DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
715 PM CDT WED SEP 3 2008
...ABUNDANT AUGUST RAINFALL SIGNIFICANTLY EASES THE DROUGHT...
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SYNOPSIS...
ONE OF THE MOST PROLONGED AND WIDESPREAD AUGUST RAIN EVENTS ON
RECORD BEGAN DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH...AND CONTINUED FOR AN
ENTIRE WEEK. RAINFALL TOTALS VARIED CONSIDERABLY...BUT MANY AREAS
FAR EXCEEDED NORMAL VALUES FOR AUGUST. THOUGH SOME LOCATIONS
RECEIVED NEGLIGIBLE PRECIPITATION DURING THE EVENT...SOME AREAS SAW
RAINFALL TOTALS IN EXCESS OF 5 INCHES.
IN A WIDE AREA FROM MARLIN TO PALESTINE...COVERING THOUSANDS OF
SQUARE MILES...WIDESPREAD RAINFALL TOTALS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES WERE
RECORDED. PART OF THIS AREA WAS IN EXTREME DROUGHT WHEN THE EVENT
BEGAN. WITHIN THIS AREA WERE HUNDREDS OF SQUARE MILES THAT SAW 10 TO
12 INCHES OF RAINFALL...MORE RAIN IN ONE WEEK THAN THESE LOCATIONS
HAD SEEN IN SEVERAL MONTHS. OTHER AREAS THAT TOPPED 10 INCHES DURING
THE EVENT INCLUDE WACO...COLLIN COUNTY...AND AREAS JUST WEST OF
MINERAL WELLS.
AS A RESULT OF THE ABUNDANT RAINFALL...ALMOST ALL OF NORTH TEXAS SAW
REDUCTIONS OF 1 TO 2 DROUGHT CATEGORIES IN JUST TWO WEEKS (AUGUST
12-26). IN PORTIONS OF MCLENNAN AND FALLS COUNTIES...WHERE COPIOUS
RAIN FELL...THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR REDUCED THE DROUGHT SEVERITY
FROM EXTREME DROUGHT (D3) TO SIMPLY ABNORMALLY DRY (D0). ALTHOUGH
MODERATE (D1) TO EXTREME DROUGHT (D3) REMAINS ACROSS PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL TEXAS...OVER 90 PERCENT OF NORTH TEXAS IS NOW JUST
ABNORMALLY DRY (D0) OR LESS. HALF OF NORTH TEXAS IS WITHOUT ANY
DROUGHT CLASSIFICATION AT ALL.
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SUMMARY OF IMPACTS...
AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS
THE AUGUST RAINFALL CAME TOO LATE FOR MANY IN THE AGRICULTURAL
INDUSTRY...ALTHOUGH THE LATE SEASON GROWTH MAY ALLOW FOR HAY CUTTING
AT THE END OF THE SEASON. WHERE THE AUGUST RAIN WAS INSUFFICIENT...
AGRICULTURAL AREAS REMAIN IN POOR CONDITION...AND WILL BE FALLOW
UNTIL NEXT SPRING.
SOME CROPS SUPPLEMENTED WITH IRRIGATION WERE SUCCESSFUL...BUT MOST
NORTH TEXAS AGRICULTURE RELIES ON ADEQUATE RAINFALL. OVERALL...THERE
WERE CONSIDERABLE LOSSES TO THE STAPLE CROPS OF THE REGION...CORN...
SOYBEANS...COTTON...AND SORGHUM.
FIRE DANGER
MUCH OF NORTH TEXAS IS GREEN AGAIN. IN MANY AREAS...VEGETATION HAD
BEEN LARGELY DORMANT SINCE SPRING. WHILE THE FIRE DANGER HAS BEEN
SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED...THIS ABUNDANT LATE SEASON GROWTH WILL
REMAIN THROUGHOUT THE WINTER FIRE SEASON. IF A PROLONGED DRY PERIOD
OCCURS AGAIN...THIS VEGETATION COULD SERVE AS FINE FUEL FOR COLD
SEASON WILDFIRES.
DESPITE RECENT RAINS...SOME AREAS HAVE MAINTAINED SIGNIFICANT
PRECIPITATION DEFICITS. THE VEGETATION IN THESE AREAS REMAINS
DORMANT AND RECEPTIVE TO FIRE INITIATION AND MAINTENANCE. OUTDOOR
BURN BANS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR NEARLY ONE THIRD OF THE COUNTIES IN
THE NWS FORT WORTH AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY. NEARLY ALL WILDFIRES ARE
EITHER INTENTIONALLY OR CARELESSLY SET...AND EXERCISING CAUTION CAN
HELP PREVENT FIRE INITIATION. ONE IMPROPERLY DISCARDED CIGARETTE CAN
PUT HOMES AND LIVES IN DANGER.
