the northeast above the surface, precluding a second freeze/hard freeze.

The hard freeze caused minor damage to tender vegetation and crops in Hidalgo, Willacy, and Cameron County. Dollar values were unknown as of this writing (end of March 2026) but some estimates are included, and will likely be updated.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1315345. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.