DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
140 PM CDT WED AUG 5 2009
...DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT...
...EXTREME TO EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT CONDITIONS
PERSIST OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS...
...ANGLETON 20 INCHES BELOW NORMAL SINCE JANUARY 1 2008...
...PALACIOS OVER 20 INCHES BELOW NORMAL SINCE SEPTEMBER 1 2008...
SYNOPSIS...
SOME MINOR IMPROVEMENT IN DROUGHT CONDITIONS OCCURRED OVER PARTS OF
SOUTHEAST TEXAS DURING THE LAST HALF OF JULY. THE PERSISTENT UPPER
LEVEL RIDGE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS SUMMERS RECORD HEAT AND DROUGHT
SHIFTED WEST. THIS ALLOWED A WEAK UPPER LEVEL TROUGH TO RETROGRADE
INTO TEXAS. THE UPPER TROUGH BROUGHT SOME SLIGHTLY COOLER
TEMPERATURES A BRIEF RAINY PERIOD BEGINNING AROUND JULY 16TH AND
CONTINUING THROUGH JULY 26TH. ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS ROLLED
THROUGH THE REGION ON JULY 31ST. EVEN THOUGH RAIN RETURNED...MANY
LOCATIONS ARE STILL SUFFERING THROUGH ONE OF THE DRIEST PERIODS IN
RECORDED HISTORY. THE FIRST FIVE DAYS OF AUGUST HAVE BEEN DRY AND
WITH UPPER LEVEL RIDGING REASSERTING ITSELF OVER THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS. THE POSITION OF THE RIDGE WILL REMAIN A KEY PLAYER FOR RAIN
CHANCES. THERE IS SOME HOPE THAT THE RIDGE WILL SLIDE FAR ENOUGH
EAST OVER THE WEEKEND TO BRING HIGHER RAIN CHANCES.
BELOW IS A TABLE WITH RAINFALL AND RAINFALL DEFICITS (THROUGH AUGUST
4TH) FOR A FEW SITES ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS. PLEASE NOTE THE APRIL
RAINFALL COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE MONTHS. COLLEGE STATION
RECEIVED ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL IN JULY FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE APRIL
BUT ALL THE OTHER PRIMARY CLIMATE SITES STILL SUFFERED BELOW NORMAL
RAINFALL. GALVESTON AND ANGLETON ARE NOW SUFFERING SIGNIFICANT ANNUAL
RAINFALL DEFICITS. CONDITIONS DETERIORATE SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE
SOUTHWEST HALF OF THE HOUSTON/GALVESTON COUNTY WARNING AREA.
ANGLETON IS NOW OVER 20 INCHES BELOW THEIR NORMAL RAINFALL FOR THE YEAR
AND HAS YET TO HAVE A MONTH WITH ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL THIS YEAR. IN
FACT...THE LAST TIME ANGLETON RECEIVED ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL WAS
SEPTEMBER OF 2008. ANGLETON IS SUFFERING A RAINFALL DEFICIT OF 28.43
INCHES SINCE OCTOBER 1 2008. FURTHER DOWN THE COAST...PALACIOS IS
SUFFERING A SIMILAR FATE. SINCE SEPTEMBER 1 2008...RAINFALL AT
PALACIOS HAS BEEN A PALTRY 20.22. THIS IS 22.06 INCHES BELOW NORMAL
OR ROUGHLY 48 PERCENT OF THE EXPECTED RAINFALL.
