Starr storm history

Hurricane Hanna weakened to a Tropical Storm as it moved into Hidalgo and Starr County before exiting the US into northwest Tamaulipas and northern Nuevo Leon, Mexico, during the post-daybreak hours of July 26th. Though weakening, the well-organized and large cyclone maintained t…

The Roma Fire Department reported that Arroyo Roma exceeded its banks, flooding parts of town with 1 to 3 feet of standing and flowing water during the pre-dawn hours of June 21st, 2018. The flooding was associated with the initiation of a thunderstorm system that would later cau…

Incredible rainfall estimated to be more than 50 inches in around 10 days' time between June 30th and July 9th across the front range and peaks of the Sierra Madre Oriental in Coahuila Province, Mexico, ultimately flowed through the entire Lower Rio Grande basin for much of the s…

The public reports extensive flooding is occurring in the city of Roma. Numerous streets are impassible. Local streams and arroyos are flowing and their banks are full.

A strong weather disturbance combined with abundant tropical moisture across the region to produce intense rainfall across Deep South Texas during the period. The heaviest rains fell across Brooks, Jim Hogg, Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy counties. La Joya in western Hidalgo…

Extreme Drought entered northwestern and north-central Starr County on December 23, courtesy of a combination of mid-month drying fronts and zero to minimal rainfall during this time. The remainder of all but the eastern one-fifth of the county remained in Severe (D2) Drought, wi…

Severe (D2) Drought would prevail across all but the eastern one-fifth of Starr County through December 22nd, as minimal rain fell across the area.

Due to prolonged dryness and near-record heat from late summer through mid autumn, Severe (D2) Drought conditions developed across much of Starr County on November 11th, and would prevail through month's end. Only the eastern one-fifth of the county remained at Moderate (D1) cond…

A ranch owner sent a video of estimated quarter size hail.

There was an mPING report of golf ball size hail about 5.6 miles west-northwest of Rincon, or about 16.5 miles northeast of Rio Grande City.

Pictures and video showed ping pong to golf ball size hail about 8.7 miles north-northeast of Rio Grande City.

There was a social media report of 1.5 inch diameter hail in Fronton, Texas (Starr County).

Due to the continued combination of dry and hot conditions with a strong sun angle and evaporation rates, Severe (D2) Drought continued across far northwestern Starr County to begin May. A band of thunderstorms with 1.5 to 2 inches (estimated) of rain on May 2nd covered much of n…

Severe (D2) Drought continued from March through all of April across the northwestern fifth of Starr County, as very little rain fell during the month. Modest temperatures and wetting dew through mid-month were sufficient to keep conditions from worsening.

Texas Department of Transportation reported water of unknown depth was reported in an elementary school. Photos suggested the water depth was 2 feet outside the building, and up to 1 foot inside. Damage estimates were unknown at the time of this writing.

Two to three feet of water and flooding was reported on FM 755 in northeast Starr County near Santa Elena.

The combination of humidity averaging 10-15 percent each afternoon for a week (March 9-17), occasional heat spikes, and gusty winds moved conditions into flash drought territory, and the drought monitor was adjusted to Extreme (D3) on the 18th for all but the eastern one-tenth of…

Severe (D2) Drought spread to all of Starr County on March 11th, and continued through March 17th before worsening thereafter as the combination of heat, wind, very dry air, and increasing sun angle/evaporation rates contributed to the onset of a flash drought.

Severe (D2) Drought conditions developed across the northwest tip of Starr County following weeks of very dry, breezy, and warmer than average temperatures. The drought would expand to cover all of the county on March 11th.

Rancho Los Comitos AWOS recorded about 18 hours of wind chills at or below 30F degrees from 12:20am-11:45am on February 20th and from 4:00am to 10:25am on February 21st. Minimum wind chill temperatures between 24-27F degrees occurred on February 20th.

Rancho Los Comitos AWOS recorded about 2 hours of freezing temperatures (temperatures at or below 32F degrees) from 7:25am-9:25am on February 20th.

La Puerta recorded freezing temperatures (32F degrees or lower) for a total of 22 hours (9 hours on January 21 from 2:11am to 11:11am and then again for another 13 hours from 7:11pm on January 21 to 8:11am on January 22). A minimum temperature of 19F degrees occurred at 7:11am on…

La Puerta recorded wind chill values at or below 30F degrees for 15 hours (from 11:11pm January 20 to 2:11pm January 21). A minimum wind chill value of 25F degrees occurred between 2:11am to 5:11am on January 21. Rancho Los Comitos recorded wind chill values at or below 30F degre…

The Remote Automated Weather Station (RAWS) site at La Puerta, 5.65 miles east of Rio Grande City, reported an estimated 2.5 hours of heat index of 111 to 112F. Rancho Las Comitas, along the Starr/Jim Hogg County line, fell just shy of 111 (107 to 110) during the same window. Not…

Rancho Los Comitos (Texas Mesonet) recorded max heat indices between 112-116F for 6 hours, from 1:00-7:00 PM CDT on June 5, 2024.

Rancho Los Comitos (Texas Mesonet) recorded max heat indices between 111-116F for 6 hours, from 12:55-5:20 PM CDT on June 5, 2024.

Ranchos Los Comitos recorded max heat indices between 111-113F for 3 hours, from 3:00-6:00 PM CDT on June 3, 2024.

