910 AXUS74 KLUB 091655 DGTLUB TXC017-045-069-075-079-101-107-125-153-169-189-191-219-263-269- 279-303-305-345-369-433-437-445-501-091730- DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 1200 PM CDT THU MAY 9 2013 ...LONG TERM DROUGHT CONDITIONS HAVE CONTINUED TO WORSEN FOR PORTIONS OF THE SOUTH PLAINS WHILE SOME MINOR SHORT-TERM RELIEF HAS OCCURRED ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE ROLLING PLAINS... SYNOPSIS... FIRE WEATHER IMPACTS... NOTWITHSTANDING THE ON-GOING DROUGHT...FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS HAVE BEEN CONFINED AND INFREQUENT THIS SEASON. THIS IS OWING TO A MUCH REDUCED FUEL LOAD AS DROUGHT HAS CONSTRICTED GROWTH OF GRASSES AND SHRUBS FOR NEARLY THREE YEARS...AND SINCE VERY FEW CYCLONIC WIND STORMS DEVELOPED IN THE TYPICAL PEAK MARCH-APRIL PERIOD. THE WIND STORM SEASON IS NOW WINDING DOWN...ALTHOUGH AS WARMER WEATHER DEVELOPS...DEEPER ATMOSPHERIC MIXING WILL OCCASIONALLY TAP INTO LINGERING STRONG FLOW ALOFT. THIS WILL CREATE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW MORE STRONG WIND EVENTS IN THE WEEKS AHEAD ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE WESTERN SOUTH PLAINS AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST TEXAS PANHANDLE. ALSO...ALTHOUGH FUEL LOADING HAS BEEN MINIMAL...THE EARLY SPRING GREENING HAS CURED AFTER FREQUENT HARD FREEZES AND DRYNESS FOR THE PAST 10 WEEKS. VEGETATION DROUGHT RESPONSE INDICES INDICATE INCREASING STRESS IN RECENT WEEKS. ENERGY RELEASE COMPONENTS DEVELOPED BY THE TEXAS FOREST SERVICE HAVE BECOME VERY HIGH ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS...NEAR THE 90TH PERCENTILE. THE MOST RECENT KEETCH-BYRAM DROUGHT INDEX FROM THE TEXAS FOREST SERVICE INDICATES MOST OF THE HIGH PLAINS REMAINING IN SEVERE DROUGHT WITH LEVELS BETWEEN 600 AND 800...WHILE THE ROLLING PLAINS AND EXTREME SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE REPORTED MORE MODERATE DROUGHT CONDITIONS BETWEEN 400 AND 600. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IS EXPECTED IN THE COMING TWO WEEKS. ALL THIS INDICATES THERE REMAINS RISK FOR RAPID BURN AND SPREAD TO DEVELOP IN THE WEEKS AHEAD OVER AREAS WITH CONTIGUOUS FUEL LOADING COINCIDENTAL WITH STRONG WINDS AND OR DRY LIGHTNING STORMS. AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS... WE NEED RAIN. SINCE MAY IS COTTON PLANTING SEASON..AND SEEDS NEED MOISTURE TO GERMINATE..THE STATEMENT THAT WE NEED SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL CANNOT BE UNDERSTATED. OUTSIDE OF FIELDS WHERE IRRIGATION IS AVAILABLE..SOIL MOISTURE REMAINS EXTREMELY LOW. LUBBOCK AS WELL AS MOST OF THE REGION SAW VIRTUALLY NO SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL DURING MARCH OR APRIL. OVER THE LAST 3 OR 4 DAYS WE`VE SEEN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS...BUT THE PERCENTAGE OF LAND TO SEE AS MUCH AS 1 INCH OF RAIN IS LESS THAN 1 PERCENT. ON MAY 3RD FOR THE THIRD WEEK IN A ROW WE SAW ANOTHER HARD FREEZE ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION. THIS FREEZE SET RECORDS FOR THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES SO LATE IN THE SPRING AT MANY LOCATIONS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS. LATE SEASON FREEZES ARE HARD TO WINTER WHEAT CROPS THAT WERE IN THE BOOT OR BLOOMING STAGES. COMBINED WITH THE LACK OF MOISTURE...THE LATE FREEZES PUT THE WINTER WHEAT CROPS IN POOR CONDITION. 