HOUSTON INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT
MONTH RAIN DEP PERCENT OF NORMAL
JAN 0.49 -3.19 13.3 PERCENT
FEB 1.52 -1.46 51.0 PERCENT
MAR 4.08 +0.72 121.4 PERCENT
APR 10.38 +6.78 288.3 PERCENT
MAY 0.38 -4.77 7.5 PERCENT
JUN 0.27 -5.08 5.0 PERCENT
JUL 2.84 -0.34 89.3 PERCENT
AUG 0.00 -0.41 0.0 PERCENT
TOTAL 19.96 -7.75 72.0 PERCENT
HOUSTON HOBBY AIRPORT
MONTH RAIN DEP PERCENT OF NORMAL
JAN 0.37 -3.88 8.7 PERCENT
FEB 1.18 -1.83 39.2 PERCENT
MAR 2.52 -0.67 70.5 PERCENT
APR 15.61 +12.15 451.1 PERCENT
MAY 0.66 -4.45 12.9 PERCENT
JUN 1.39 -5.45 20.3 PERCENT
JUL 3.62 -0.74 83.0 PERCENT
AUG TRACE -0.51 0.0 PERCENT
TOTAL 25.35 -5.38 84.2 PERCENT
COLLEGE STATION
MONTH RAIN DEP PERCENT OF NORMAL
JAN 0.70 -2.62 21.1 PERCENT
FEB 0.68 -1.70 28.6 PERCENT
MAR 5.07 +2.23 158.4 PERCENT
APR 6.11 +2.91 190.9 PERCENT
MAY 1.41 -3.64 27.9 PERCENT
JUN TRACE -3.79 0.0 PERCENT
JUL 2.42 +0.50 126.0 PERCENT
AUG 0.00 -0.25 0.0 PERCENT
TOTAL 16.39 -6.31 72.0 PERCENT
GALVESTON
MONTH RAIN DEP PERCENT OF NORMAL
JAN 0.34 -3.74 8.3 PERCENT
FEB 1.05 -1.56 40.2 PERCENT
MAR 3.73 +0.97 135.1 PERCENT
APR 5.23 +2.67 204.2 PERCENT
MAY 0.19 -3.51 5.1 PERCENT
JUN 0.32 -3.72 7.9 PERCENT
JUL 2.72 -0.73 78.8 PERCENT
AUG 0.00 -0.44 0.0 PERCENT
TOTAL 13.58 -10.06 57.4 PERCENT
ANGLETON (ASOS)
MONTH RAIN DEP
JAN 0.25 -4.51
FEB 0.43 -4.33
MAR 1.57 -3.19
APR 3.40 -0.37
MAY 1.10 -3.66
JUN 0.62 -4.14
JUL 2.73 -1.04
AUG 0.00 -0.48
TOTAL 10.10 -21.72
PALACIOS
MONTH RAIN DEP
SEP 0.85 -5.73
OCT 1.82 -3.19
NOV 6.14 +2.75
DEC 0.74 -2.34
JAN 0.15 -3.03
FEB 0.72 -1.73
MAR 2.07 -0.63
APR 2.02 -0.78
MAY 5.69 +1.14
JUN 0.02 -4.29
JUL TRACE -3.99
AUG 0.00 -0.24
TOTAL 20.22 -22.06
BELOW IS A LIST VOLUNTEER CO-OP SITES ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS. SOME
COMMUNITIES RECEIVED HEAVY RAIN IN JULY WHILE OTHERS CONTINUE TO
SUFFER. MANY OF THE COMMUNITIES WITH ABOVE NORMAL RAIN IN JULY WERE
LOCATED IN THE EXTREME EASTERN PART OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...THUS THE
IMPROVEMENT IN THE DROUGHT MONITOR. NOTE HOW DRY CITIES WERE OVER
THE SOUTHWEST PART OF THE REGION. ANAHUAC RECEIVED MORE RAIN IN
APRIL THAN EDNA HAS RECEIVED IN ALL OF 2009.
