DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1105 AM CDT THU AUG 20 2009
...DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT...
...MAY 1ST THROUGH AUGUST 19TH IS ONE OF THE DRIEST ON RECORD
FOR HOUSTON...GALVESTON AND COLLEGE STATION...
...EXTREME TO EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT CONDITIONS
PERSIST OVER PARTS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...
SYNOPSIS...
THE FIRST 11 DAYS OF AUGUST BROUGHT MORE ARID MISERY TO SOUTHEAST
TEXAS. RAINFALL WAS PRIMARILY CONFINED TO THE NORTHEAST PORTION OF
THE REGION...GENERALLY EAST OF A CROCKETT TO LIVINGSTON LINE. A WEAK
BOUNDARY SNUCK INTO SOUTHEAST TEXAS ON AUGUST 11TH AND SERVED AS A
FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORMS. THE BOUNDARY LINGERED ACROSS THE REGION ON
THE 12TH AND BROUGHT ANOTHER ROUND OF STORMS TO THE REGION. DAYTIME
HEATING COUPLED WITH ABUNDANT MOISTURE BROUGHT MORE RAIN ON THE
13TH. THE RAIN EVEN DRIFTED FAR ENOUGH SOUTH TO BRING WELCOME RAIN
TO THE PARCHED AREAS IN JACKSON...MATAGORDA...WHARTON AND COLORADO
COUNTIES. OVER THE LAST SEVEN DAYS...RAINFALL WAS MORE SCATTERED AND
AMOUNTS WERE LIGHTER. AN INVERTED TROUGH PUSHED WEST ON MONDAY AND
TUESDAY BRINGING SCATTERED SHOWERS TO PARTS OF SOUTHEAST
TEXAS...INCLUDING THE RAIN STARVED AREAS OF JACKSON...MATAGORDA AND
WHARTON COUNTIES. WITH REGARDS TO RAINFALL...EDNA...EL CAMPO AND
COLUMBUS HAVE BEEN FARING CONSIDERABLY BETTER RECENTLY.
EDNA COLUMBUS EL CAMPO
MAY 0.96 1.96 1.76
JUNE 0.16 0.10 0.32
JULY 2.24 0.70 2.68
AUG 19 2.41 2.00 1.99
BELOW IS A TABLE WITH RAINFALL AND RAINFALL DEFICITS (THROUGH AUGUST
19TH) 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. FURTHER DOWN THE COAST...PALACIOS IS SUFFERING A
SIMILAR FATE. SINCE SEPTEMBER 1 2008...RAINFALL AT PALACIOS HAS BEEN
A PALTRY 20.27. THIS IS 23.42 INCHES BELOW NORMAL OR ROUGHLY 46
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 0.86 -1.35 38.9 PERCENT
TOTAL 20.82 -8.69 70.6 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 1.47 -1.13 56.5 PERCENT
TOTAL 26.82 -6.00 81.7 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 0.01 -1.42 1.0 PERCENT
TOTAL 16.40 -7.53 68.5 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 0.10 -1.51 6.6 PERCENT
TOTAL 13.68 -11.84 53.6 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 0.33 -0.91
TOTAL 10.43 -22.15
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 0.05 -1.67
TOTAL 20.27 -23.42
AS OF AUGUST 19 2009...THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR INDICATED THAT
CONDITIONS HAVE REMAINED VIRTUALLY UNCHANGED OVER THE AREA. SPOTTY
SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOPED BUT RAINFALL TOTALS WERE GENERALLY LIGHT AND
NOT WIDESPREAD ENOUGH TO OFFER MUCH IN THE WAY OF RELIEF. 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
BRAZORIA SW HARRIS WALKER NE HARRIS
CSTL GALVESTON FT BEND MONTGOMERY
MATAGORDA AUSTIN TRINITY
JACKSON WASHINGTON EAST GALVESTON
WHARTON BRAZOS SAN JACINTO
COLORADO GRIMES LIBERTY
BURLESON MADISON CHAMBERS
HOUSTON
WALLER
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.
SCATTERED SHOWERS HAVE DOTTED THE REGION OVER THE LAST FOUR DAYS BUT
RAINFALL AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN LIGHT. SOME LOCATIONS HAVE RECEIVED
HEAVIER RAIN THAN OTHERS. FOR SOME REASON KNOWN ONLY TO FATE...OUR
THREE PRIMARY CLIMATE SITES HAVE BEEN VERY DRY WHILE OTHER
SUPPLEMENTAL SITES NEAR BY HAVE BEEN WETTER.