74 PCT OF THE TEXAS AND 45 PCT OF THE OKLAHOMA WINTER WHEAT CROP IS LISTED AS BEING IN POOR TO VERY POOR CONDITION. CLIMATE SUMMARY... THE WEATHER DURING THE END OF APRIL AND THE FIRST WEEK OF MAY VARIED GREATLY FROM WELL BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES TO ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. THESE BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES WERE CAUSED BY UNSEASONABLY STRONG LATE SEASON COLD FRONTS. THE LATEST FRONT THAT PASSED THROUGH WEST TEXAS DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF MAY BROUGHT WITH IT THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES ON RECORD FOR THE MONTH. LOW TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM THE LOW 20S IN THE SOUTHWESTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE TO THE LOW 30S IN THE EASTERN ROLLING PLAINS. THESE COLD FRONTS ACTED TO SUPRESS PRECIPITATION AS THEY PUSHED LOW LEVEL MOISTURE SOUTHWARD. IN ADDITION...LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WAS SLOW TO RETURN TO THE AREA AFTER BEING DISPLACED. BY THE BEGINNING OF THE SECOND WEEK OF MAY LOW LEVEL MOISTURE HAD RETURNED TO WEST TEXAS WITH LITTLE INTERFERENCE AND DID ALLOW FOR SOME SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. MANY AREAS DID RECEIVE MODEST AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL FROM THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. EVEN THOUGH WHAT RAIN THAT FELL WAS BENEFICIAL TO THOSE FORTUNATE AREAS...IT DID VERY LITTLE TO EASE LONGER TERM DROUGHT CONDITIONS. THE HEAVIEST RAIN AMOUNTS WERE JUST UNDER 4 TENTHS OF AN INCH. MOST RAINFALL AMOUNTS WERE BELOW 15 HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH. AREAS IN THE ROLLING PLAINS RECEIVED RAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ON THE EVENING OF MAY 8...BUT THIS IS NOT YET REFLECTED ON THE CURRENT DROUGHT MONITOR. PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK... SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SOUTH PLAINS...ROLLING PLAINS...AND EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE THROUGH SATURDAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL MAY ALSO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN SOUTH PLAINS ON FRIDAY AS A SLOW MOVING UPPER DISTURBANCE AFFECTS THE REGION. BEYOND SATURDAY...THIS SAME UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM MAY AGAIN BRING PRECIPITATION TO THE REGION BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK AS IT MOVES ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS. ALTHOUGH PREDICTABILITY IS FAIRLY LOW AT THIS POINT WITH THIS SYSTEM. NO OTHER APPRECIABLE CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION APPEAR TO BE ON THE HORIZON THROUGH THE END OF NEXT WEEK. TEMPERATURES WILL GRADUALLY WARM FROM SATURDAY AND BEYOND AS DRIER AIR ENTERS WEST TEXAS. THE EXTENDED OUTLOOK FROM MAY THROUGH JULY IS ANTICIPATED TO HAVE A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND 33 PERCENT CHANCE OF BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION. HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK... AREA RESERVOIRS HAVE SHOWN A CONTINUED SLOW DECLINE SINCE THE END OF FROM LATE APRIL THROUGH EARLY MAY. THE FOLLOWING RESERVOIR CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED APRIL 25TH: RESERVOIR SUMMARY CONSERVATION POOL 2 WEEK MAXIMUM PERCENT OF POOL TODAY CHANGE DEPTH CONSERVATION (FEET) (FEET) CAPACITY MACKENZIE LAKE 3100 3006.1 -0.3 57 8 WHITE RIVER LAKE 2370 2341.2 -0.3 16 2 LAKE ALAN HENRY 2220 2207.8 -0.3 67 69 LAKE MEREDITH 2936 2840.6 -0.3 28.4 -11 NEXT ISSUANCE DATE... THIS PRODUCT WILL BE UPDATED ON MAY 23RD OR SOONER IF NECESSARY IN RESPONSE TO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN CONDITIONS. && RELATED WEB SITES... ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CURRENT DROUGHT CONDITIONS MAY BE FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESSES /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/: DROUGHT MONITOR: HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.UNL.EDU/DM/MONITOR.HTML NOAA DROUGHT PAGE: HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.NOAA.GOV/ OFFICE OF THE TEXAS STATE CLIMATOLOGIST: HTTP://WWW.MET.TAMU.EDU/OSC/ NWS PRECIPITATION: HTTP://WWW.WATER.WEATHER.GOV/PRECIP/ USGS: HTTP://WATER.USGS.GOV/ USACE: HTTP://WWW.MVR.USACE.ARMY.MIL/ CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER /CPC/: HTTP://WWW.CPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/ USDA: HTTP://WWW.USDA.GOV/OCE/WEATHER/ TEXAS AGRILIFE EXTENSION AGENCY CROP AND WEATHER REPORT: HTTP://TODAY.AGRILIFE.ORG ACKNOWLEDGMENTS... THE DROUGHT MONITOR IS A MULTI-AGENCY EFFORT INVOLVING THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND THE NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER... THE USDA...STATE AND REGIONAL CENTER CLIMATOLOGISTS AND THE NATIONAL DROUGHT MITIGATION CENTER. INFORMATION FOR THIS STATEMENT HAS BEEN GATHERED FROM NWS AND FAA OBSERVATIONS SITES... THE TEXAS TECH/WEST TEXAS MESONET...STATE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICES...THE USDA...USACE AND USGS. QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS... IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT...PLEASE CONTACT... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 2579 SOUTH LOOP 289 SUITE 100 LUBBOCK TEXAS 79423 PHONE: 806-745-4260 SR-LUB.WEBMASTER@NOAA.GOV $$ 848 AXUS74 KLUB 251724 DGTLUB TXC017-045-069-075-079-101-107-125-153-169-189-191-219-263-269- 279-303-305-345-369-433-437-445-501-091730- DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 1224 PM CDT THU APR 25 2013 ...LONG TERM DROUGHT CONDITIONS HAVE WORSENED FOR PORTIONS OF THE SOUTH PLAINS AS WE CONTINUE TO BE IN THE MIDST OF THE PEAK FIRE WEATHER SEASON... SYNOPSIS... SOME AREAS HAVE RECEIVED DROUGHT RELIEF IN LATE MARCH AND EARLY APRIL FROM ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AND SNOWFALL. THE AREAS THAT BENEFITED FROM THESE EVENTS ARE THE EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE AND NORTHERN ROLLING PLAINS. CHILDRESS AIRPORT RECEIVED 0.9 INCHES OF RAIN IN THE PAST MONTH. SOME COOP OBSERVERS HAVE REPORTED OVER AN INCH WHILE SOME REPORTED ONE-HALF INCH OR MORE. THOUGH THESE RAINS ARE VERY BENEFICIAL...THEY HAVE DONE LITTLE TO EASE THE IMPACT OF THE ONGOING DROUGHT AND FOR SOME AREAS...THE DROUGHT HAS WORSENED DUE TO LACK OF PRECIPITATION. FIRE WEATHER IMPACTS... IT HAS BEEN A RELATIVELY QUIET START TO THE FIRE WEATHER SEASON WITH FEW UNCONTROLLED BURNS REPORTED ACROSS THE REGION. FUELS CONTINUE TO BE SOMEWHAT UNSUPPORTIVE OF WILDFIRE CONDITIONS... HOWEVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD WITHOUT RAINFALL WILL START TO DRY FUELS OUT AND LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF NEW VEGETATION GROWTH. 100-HOUR FUEL DRYNESS HAS REMAINED IN THE DRY CATEGORY AREA-WIDE AND ENERGY RELEASE COMPONENT VALUES HAVE CLIMBED INTO THE 75-89 RANGE AREA-WIDE WHICH SUGGESTS FUELS WILL HAVE MORE ENERGY READILY AVAILABLE IF THEY BURN. FORECAST VALUES INDICATE THAT THE ENERGY RELEASE COMPONENT AND 100-HOUR FUEL MOISTURE VALUES WILL REMAIN THE SAME OR FALL SLIGHTLY FOR THE NEXT WEEK TO TWO WEEKS. DROUGHT CONDITIONS CONTINUE ACROSS THE REGION WITH PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN SOUTH PLAINS DROPPING ONCE AGAIN INTO THE EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT CATEGORY...WHILE THE REST OF THE SOUTH PLAINS REMAIN IN THE EXTREME DROUGHT CATEGORY. THE NORTHERN ROLLING PLAINS INTO EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE HAS IMPROVED JUST A BIT INTO THE MODERATE DROUGHT CATEGORY...BUT THE SOUTHERN ROLLING PLAINS INTO NORTHWEST TEXAS REMAINS IN THE EXTREME TO EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT CATEGORIES. BURN BANS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR 11 OF THE 24 COUNTIES IN THE NWS LUBBOCK COUNTY WARNING AREA. THE FIVE DAY AVERAGE FIRE DANGER IS CLASSIFIED