LOCATION JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL
ALVIN 0.30 0.80 1.82 7.85 0.61 2.83 3.14
ANAHUAC 0.37 0.50 5.28 20.74 1.23 1.71 3.66
BAY CITY 0.20 0.25 1.57 3.89 0.33 0.90 0.90
BAYTOWN 0.40 1.73 2.55 13.15 2.90 0.96 2.68
BELLVILLE 0.51 0.58 2.96 9.64 4.06 0.00 0.28
BRENHAM 0.79 1.20 3.33 9.53 0.73 0.00 1.00
CALDWELL 0.63 0.95 3.95 4.85 2.05 0.52 5.23
CLEVELAND 0.92 2.70 6.30 8.81 4.11 0.22 1.72
COLUMBUS 0.52 0.21 2.46 7.03 1.96 0.10 0.70
CONROE 0.68 1.72 5.12 9.24 1.30 0.33 4.28
CROCKETT 1.39 1.71 4.78 5.54 1.03 0.70 2.26
DACUS 1.45 1.81 4.00 6.80 0.31 0.26 3.52
DANEVANG 0.16 0.69 1.87 4.16 0.54 0.55 0.82
DEER PARK 0.00 2.52 2.30 9.18 0.30 0.45 3.63
EDNA 0.15 0.53 3.36 3.11 0.96 0.16 NA
EL CAMPO 0.19 0.80 2.73 5.88 1.76 0.32 2.68
FREEPORT 0.13 0.66 2.62 5.57 2.53 0.00 3.59
HOU HEIGHTS 0.39 1.51 4.46 14.66 0.65 0.50 4.68
HOU PORT 1.07 1.84 1.74 6.11 0.40 0.00 3.05
HOU WSTBURY 0.41 1.65 3.78 9.90 0.59 0.45 2.60
HUNTSVILLE 1.06 1.90 4.85 12.14 2.68 0.25 3.84
KATY 0.45 0.72 1.09 12.22 1.13 0.00 2.26
LIBERTY 0.44 3.49 5.47 11.44 2.85 1.74 7.53
LIVINGSTON 1.59 0.49 5.33 8.52 4.23 0.13 6.91
LIBERTY 0.44 3.49 5.47 11.44 2.85 1.74 7.53
MADISONVLL 1.29 1.04 3.05 5.90 1.96 0.13 4.22
MATAGORDA 0.02 0.14 1.65 2.91 4.79 0.00 0.92
MIDWAY 0.11 1.06 2.85 5.59 2.30 0.21 2.08
MONTGOMERY 0.66 1.17 4.51 7.58 0.58 0.00 2.33
NEW CANEY 0.17 1.42 4.39 10.64 1.63 0.20 4.48
PIERCE 0.05 1.36 3.12 5.92 1.07 0.42 NA
RICHARDS 1.06 0.51 3.25 10.24 0.96 0.25 NA
RICHMOND 0.44 0.97 2.82 6.95 0.11 1.14 0.84
SOMERVILLE 0.61 0.66 3.51 7.75 0.77 0.29 NA
THOMPSONS 0.31 0.85 2.89 12.42 0.00 0.00 0.73
TOMBALL 0.57 1.36 4.44 11.89 1.32 0.00 3.15
WASHINGTON 0.83 0.61 3.82 13.04 1.69 0.00 0.72
W COLUMBIA 0.37 0.73 1.35 5.49 1.73 1.42 3.29
WHARTON 0.23 1.24 3.07 6.45 0.92 0.25 NA
AS OF AUGUST 5 2009...THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR INDICATED THAT
CONDITIONS HAVE MARGINALLY IMPROVED OVER THE EAST-NORTHEAST PORTION
OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. THERE WAS VIRTUALLY NO IMPROVEMENT IN DROUGHT
CONDITIONS OVER THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF THE REGION.
