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The latest Drought
Monitor shows an improvement in the drought
across South-Central Louisiana. Southeast Texas and the southwest
corner of Louisiana remain predominantly drought-free while
abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions are shown across
Central and South-Central Louisiana. Similarly, the Palmer Drought
Index, a long term index, shows similar conditions across the area.
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Typical summer weather has set up over the area with scattered
showers and thunderstorms developing along the daily sea breeze and
moving inland. This has produced rainfall totals much closer to
normal for the month. However, many locations remain below normal
for the year.
The
following table depicts rainfall totals and departure from normal
since January 1st and since July 1st.
These totals are current through July 13:
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Locations Lake Charles Lafayette New Iberia Alexandria Beaumont |
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Since January 1st |
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Total Rain |
21.35 |
22.47 |
20.04 |
25.71 |
27.68 |
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Dep. Norm |
-9.06 |
-11.50 |
-10.22 |
-8.02 |
-3.76 |
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Since July 1st |
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Total Rain |
3.24 |
5.24 |
4.06 |
2.21 |
9.41 |
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Dep. Norm |
+0.49 |
+2.34 |
+0.99 |
+0.37 |
+7.01 |
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Fire Danger Impacts
Fire
danger is low across Southeast Texas and the southwest corner of
Louisiana, with a Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) around 200
to 300. Moderate fire danger
conditions continue across Central and South-Central Louisiana
but will continues to improve with daily rainfall. The KBDI for this area is around
400. No burn bans are currently in effect. However, burning is
discouraged as dried vegetation can rapidly ignite into a
wildfire.
Agricultural Impacts
The
short term crop moisture index shows abnormally wet conditions across
Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana. Conditions become abnormally
dry from Central to South-Central Louisiana. Evaporation rates are
beginning to balance out with a bit of rainfall, helping the soil to
maintain near-normal moisture levels.
Hydrologic Impacts
Reservoir levels are running less than 2 feet below the normal
pool level at Sam Rayburn Reservoir and about 6 feet below the
normal pool level at Toledo Bend Reservoir. However, the
reservoirs remain in good condition.
The level at
Steinhagen Lake was nearly 11 feet below normal pool due to
recent controlled releases at the dam. These increased releases
were implemented to lower the lake level for maintenance
purposes.
River
streamflows across Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana are
near to above normal in many locations within the Calcasieu,
Sabine and Neches river basins. The Neches
River at Town Bluff is running at the low end of normal
streamflow values where reduced releases are maintaining a
lower flow downstream of Dam B, and along the Whiskey Chitto
near Mittie where flows are well below normal. As of July
13th, Cow Bayou near
Mauriceville continues running more than 90 percent above normal flow
for this time of year.
Outlook
Scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms
are expected during the next week as the sea breeze becomes
active each day. Storms will be numerous occasionally as
disturbances move near the area.
Medium range
forecasts through late-July indicate near normal temperatures and
precipitation across Southwest and Central
Louisiana and Southeast Texas.
The long range outlook though the end of
September indicates a better-than-normal chance for above normal
temperatures, while equal chances of above normal, near normal and below normal precipitation
exist due to the lack of a strong signal predicting any of these
three categories.
According to
the seasonal drought outlook, improvements should continue
across South-Central Louisiana, but a complete end to the
drought will be gradual. |
www.nws.noaa.gov 