IT IS STILL THE DRIEST MAY 1 THROUGH AUGUST 19 FOR THE CITY OF
HOUSTON (BACK TO 1892)...5TH DRIEST FOR COLLEGE STATION (BACK TO
1902)...2ND DRIEST FOR GALVESTON (BACK TO 1875) AND 4TH DRIEST FOR
HOBBY AIRPORT (BACK TO 1931). BELOW IS A TABLE WITH THE FIVE DRIEST
MAY 1 THROUGH AUGUST 19 FOR OUR PRIMARY CLIMATE SITES:
RAINFALL MAY 1 THROUGH AUGUST 19
HOUSTON COLLEGE GALVESTON HOUSTON
STATION HOBBY
4.35 2009 2.23 1998 2.11 1956 4.55 1934
5.17 1931 2.26 1934 3.33 2009 5.79 1931
6.47 1917 3.17 1925 3.60 1930 6.49 1998
6.84 1964 3.33 1917 3.93 1954 7.14 2009
6.88 1998 3.82 2009 4.24 1948 8.08 1988
THE NWS OFFICE IN LEAGUE CITY (NORTHERN GALVESTON COUNTY) HAS BEEN
FAR MORE FORTUNATE THAN THE CITY OF GALVESTON (ON THE COAST). THE
NWS OFFICE HAS RECEIVED 10.41 INCHES SINCE MAY 1 AND CLOVER FIELD IN
PEARLAND (CLOSE TO HOBBY AIRPORT) HAS RECEIVED 9.53 INCHES OF RAIN
SINCE MAY 1 2009.
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 19TH TEXAS A & M TEXAS CROP
AND WEATHER REPORT INDICATED THAT STOCK TANK LEVELS WERE LOW.
PASTURES CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE AND PRODUCERS WERE BALING CROP RESIDUE
TO PROVIDE FILLER FOR CATTLE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION...SEE HTTP://AGNEWS.TAMU.EDU (ALL LOWER CASE).
HYDROLOGIC IMPACTS...
RIVER LEVELS HAVE REMAINED NEAR NORMAL LEVELS OVER THE NORTHERN AND
EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE REGION. AREA RESERVOIRS WERE NEAR CAPACITY
OVER THE EAST AND WELL BELOW NORMAL OVER THE WEST.
WATERSHED CAPACITY
LAKE LIVINGSTON 99 PERCENT
LAKE CONROE 94 PERCENT
HOUSTON COUNTY LAKE 88 PERCENT
LAKE HOUSTON 100 PERCENT
LAKE SOMERVILLE 75 PERCENT
LAKE TEXANA 60 PERCENT
FIRE DANGER IMPACTS...
THE FIRE WEATHER THREAT REMAINS HIGH AS GROUND FUELS REMAIN DRY. 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. HOUSTON AND COLLEGE STATION ARE
STILL ON PACE TO RECORD THEIR 3RD AND 2ND WARMEST AUGUST ON RECORD.
THE AREA IS ALSO ON PACE TO RECORD ITS WARMEST SUMMER IN RECORDED
HISTORY.
AS OF AUGUST 19TH...RECENT RAINS HAVE HELPED TO IMPROVE THE
KEETCH-BYRAM DROUGHT INDICES OVER PARTS 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
AUSTIN BRAZORIA FT BEND GALVESTON
WASHINGTON HARRIS MATAGORDA CHAMBERS
HOUSTON BURLESON POLK
WHARTON COLORADO TRINITY
WALLER MONTGOMERY
MADISON JACKSON
GRIMES SAN JACINTO
LIBERTY WALKER
BRAZOS
(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 19 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...
A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHEAST TEXAS ON FRIDAY AND
SLOWLY CRAWL ACROSS THE AREA. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO SERVE AS A
FOCUS FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ON FRIDAY. RAINFALL SHOULD BE
WIDESPREAD BUT HEAVY AMOUNTS ARE NOT EXPECTED. DRIER AIR WILL WORK
INTO THE REGION OVER THE WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK...AND PROBABLY
COOLER OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES. BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK...AN
UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL DEVELOP OVER TEXAS. THIS WILL HELP TO LESSEN
THE CAP AND ALLOW GULF MOISTURE TO STREAM INTO EAST TEXAS. RAIN
CHANCES ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE AGAIN LATE NEXT WEEKEND AND INTO
THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND.
THE NEXT DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED ON OR AROUND
AUGUST 27 2009.
$$
CR
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