U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR CLASSIFICATIONS
EXCEPTIONAL EXTREME SEVERE MODERATE
JACKSON BRAZORIA TRINITY MONTGOMERY
MATAGORDA FORT BEND WALKER SAN JACINTO
WHARTON AUSTIN LIBERTY
COLORADO WALLER CHAMBERS
BURLESON WASHINGTON GALVESTON
SW HARRIS NE HARRIS
BRAZOS
GRIMES
MADISON
HOUSTON
POLK COUNTY WAS CLASSIFIED AS ABNORMALLY DRY. RAINFALL IN JULY AT
LIVINGSTON WAS 6.91 INCHES. THE NORMAL RAINFALL FOR JULY IN
LIVINGSTON IS 3.55 INCHES. THE GOOD FORTUNE THAT HAS SMILED UPON
POLK COUNTY HAS SPREAD TO LIBERTY COUNTY BUT HAS YET TO REACH THE
REMAINDER OF THE REGION. THERE CAN ALSO BE A LARGE VARIANCE IN
DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS A COUNTY...PARTICULARLY LARGER COUNTIES
SUCH AS HARRIS AND HOUSTON COUNTIES. A QUICK LOOK AT HARRIS COUNTY
SHOWS EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS OVER THE EXTREME SOUTHWEST PART OF
THE COUNTY AND MODERATE DROUGHT CONDITIONS OVER THE NORTHEAST. THE
EASTERN TWO THIRDS OF HARRIS COUNTY AVERAGED BETWEEN 3 AND 4 INCHES
OF RAIN IN JULY WHILE THE WESTERN THIRD RECEIVED BETWEEN 1 AND 2
INCHES OF RAIN DURING THE MONTH. IN HOUSTON COUNTY...DROUGHT
CLASSIFICATIONS RANGE FROM ABNORMALLY DRY TO EXTREME DROUGHT. BELOW
IS A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF EACH DROUGHT CLASSIFICATION:
D4 EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT - EXCEPTIONAL OR WIDESPREAD CROP/PASTURE LOSS
A SHORTAGE OF WATER IN RESERVOIRS AND STREAMS CREATING
A WATER EMERGENCY.
D3 EXTREME DROUGHT - MAJOR CROP OR PASTURE LOSSES. WIDESPREAD WATER
SHORTAGES AND RESTRICTIONS.
D2 SEVERE DROUGHT - CROP OR PASTURE LOSSES LIKELY. SOME WATER
SHORTAGES COMMON AND SOME WATER RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED.
D1 MODERATE DROUGHT - SOME DAMAGE TO CROPS AND PASTURES. RESERVOIRS OR
WELLS LOW. VOLUNTARY WATER RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED.
D0 ABNORMALLY DRY - SHORT TERM DRYNESS. PLANT GROWTH SLOWS. MINOR
WATER DEFICITS.
FOR FURTHER CLARIFICATION...SEE EITHER (ALL LINKS IN LOWER CASE)
HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.UNL.EDU/DM/DM_STATE.HTM?TX.S OR FOR THE ENTIRE
COUNTRY SEE...HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.UNL.EDU/DM/MONITOR.HTML.
AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS...
THE LATEST SOIL MOISTURE ANOMALY GRAPHIC FROM THE CLIMATE PREDICTION
CENTER SHOWS MODERATELY DRY SOIL CONDITIONS OVER THE EXTREME EAST
AND NORTHEAST WITH SEVERELY DRY SOIL CONDITIONS OVER THE SOUTHWEST
PORTION OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. THE AUGUST 4TH TEXAS A & M TEXAS CROP
AND WEATHER REPORT INDICATED THAT RECENT RAINS HAVE HELPED AND THERE
WAS A SECOND CUTTING OF HAY IN MADISON COUNTY. LIVESTOCK WERE DOING
CONSIDERABLY BETTER AND POND LEVELS HAD RISEN OVER EASTERN AND
NORTHEASTERN PARTS OF THE REGION.
FOR MORE INFORMATION...SEE HTTP://AGNEWS.TAMU.EDU (ALL LOWER CASE).
HYDROLOGIC IMPACTS...
HEAVY RAIN OVER NORTH TEXAS HAS HELPED TO MAINTAIN RIVER LEVELS AND
RECENT POCKETS OF HEAVY RAIN ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS HAS ALSO HELPED
TO REPLENISH AREA RESERVOIRS. INTENSE HEAT AND STRONGER WINDS HAVE
INCREASED EVAPORATIVE EFFECTS AND LAKE LEVELS HAVE CONTINUED TO FALL
OVER THE WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN HALF OF THE REGION. LAKE TEXANA
LOCATED IN JACKSON COUNTY HAS FALLEN CONSIDERABLY SINCE THE LAST
DROUGHT STATEMENT.
WATERSHED CAPACITY
LAKE LIVINGSTON 100.0 PERCENT
LAKE CONROE 94.8 PERCENT
HOUSTON COUNTY LAKE 87.8 PERCENT
LAKE HOUSTON N/A
LAKE SOMERVILLE 76.8 PERCENT
LAKE TEXANA 55.0 PERCENT
FIRE DANGER IMPACTS...
