DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1050 AM CDT THU JUL 16 2009 ...DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT... ...EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT CONDITIONS EXPAND OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS... ...COLLEGE STATION SUFFERS 52 CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITHOUT MEASURABLE RAIN... ...RAIN CHANCES INCREASING THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK... SYNOPSIS... IT IS NO SECRET THAT THAT SOUTHEAST TEXAS HAS BEEN SUFFERING THROUGH ONE THE DRIEST PERIODS IN RECORDED HISTORY. BUT JUST HOW DRY HAS IT BEEN? THE LAST TIME COLLEGE STATION RECEIVED MEASURABLE RAIN WAS ON MAY 24TH. IT HAS BEEN OVER SEVEN WEEKS SINCE EASTERWOOD FIELD HAS HAD RAIN ACCUMULATE IN A RAIN GAGE. OVER SEVEN WEEKS!!! COLLEGE STATION CONSECUTIVE DAYS ENDING DATE 56 08/20/1993 55 10/09/2005 52 07/15/2009 (AND COUNTING) 51 07/25/1934 49 08/23/1948 COLLEGE STATION ONLY RECEIVED A TRACE OF RAIN IN JUNE WHICH TIED FOR THE DRIEST JUNE IN RECORDED HISTORY. HOUSTON HAD IT`S FOURTH DRIEST JUNE ON RECORD AND GALVESTON RECORDED IT`S NINTH DRIEST JUNE ON RECORD. COMMUNITIES ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS THAT RECEIVED ZERO RAINFALL IN JUNE INCLUDE BELLVILLE... BRENHAM...FREEPORT...HOUSTON BARKER...KATY...MATAGORDA...TOMBALL AND WASHINGTON STATE PARK. ANGLETON...BAY CITY AND EDNA HAVE YET TO RECEIVE 10 INCHES OF RAIN THIS YEAR. IN FACT...ANGLETON HAS YET TO RECEIVE 8 INCHES OF RAIN SO FAR THIS YEAR. MAY AND JUNE ARE TYPICALLY TWO OF THE WETTEST MONTHS OF THE YEAR SO THIS EXTENDED DROUGHT IS OF GREAT CONCERN. HERE ARE THE DRIEST MAY 1 THROUGH JULY 15 FOR OUR THREE PRIMARY CLIMATE SITES: MAY 1 THROUGH JULY 15 RAIN TOTALS HOUSTON COLLEGE STATION GALVESTON 1.93 IN 1931 0.52 IN 1934 0.77 IN 2009 2.13 IN 2009 0.66 IN 1998 1.71 IN 1897 3.18 IN 1915 1.43 IN 2009 1.90 IN 1956 3.21 IN 1901 2.17 IN 1925 2.07 IN 2008 3.43 IN 1932 2.42 IN 1917 2.18 IN 1958 HOW HAS EACH CLIMATE SITE FARED PER MONTH IN 2009? BELOW IS A LIST OF WHERE EACH MONTH STACKS UP IN THE RECORD BOOKS: HOUSTON COLLEGE STATION GALVESTON JAN 6TH DRIEST JAN 16TH DRIEST 4TH DRIEST FEB 27TH DRIEST FEB 12TH DRIEST 23RD DRIEST MAR 27TH WETTEST MAR 15TH WETTEST 33RD WETTEST APR 3RD WETTEST APR 18TH WETTEST 23RD WETTEST MAY 8TH DRIEST MAY 12TH DRIEST 12TH DRIEST JUN 4TH DRIEST JUN 1ST DRIEST# 9TH DRIEST JUL 17TH DRIEST* JUL 1ST DRIEST*# 9TH DRIEST* # TIES PREVIOUS RECORD * THROUGH JULY 15TH BELOW IS A TABLE WITH RAINFALL AND RAINFALL DEFICITS (THROUGH JULY 15TH) FOR A FEW SITES ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS. PLEASE NOTE THE APRIL RAINFALL COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE MONTHS. 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 1.48 -0.23 86.5 PERCENT TOTAL 18.60 -7.23 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 1.20 -1.19 50.2 PERCENT TOTAL 22.93 -5.32 81.1 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 TRACE -1.03 0.0 PERCENT TOTAL 13.99 -7.62 64.6 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 0.26 -1.44 15.3 PERCENT TOTAL 11.12 -10.33 51.8 PERCENT ANGLETON 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 0.33 -0.70 TOTAL 7.70 -21.11 THE DROUGHT HAS BEEN MADE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE HARSH DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT THAT HAS PLAGUED SOUTHEAST TEXAS SINCE EARLY JUNE. THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE AT COLLEGE THROUGH JULY 15TH HAS BEEN 101.9 DEGREES. ONLY TWO DAYS HAVE YET TO REACH THE CENTURY MARK THIS MONTH. THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE IN HOUSTON HAS BEEN 98.5 DEGREES. AT HOBBY AIRPORT...THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE IN JULY HAS BEEN 98.0 DEGREES. THE NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURE IN HOUSTON IN JULY IS 93.6 DEGREES