DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1059 PM CDT THU AUG 13 2009 ...DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT... ...MODERATE RAINFALL BRINGS MINOR DROUGHT RELIEF... ...EXTREME TO EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT CONDITIONS PERSIST OVER PARTS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS... ...ANGLETON 20 INCHES BELOW NORMAL SINCE JANUARY 1 2008... ...PALACIOS OVER 20 INCHES BELOW NORMAL SINCE SEPTEMBER 1 2008... 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. COLUMBUS RECEIVED 2.00 INCHES OF RAIN ON WEDNESDAY AND EDNA RECEIVED 1.96 INCHES. BOTH OF THESE COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN VERY DRY SINCE MAY 1 2009. 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 12 1.96 2.00 1.40 BELOW IS A TABLE WITH RAINFALL AND RAINFALL DEFICITS (THROUGH AUGUST 13TH) 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 0.84 -0.61 57.9 PERCENT TOTAL 20.80 -7.95 72.3 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 1.44 -0.28 83.7 PERCENT TOTAL 26.79 -5.15 83.8 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 -0.91 1.0 PERCENT TOTAL 16.40 -7.02 70.0 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 0.01 -1.51 0.6 PERCENT TOTAL 13.59 -11.13 55.0 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 0.11 -0.57 TOTAL 10.21 -21.81 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 -0.91 TOTAL 20.27 -22.66 AS OF AUGUST 11 2009...THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR INDICATED THAT CONDITIONS HAVE 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 GALVESTON NE HARRIS MATAGORDA FORT BEND WALKER MONTGOMERY COLORADO BRAZOS TRINITY SAN JACINTO WHARTON WASHINGTON LIBERTY BURLESON AUSTIN MADISON GRIMES WALLER SW HARRIS HOUSTON POLK COUNTY IS ABNORMALLY DRY DUE TO AN ANNUAL RAINFALL DEFICIT. RECENT RAINS HAVE REDUCED THE DEFICIT SIGNIFICANTLY. THE LAST TWO DAYS (AUG 11 AND AUG 12) HAVE BEEN RELATIVELY KIND WITH SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING EACH AFTERNOON. ANNUAL RAINFALL DEFICITS ARE EXTREME OVER A LARGE PORTION OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. THE RECENT RAIN HAS BEEN VERY WELCOME AND HELPFUL BUT THERE IS A LONG WAY TO GO BEFORE RAINFALL RETURNS TO NORMAL LEVELS AND DROUGHT CONDITIONS EASE. 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 11TH TEXAS A & M TEXAS CROP AND WEATHER REPORT INDICATED THAT RECENT RAINS HAVE HELPED SOME PASTURES RECOVER BUT ADDITIONAL RAIN WAS NECESSARY TO SUSTAIN GROWTH. 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... 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 100.0 PERCENT LAKE CONROE 94.1 PERCENT HOUSTON COUNTY LAKE 89.2 PERCENT LAKE HOUSTON 100.0 PERCENT LAKE SOMERVILLE 75.8 PERCENT LAKE TEXANA 59.0 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 13TH...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 JACKSON WHARTON GALVESTON JACKSON COLORADO TRINITY POLK WASHINGTON BRAZOS BURLESON MADISON GRIMES HOUSTON WALKER SAN JACINTO MONTGOMERY HARRIS LIBERTY CHAMBERS WALLER FORT BEND (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 13 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... WEAK UPPER LEVEL RIDGING OVER THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES WILL EXTEND INTO SOUTHEAST TEXAS OVER THE WEEKEND. DIURNALLY DRIVEN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. A WEAK INVERTED TROUGH WILL APPROACH DEEP SOUTH TEXAS ON SUNDAY. SLIGHTLY DEEPER MOISTURE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THIS FEATURE WILL BRING ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE REGION SUNDAY AND MONDAY. THE APPROACH OF A LONG WAVE TROUGH WILL BRING ADDITIONAL RAIN CHANCES FOR MUCH OF NEXT WEEK. IS IT A DROUGHT BUSTER? PROBABLY NOT. WILL IT ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE SHORT TERM DROUGHT EFFECTS? FIRST GUESS IS PROBABLY YES. THE NEXT DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED ON OR AROUND AUGUST 20 2009. $$ CR