RECENT RAINS IN LATE JULY HAVE REDUCED THE FIRE WEATHER THREAT BUT
THE AREA HAS BEGUN TO DRY AGAIN. A MODERATE TO HIGH FIRE DANGER
PERSISTS OVER THE SOUTHWEST HALF OF THE AREA. DUE TO HEAVIER RAIN
OVER THE NORTHEAST HALF OF THE REGION...THE BURN BAN PREVIOUSLY IN
EFFECT FOR POLK COUNTY HAS BEEN LIFTED. HIGH RELATIVE HUMIDITY
VALUES WILL ALLOW FOR SOME RECOVERY AT NIGHT BUT EXTREME DAYTIME
TEMPERATURES...AVERAGING 3 TO 4 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL WILL INCREASE
THE FIRE WEATHER THREAT.
AS OF AUGUST 4TH...RAINS FROM LAST WEEK HAVE HELPED TO IMPROVE THE
KEETCH-BYRAM DROUGHT INDICES OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF SOUTHEAST
TEXAS. KBDI VALUES REMAINED NEAR CRITICAL VALUES OVER FAR WESTERN
COUNTIES DUE TO TEMPERATURES ABOVE 100 DEGREES AND THE LACK OF
RAINFALL. BELOW IS A TABLE WITH KBDI VALUES (08/04/2009):
700-800 600-700 500-600 400-500
JACKSON BRAZORIA HARRIS GALVESTON
COLORADO MATAGORDA CHAMBERS TRINITY
FORT BEND WALKER
WHARTON SAN JACINTO
AUSTIN HOUSTON
WALLER
WASHINGTON
BRAZOS
GRIMES
MADISON
MONTGOMERY
LIBERTY
(SEE THE LINK...ALL LOWER CASE HTTP://WEBGIS.TAMU.EDU/TFS/
KBDI_DAILY/ KBDICOUNTY.PNG).
RESTRICTIONS/ACTIONS...
ACCORDING TO THE TEXAS FOREST SERVICE WEB SITE ON AUGUST 5 2009...
(HTTP://TFSFRP.TAMU.EDU/WILDFIRES/DECBAN.PNG)...A BURN BAN IS IN
EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:
MADISON...WALKER...LIBERTY...CHAMBERS...MATAGORDA...HOUSTON...
BRAZORIA...HARRIS...AUSTIN...BRAZOS...SAN JACINTO... WHARTON...
WALLER...MONTGOMERY...WALLER...AUSTIN...WASHINGTON...GRIMES...
JACKSON... TRINITY...FORT BEND...GALVESTON AND COLORADO COUNTIES.
RESIDENTS SHOULD REMAIN VIGILANT WHEN DOING ANY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
WHICH INVOLVE FIRE OR SPARKS...BY MAKING SURE WATER IS QUICKLY
AVAILABLE IF AN UNWANTED FIRE OR SMOLDERING BEGIN. FINALLY...
MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DISCARD LIGHTED CIGARETTES FROM THEIR VEHICLES.
OUTLOOK...
UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL SHIFT EAST OVER THE WEEKEND. THIS WILL
ALLOW DEEPER MOISTURE TO RETURN TO SOUTHEAST TEXAS. A SERIES OF WEAK
UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL INTERACT WITH THE DEEPER MOISTURE TO
BRING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BACK TO THE REGION
BEGINNING SATURDAY AND CONTINUING INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. IT DOES NOT
LOOK LIKE WIDESPREAD RAIN OR HEAVY RAINFALL TOTALS BUT ANY RAIN
WOULD BE WELCOME. THE ADDITIONAL MOISTURE SHOULD ALSO AID IN CLOUD
DEVELOPMENT WHICH SHOULD HELP KEEP TEMPERATURES AT LEAST A LITTLE
COOLER.
THE NEXT DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT WILL BE BE ISSUED ON OR
AROUND AUGUST 13 2009.
$$
CR
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