AS MODERATE TO HIGH AND THIS IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN THE MODERATE CATEGORY FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL REMAIN OVER THE REGION FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT WEEK WHICH WILL HELP TO REDUCE THE FIRE DANGER THROUGH THE PERIOD. HOWEVER...SOME DRY AIR MAY MANAGE TO PUSH INTO THE WESTERN SOUTH PLAINS THROUGH THE NEXT WEEK AND AN INCREASED FIRE DANGER MAY RESULT IN THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL PUSH ACROSS THE REGION LATE NEXT WEEK WHICH WILL REMOVE MUCH OF THE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE FROM THE REGION BUT MAY ALSO BRING PRECIPITATION TO PORTIONS OF THE AREA. AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS... THE HARD FREEZE ON THE MORNING OF THE 24TH WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON WINTER WHEAT CROPS THAT WERE IN BOOT OR BLOOMING STAGES. THERE MAY HAVE ALSO BEEN SOME DAMAGE TO IRRIGATION SYSTEMS AS TEMPERATURES DROPPED INTO THE UPPER TEENS ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN SOUTH PLAINS AND LOW TO MID 20S ACROSS THE REST OF THE SOUTH PLAINS AND MUCH OF THE ROLLING PLAINS. DAMAGE FROM THIS LATE-SEASON HARD FREEZE WILL BECOME APPARENT OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS BUT IT IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT QUALITY OF HAY AND RESULT IN MAJOR YIELD REDUCTION IN WINTER WHEAT CROPS. COTTON FARMERS CONTINUED TO PREPARE FIELDS WHILE WAITING FOR WARMER TEMPERATURES AND MOISTURE TO BEGIN PLANTING. PASTURES WERE WAITING FOR ADDITIONAL MOISTURE TO CONTINUE GREENING AND REMAINED IN FAIR CONDITION. LIVESTOCK ALSO REMAINED IN FAIR CONDITION AND RANCHERS CONTINUED SUPPLEMENTAL FEEDING ON COOL AND COLD DAYS. CLIMATE SUMMARY... THE WEATHER DURING THE FIRST MONTH OF SPRING REMAINED HIGHLY VARIABLE ACROSS THE SOUTH PLAINS REGION WITH REGARD TO TEMPERATURES. DRY CONDITIONS PREVAILED WITH MOST AREAS SEEING RAINFALL DEFICITS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES BELOW NORMAL FOR THE PERIOD. COOL CONDITIONS DURING THE MIDDLE OF MARCH TURNED AROUND BY THE END OF THE MONTH WITH READINGS ROUTINELY 5-10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. THIS WARM SPELL WAS SHORT-LIVED AS THE FIRST OF SEVERAL STRONG COLD FRONTS MOVED INTO THE REGION DURING THE FIRST WEEK IN APRIL. AHEAD OF THE FRONT...SCATTERED STORMS DEVELOPED ACROSS THE ROLLING PLAINS AND SOUTHERN PANHANDLE WHERE SPOTTY RAINFALL AMOUNTS FROM 1/4 TO 3/4 OF AN INCH WERE OBSERVED ON THE 1ST. BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOLLOWED THE FRONT...LASTING THROUGH THE 4TH BEFORE STRONG...DRY SOUTHWEST WINDS DEVELOPED BOOSTING TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THE 8TH. A SECOND SURGE OF COLD AIR OCCURRED ON THE 10TH WHEN A RECORD ARCTIC BLAST MOVED INTO THE AREA. MIXED PRECIPITATION DEVELOPED AND MOVED EAST DURING THE MORNING HOURS ON THE 10TH BUT ONLY AMOUNTED TO A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH ON THE CAPROCK. HEAVIER SHOWERS DEVELOPED ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN ROLLING PLAINS WHERE LOCALIZED TOTALS FROM 1/3 TO 3/4 OF AN INCH WERE SEEN. TEMPERATURES REMAINED ON A ROLLER COASTER THROUGH THE LATTER PART OF THE MONTH WITH READINGS WARMING INTO THE LOWER AND MIDDLE 90S ON THE 17TH AND 22ND. TWO MORE UNSEASONABLY COLD OUTBREAKS FOLLOWED THESE WARM SPELLS RESULTING IN RECORD COLD OVERNIGHT LOWS AND HARD FREEZES ON THE 19TH AND 24TH. ALSO OF NOTE...THE COLDEST READINGS EVER RECORDED SO LATE IN THE SEASON OCCURRED AT BOTH LUBBOCK AND CHILDRESS ON THE 24TH WITH LOW TEMPERATURES OF 25 AND 26 DEGREES RESPECTIVELY. PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK... A RELATIVELY PROGRESSIVE PATTERN WILL CONTINUE TO OCCUR FOR THE REGION IN BOTH