AND IN COLLEGE STATION IS 95.6 DEGREES AS OF JULY 14 2009...THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR INDICATED THAT CONDITIONS HAVE DETERIORATED ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS. EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT CONDITIONS EXPANDED EASTWARD AND EXTENDED UP THE COAST. U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR CLASSIFICATIONS EXCEPTIONAL EXTREME SEVERE MODERATE JACKSON HARRIS HOUSTON MATAGORDA WALLER TRINITY BRAZORIA MADISON SAN JACINTO MATAGORDA GALVESTON POLK FORT BEND WALKER LIBERTY WHARTON CHAMBERS COLORADO WASHINGTON BRAZOS BURLESON GRIMES AUSTIN 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 EXCESSIVELY DRY SOIL CONDITIONS OVER ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. THE JULY 7TH TEXAS A & M TEXAS CROP AND WEATHER REPORT INDICATED THAT CATTLE PRODUCERS WERE AGGRESSIVELY CULLING COW HERDS AND MARKETING CALVES EARLY. THE CONDITION OF CORN AND SORGHUM CONTINUED TO DETERIORATE. POND LEVELS CONTINUE TO DROP. FOR MORE INFORMATION...SEE HTTP://AGNEWS.TAMU.EDU (ALL LOWER CASE). HYDROLOGIC IMPACTS... RECENT RAINFALL HAS HELPED TO REPLENISH LAKE LIVINGSTON AND LAKE HOUSTON BUT DRIER CONDITIONS OVER CENTRAL TEXAS HAS ALLOWED LAKE LEVELS TO DROP AT LAKE SOMERVILLE AND LAKE TEXANA. WATERSHED CAPACITY LAKE LIVINGSTON 100 PERCENT LAKE CONROE 95 PERCENT HOUSTON COUNTY LAKE 92 PERCENT LAKE HOUSTON 100 PERCENT LAKE SOMERVILLE 79 PERCENT LAKE TEXANA 63 PERCENT FIRE DANGER IMPACTS... A HIGH FIRE DANGER EXISTS OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS. HIGH RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL ALLOW FOR SOME RECOVERY AT NIGHT BUT EXTREME DAYTIME TEMPERATURES...AVERAGING 4 TO 6 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL WILL INCREASE THE FIRE WEATHER THREAT. DRY GROUND FUELS WILL ALSO INCREASE THE THREAT FOR WILD FIRES. AS OF JULY 15TH...RAINS FROM LAST WEEK HAVE HELPED TO IMPROVE THE KEETCH-BYRAM DROUGHT INDICES OVER PARTS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. KBDI VALUES DETERIORATED OVER FAR WESTERN COUNTIES DUE TO TEMPERATURES ABOVE 100 DEGREES AND THE LACK OF RAINFALL. BELOW IS A TABLE WITH KBDI VALUES (07/15/2009): 700-800 600-700 500-600 SAN JACINTO HOUSTON GALVESTON LIBERTY TRINITY BRAZORIA POLK BURLESON MONTGOMERY WASHINGTON JACKSON WHARTON COLORADO AUSTIN WALLER MADISON GRIMES CHAMBERS HARRIS FORT BEND MATAGORDA BRAZOS WALKER (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 JULY 16 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...POLK...SAN JACINTO... WHARTON... MONTGOMERY...WALLER...AUSTIN...WASHINGTON...GRIMES... JACKSON...TRINITY...FORT BEND...GALVESTON AND COLORADO COUNTIES. WATER RESTRICTIONS ARE IN EFFECT FOR SOME COMMUNITIES INCLUDING PEARLAND...THE WOODLANDS...CONROE...BAYOU VISTA...LEAGUE CITY... SUGARLAND AND LA MARQUE. 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... SOME CHANGES ARE ON THE WAY BEGINNING AS EARLY AS THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING INTO THE WEEKEND. THE UPPER RIDGE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS EXTENDED DRY PERIOD WILL SHIFT WEST AS AN UPPER TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN UNITED STATES DEEPENS. THE UPPER TROUGH SHOULD GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO SOUTHEAST TEXAS TO ALLOW SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP NEAR THE COAST TODAY AND FRIDAY AND FURTHER INLAND FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. A WEAK BOUNDARY WILL ENTER THE REGION ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY PROVIDING A LOW LEVEL FOCUS FOR ADDITIONAL PRECIPITATION OVER THE WEEKEND. SOME LONG RANGE MODELS ARE PROJECTING 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS BY NEXT TUESDAY. THE NEXT DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT WILL BE BE ISSUED ON OR AROUND JULY 24 2009.