Cold/Wind Chill — Hidalgo, Texas

2017-12-07 · Hidalgo, Texas

Event narrative

US Border Patrol reported the death of one undocumented immigrant near the City of Hidalgo during the afternoon of December 7, due to hypothermia, as indicated by medical staff who discovered the bodies. Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) agents and other medics from McAllen attempted to revive an unresponsive victim prior to rushing to a nearby hospital. Unfortunately, the victim was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. The sharp change of the season's first significant cold front after a record-shattering warm January through November likely contributed to the death by lack of acclimation. Just two days earlier, temperatures had been in the mid 80s; on the 7th, wind chills in the lower 30s were too much for migrants with limited clothing and shelter.

Wider weather episode

The coldest weather since January 7-8, 2017, descended on Deep South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley December 6 through 8, 2017. Temperatures fell nearly 40 degrees between the afternoon of December 5 and 6, from the mid 80s to the upper 40s; wind chill values fell to between 40 and 45. Temperatures continued to ease down on the 7th, with readings in the upper 30s to lower 40s and wind chill values in the low to mid 30s. An upper level disturbance overnight on the 7th and 8th both cooled the atmosphere and provided sufficient lift for several inches of snow across the ranches and 0.5 to 1.5 inch across the more populated Rio Grande Valley early on the 8th as temperatures fell to or just above freezing. Wind chills bottomed out between 20 and 28 early on the 8th. The cold claimed the lives of at least two undocumented immigrants, one in Falfurrias (Brooks County) and another in Kenedy County, due to hypothermia, on Dec. 7th. Up to 3 additional deaths directly or indirectly related to hypothermia stress were reported by the US Border Patrol. Three hypothermia injuries were directly related to the cold, two on the King Ranch (Kenedy) and one near Hidalgo, in the Valley. An unknown additional number of hypothermia cases were reported in Zapata and Jim Hogg Counties, as part of a US Border Patrol rescue effort of 20 undocumented migrants.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 734883. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.