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CLIMATE SUMMARY...
BREMOND RECORDED 13.09 INCHES OF RAIN DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST...
MORE THAN DOUBLE THE PREVIOUS 4 MONTHS (6.28 INCHES APRIL-JULY)...
AND FAR IN EXCESS OF THE PALTRY 0.57 RECORDED DURING JUNE AND JULY.
WACO HAD ONLY SEEN 73 PERCENT OF NORMAL PRECIPITATION DURING A
10-MONTH PERIOD FROM OCTOBER 2007 TO JULY 2008...BUT THE WETTEST
AUGUST ON RECORD COMPLETELY ERASED THAT DEFICIT.
DESPITE TREMENDOUS RAINFALL IN MANY AREAS...SOME LOCATIONS SAW NEAR
NORMAL PRECIPITATION IN AUGUST...MAINTAINING LONGTERM DEFICITS. SOME
AREAS...PARTICULARLY IN CENTRAL TEXAS...STILL HAVE DEFICITS OF 12 TO
15 INCHES SINCE THE BEGINNING OF OCTOBER 2007.
AIRPORT OBSERVING SITES
11-MONTH PRECIPITATION DATA
(OCTOBER 1, 2007 - AUGUST 31, 2008)
TOTAL NORMAL DEPARTURE PERCENT OF NORMAL
DFW AIRPORT 26.26 32.31 -6.05 81
DALLAS LOVE 30.33 34.40 -4.07 88
FTW MEACHAM 23.89
DAL-EXECUTIVE 27.97
FTW-ALLIANCE 26.80
ARLINGTON 24.73 34.78 -10.05 71
DENTON 29.37 34.44 -5.07 85
TERRELL 32.29 38.88 -6.59 83
MINERAL WELLS 20.10 28.99 -8.89 69
CORSICANA 30.66 36.44 -5.78 84
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PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK...
THE MID-RANGE OUTLOOKS FOR SEPTEMBER KEEP NORTH TEXAS IN FAVORABLE
RAIN CHANCES. ALTHOUGH THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER (CPC) SHOWS NO
STRONG INDICATION THAT PRECIPITATION WILL SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFER FROM
NORMAL THIS FALL...THE AUTUMN IS A SECONDARY WET SEASON. SPRING AND
FALL ARE TYPICALLY WET...WHILE SUMMER AND WINTER TYPICALLY SEE LESS
PRECIPITATION. WITH NORMAL AUTUMN RAINFALL...ANY REMAINING DROUGHT
CONDITIONS WOULD CONTINUE TO EASE. AS SUCH...THE U.S. SEASONAL
DROUGHT OUTLOOK CONTENDS THAT IMPROVEMENT OF AT LEAST ONE DROUGHT
CATEGORY IS LIKELY THIS FALL.
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HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK...
RECENT RAINS WERE LARGELY OFFSET BY USAGE AND EVAPORATION...BUT
THANKS TO EXCESSIVE PRECIPITATION IN 2007 AND PLENTIFUL RAINS IN
MARCH AND APRIL OF THIS YEAR...NEARLY EVERY RESERVOIR IN NORTH TEXAS
REMAINS AT LEAST 80 PERCENT CAPACITY. SEVERAL WATER SUPPLY LAKES ARE
STILL ABOVE 90 PERCENT...DESPITE THE EXTRAORDINARY EVAPORATION AND
USAGE THIS SUMMER. ONE NOTABLE EXCEPTION IS LAKE WHITNEY...WHICH HAS
FALLEN TO 42 PERCENT OF CONSERVATION. ALSO...LAKE BENBROOK REMAINS
LOW...AT ONLY 67 PERCENT.