La Puerta (AWOS) recorded max heat indices between 111-122F for 7 hours, from 11:11-6:11 PM CDT on May 28, 2024. Heat indices reached Excessive Heat Warning criteria with values between 117-122F for 3 hours, from 1:11-4:11 PM CDT. Rancho Los Comitos (AWOS) recorded max heat indic…

Rancho Los Comitos (AWOS) recorded max heat indices between 111-114F for 5 hours, from 2:00-7:00 PM CDT on May 27, 2024. La Puerta Remote Automated Weather Station recorded max heat indices between 112-123F for 7 hours, from 12:11-7:11 PM CDT on May 27, 2024. Heat indices reached…

Rancho Los Comitos (Texas Mesonet) recorded max heat indices between 112-119F for 6 hours, from 2:00-8:00 PM CDT. Heat indices met Excessive Heat Warning criteria for 3 hours, from 4:00-7:00 PM CDT with values between 116-119F on May 26, 2024. La Puerta Remote Automated Weather S…

The Texas Mesonet site at Rancho Las Comitas reached 111 to 114 heat index values from 225 until 330 PM. La Puerta (Remote Automated Observing Station) recorded max heat indices between 114-119F for 6 hours, from 12:11-6:11 PM CDT on May 25, 2024. Heat indices reached Excessive H…

Rancho Los Comitos in northern Starr County (Texas Mesonet) recorded max heat indices between 111-115F for 4 hours, from 3:00-7:00 PM CDT on May 24, 2024. La Puerta - 5.65 miles east of Rio Grande City (Remote Automated Weather Station) recorded heat indices between 112-123F for …

Rancho Los Comitos (Texas Mesonet) recorded max heat indices of 111F for a couple of hours from 2:55-4:55 PM CDT on May 21, 2024. La Puerta Remote Automated Weather Station, 5.645 miles east of Rio Grande City, recorded max heat indices between 112-120F for 6 hours from 12:11-6:1…

Half dollar size hail was reported along FM 755 north of town. Report received via the internet.

Quarter size hail was reported just north of Rio Grande City, via web report.

Nickel to quarter size hail was reported. This was estimated by a resident and by video with a small cell behind earlier cells near Rio Grande City.

Ranchos Los Comitos (Texas Mesonet) recorded peak heat indices between 111-115F for 3 hours, from 1:55-4:55 PM CDT. La Puerta (Remote Automated Weather Station) recorded peak heat indices between 111-118F for 6 hours, from 12:11-6:11 PM CDT. Note that the La Puerta site, 5.65 mil…

La Puerta Remote Automated Weather Sensor (RAWS) 5.65 miles east of Rio Grande City recorded max heat indices between 111-117F for 4 hours, from 2:11-6:11 PM CDT on May 8, 2024. Rancho Los Comitos (Texas Mesonet) recorded max heat indices between 111-115F for 3 hours, from 3:00-6…

A grass/brush fire of unknown causes began during the mid-afternoon February 4th along Old Highway 83 (south of US 83) west of FM 649 on the east side of Escobares, and spread rapidly southeast along Old 83 into Garceno, eventually covering 80 acres before more than 60 firefighte…

Falcon Lake and Rancho Los Comitas both recorded temperatures at or below freezing between 12-13 hours (between 811 PM on the 16th and 905 AM on the 17th. A Hard Freeze (temperatures below 28 degrees for 2 or more hours) was observed at Rancho Los Comitas between 930 PM on the 16…

Rancho Los Comitas recorded 7 hours of freezing temperatures (32F degrees or lower) from 435AM to 1130AM on January 15, 2024. Furthermore, a minimum temperature of 29F degrees occurred around 9AM. At Falcon Lake, also in Starr County, a minimum temperature of 33F degrees occurred…

Rancho Los Comitas recorded temperatures at or below freezing for over 12 hours (between 1045 PM on the 15th and 1110 AM on the 16th. A Hard Freeze (temperatures below 28 degrees for 2 or more hours) was observed at Rancho Los Comitas between 235 AM and 935 AM. Minimum temperatur…

Roma Police reported street flooding along/in the vicinity of Deer Run Avenue at approximately 4 PM CST. Time shown here allowed for a buffer based on the steady type of rain vs. convective rain.

Severe (D2) Drought persisted into early November across the eastern two-thirds of Starr County, from Roma to just east of Agua Nueva. Rainfall of 4 to more than 7 inches inches between November 10 and 13 in this area would improve conditions to Moderate (D1) and Abnormally Dry (…

Measured and estimated rainfall of 0.75 to nearly 2 across Starr County late on October 10th through early October 11th was sufficient to knock drought down further across the county, with Severe (D2) from the Garceno area (between Rio Grande City and Roma) north through El Sauz …

Extreme Drought (D3) prevailed across all but the northeast quarter of Starr County through October 10th, with Severe (D2) Drought elsewhere. Heavy rains during the afternoon and evening of October 5th across the western two-thirds of the county would help improve from Extreme to…

The event known as the Gunsmoke Wildfire in northwestern Starr County started on the afternoon of September 11th, when it was first discovered, and burned until the evening of September 12th, when it was announced to be contained. It burned a total of 447 acres.

The Falcon Lake RAWS location, 28 miles northwest of Roma, reported several hours of heat index between 111 and 114 degrees. The Texas Water Development Board mesonet site at Rancho Los Comitas in far northern Starr County reported peak heat index between 106 and 109 during the s…

The Falcon Lake RAWS location, 28 miles northwest of Roma, reported several hours of heat index between 111 and 116 degrees. The Texas Water Development Board mesonet site at Rancho Los Comitas in far northern Starr County reported peak heat index between 106 and 109 during the s…

Extreme (D3) Drought replaced Severe (D2) Drought for all but the northeast fifth of Starr County beginning on September 5th, continuing through the end of the month. Record heat and low rainfall in Rio Grande City were contributors. There were impacts on livestock in the county,…