THE SHORT AND LONG TERM...WITH A COUPLE OF FRONTAL PASSAGES STILL EXPECTED TO PLAGUE THE AREA. IN THE SHORT TERM...AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM NORTH OF THE BAJA PENINSULA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AS IT MOVES NORTHEAST INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS TONIGHT. THERE ARE HINTS OF LIGHT PRECIPITATION DEVELOPING NEAR THE SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE AND NORTHEASTERN SOUTH PLAINS...HOWEVER THE BEST PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL LIKELY OCCUR WELL NORTH OF THE AREA. A FRONTAL PASSAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM IS ANTICIPATED LATE TOMORROW NIGHT...AND SOME COMPUTER MODELS SHOW PRECIPITATION DEVELOPING ALONG THIS FRONT...MORE SO OFF THE CAPROCK. THIS WEEKEND THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...A SERIES OF WEAK DISTURBANCES MAY SLIGHTLY INCREASE CHANCES FOR RAIN BUT CONFIDENCE IS LOW ON WHETHER PRECIPITATION WILL BE ABLE TO DEVELOP OR NOT. A BROAD UPPER LEVEL TROUGH NEARING THE AREA BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK WILL RESULT IN ANOTHER BREEZY FRONTAL PASSAGE. THERE WILL BE SOME MOISTURE RETURN AHEAD OF THIS FRONT WHICH MAY RESULT IN AN INCREASED CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE REGION. THE EXTENDED OUTLOOK FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS FAVORS ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND EQUAL CHANCES OF SEEING ABOVE NORMAL...NORMAL... OR BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK... AREA RESERVOIRS HAVE SHOWN A GENERAL DECLINE SINCE THE END OF MARCH THROUGH LATE APRIL. THE FOLLOWING RESERVOIR CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED APRIL 25TH: RESERVOIR SUMMARY CONSERVATION POOL 4 WEEK MAXIMUM PERCENT OF POOL TODAY CHANGE DEPTH CONSERVATION (FEET) (FEET) CAPACITY MACKENZIE LAKE 3100 3006.4 -0.6 57 8 WHITE RIVER LAKE 2370 2341.5 -0.9 16 4 LAKE ALAN HENRY 2220 2208.1 -1.0 67 73 LAKE MEREDITH 2936 2840.9 -0.4 28.4 -11 NEXT ISSUANCE DATE... THIS PRODUCT WILL BE UPDATED ON MAY 9TH OR SOONER IF NECESSARY IN RESPONSE TO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN CONDITIONS. && RELATED WEB SITES... ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CURRENT DROUGHT CONDITIONS MAY BE FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESSES /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/: DROUGHT MONITOR: HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.UNL.EDU/DM/MONITOR.HTML NOAA DROUGHT PAGE: HTTP://WWW.DROUGHT.NOAA.GOV/ OFFICE OF THE TEXAS STATE CLIMATOLOGIST: HTTP://WWW.MET.TAMU.EDU/OSC/ NWS PRECIPITATION: HTTP://WWW.WATER.WEATHER.GOV/PRECIP/ USGS: HTTP://WATER.USGS.GOV/ USACE: HTTP://WWW.MVR.USACE.ARMY.MIL/ CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER /CPC/: HTTP://WWW.CPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/ USDA: HTTP://WWW.USDA.GOV/OCE/WEATHER/ TEXAS AGRILIFE EXTENSION AGENCY CROP AND WEATHER REPORT: HTTP://TODAY.AGRILIFE.ORG ACKNOWLEDGMENTS... THE DROUGHT MONITOR IS A MULTI-AGENCY EFFORT INVOLVING THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND THE NATIONAL CLIMATIC DATA CENTER... THE USDA...STATE AND REGIONAL CENTER CLIMATOLOGISTS AND THE NATIONAL DROUGHT MITIGATION CENTER. INFORMATION FOR THIS STATEMENT HAS BEEN GATHERED FROM NWS AND FAA OBSERVATIONS SITES... THE TEXAS TECH/WEST TEXAS MESONET...STATE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICES...THE USDA...USACE AND USGS. QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS... IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT...PLEASE CONTACT... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 2579 SOUTH LOOP 289 SUITE 100 LUBBOCK TEXAS 79423 PHONE: 806-745-4260 SR-LUB.WEBMASTER@NOAA.GOV $$