The active pattern continued to bring cold fronts through the region in early January, and rainfall continued to be confined to the coastal areas and offshore, leaving much of Deep South Texas in a continued dry pattern. These conditions led to the expansion of Extreme (D3) Drought Conditions across nearly all of Zapata County, and maintained the western half of Starr County. Severe (D2) Drought conditions expanded into southeastern Hidalgo County and western Cameron County.

Drought in SOUTHERN HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS
From 01-JAN-21 00:00:00 to 18-JAN-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Just enough rainfall fell at times from late December 2020 through January 2021 to maintain a pocket of Moderate (D1) Drought across central and western Hidalgo County through mid January.  However, a pocket of little to no rain that extended west to IH-69C, including the populated McAllen metropolitan area, would slide Severe (D2) levels westward to include these areas and the nearby farmland by the 19th.

Drought in STARR, TEXAS
From 01-JAN-21 00:00:00 to 04-JAN-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Extreme (D3) Drought would cover the western two-thirds of Starr County, with Severe (D2) Drought elswhere, to begin 2021.  A band of moderate rain at the turn of the calendar year would cause brief but minor improvements over eastern Starr by January 5th.

Drought in NORTHERN HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS
From 01-JAN-21 00:00:00 to 04-JAN-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Severe (D2) Drought would cover northern Hidalgo County to begin 2021, though a welcome band of moderate rainfall at the turn of the calendar would improve conditions mainly west of US 281/IH-60C by the January 5th monitor.

Drought in WILLACY, TEXAS
From 01-JAN-21 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Severe (D2) Drought would prevail across western Willacy County through January.  Some beneficial rains along and east of US 77/IH 69E on the 9th/10th would slightly shrink the area to west of the highway from central Willacy, and occasionally light rains thereafter would maintain the status quo thereafter.

Drought in INLAND KENEDY COUNTY, TEXAS
From 01-JAN-21 00:00:00 to 11-JAN-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Spotty rain near the northeast Kenedy County coast was enough to improve conditions there; otherwise, Severe (D2) Drought maintained its grip on the western two-thirds of the county through January 11th.

Drought in CAMERON, TEXAS
From 01-JAN-21 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

With modest rainfall countered by a number of dry cold fronts in January, Severe (D2) Drought held firm in western Cameron County through January.  Just enough rainfall fell along and east of IH-69E in early January to nudge to D2 area to west of a Harlingen-Los Indios line on the 12th, which would hold through month's end.

Drought in BROOKS, TEXAS
From 01-JAN-21 00:00:00 to 04-JAN-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Severe (D2) Drought continued across all but northern Brooks County through the first few days of January.  A stripe of rainfall as the calendar turned from 2020 to 2021 was enough to improve conditions in northern and western Brooks County with the next Drought Monitor on January 5th.

Drought in ZAPATA, TEXAS
From 01-JAN-21 00:00:00 to 31-JAN-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

With little to no rainfall across the Rio Grande Plains through January, Extreme (D3) Drought continued across all but a very small sliver of extreme eastern Zapata County to begin 2021, and would cover all of the county by mid month.

Drought in JIM HOGG, TEXAS
From 01-JAN-21 00:00:00 to 11-JAN-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Severe (D2) Drought covered all but a sliver of northeastern Jim Hogg County to begin 2021, but a band of heavy rain at the turn of the calendar would produce improvement, though brief, in eastern Jim Hogg County for the monitor on the 5th. Worsening drought would arrive a week later, however, toward the Rio Grande Plains section of the county.