RESERVOIR DATA - SEPTEMBER 3, 2008
NORMAL POOL CURRENT PERCENT OF
POOL HEIGHT DEFICIT CONSERVATION
RED RIVER BASIN
LAKE TEXOMA 616.6 617.29 +0.69 102
PAY MAYSE LAKE 451.0 450.10 -0.90 95
JIM CHAPMAN LAKE 440.0 437.59 -2.41 84
TRINITY RIVER BASIN
LAKE BRIDGEPORT 836.0 831.85 -4.15 86
EAGLE MOUNTAIN LAKE 649.0 646.49 -2.51 89
LAKE WORTH 594.0 592.59 -1.41 87
LAKE BENBROOK 694.0 686.96 -7.04 67
LAKE RAY ROBERTS 632.5 631.83 -0.67 98
LAKE LEWISVILLE 522.0 519.48 -2.52 87
LAKE GRAPEVINE 535.0 531.40 -3.60 84
LAKE LAVON 492.0 488.53 -3.47 84
LAKE RAY HUBBARD 435.5 434.80 -0.70 97
JOE POOL LAKE 522.0 520.53 -1.47 92
BARDWELL LAKE 421.0 419.32 -1.68 89
NAVARRO MILLS LAKE 424.5 423.08 -1.42 87
CEDAR CREEK RESERVOIR 322.0 320.55 -1.45 93
RICHLAND CHAMBERS 315.0 312.86 -2.14 92
BRAZOS RIVER BASIN
POSSUM KINGDOM LAKE 1000.0 996.69 -3.31 88
PROCTOR LAKE 1162.0 1158.73 -3.27 72
BELTON LAKE 594.0 594.05 +0.05 100
STILLHOUSE HOLLOW 622.0 620.53 -1.47 96
LAKE GRANBURY 693.0 691.26 -1.74 90
LAKE WHITNEY 533.0 526.27 -6.73 42
AQUILLA LAKE 537.5 534.97 -2.53 77
WACO LAKE 462.0 460.36 -1.64 93
LAKE LIMESTONE 363.0 362.37 -0.63 96
IN GENERAL...WATER SUPPLIES ARE STILL ADEQUATE TO HANDLE DEMAND...
THUS THE CENTRAL TEXAS DROUGHT REMAINS PRIMARILY ONE OF AGRICULTURAL
IMPACT. SOME LOCAL WATER SUPPLIES HAVE ENACTED STAGE 2 WATER
RESTRICTIONS...BUT MOST JURISDICTIONS HAVE MAINTAINED CALLS FOR
VOLUNTARY CONSERVATION WITHOUT FORMAL RESTRICTIONS.
EVEN IF WATER RESTRICTIONS ARE NOT CURRENTLY IN PLACE FOR YOUR
AREA...RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO BE SENSIBLE ABOUT WATER USAGE. AVOID
WATERING BETWEEN 10 AM AND 6 PM...WHEN EVAPORATION LIMITS ITS
EFFECTIVENESS.
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NEXT ISSUANCE DATE...
AN UPDATED DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED IN THE
LATTER HALF OF SEPTEMBER.
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RELATED WEB SITES...
NWS FORT WORTH DROUGHT PAGE...
http://weather.gov/fortworth/drought.html
NATIONAL INTEGRATED DROUGHT INFORMATION SYSTEM...
http://drought.gov/
CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER...
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/
NATIONAL DROUGHT MITIGATION CENTER...
http://www.drought.unl.edu/
U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR...
http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/
DROUGHT IMPACT REPORTER...
http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...
THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR FACILITATES CONTINUOUS DISCUSSION AMONG
NUMEROUS AGENCIES...ACADEMIA...AND OTHER LOCAL INTERESTS. THE
EXPERTISE OF ITS MEMBERS HAS BEEN INVALUABLE IN DEVELOPING DROUGHT
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR OUR CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERS.
THE DROUGHT IMPACT REPORTER (MAINTAINED BY THE NATIONAL DROUGHT
MITIGATION CENTER) HAS ALLOWED VARIOUS IMPACTS TO BE COMPILED WITHIN
ONE CLEARING HOUSE. THESE IMPACTS INCLUDE AGRICULTURAL ISSUES...
HYDROLOGIC DEFICITS...FIRE DANGER...AND OTHER SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC
CONSEQUENCES. A SUMMARY OF THE SUBMITTED IMPACTS IS INCLUDED IN EACH
DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT.
THE TEXAS FOREST SERVICE (TFS) CONTINUALLY MONITORS VEGETATION
CONDITIONS AND WILDFIRE POTENTIAL. THE STATE AGENCY ALSO MAINTAINS A
CURRENT LIST OF COUNTYWIDE BURN BANS.
OUTLOOKS OF TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION ARE SUMMARIZED FROM A
VARIETY OF PRODUCTS CREATED BY THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER (CPC).
CPC IS A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE (NWS) ENTITY WITHIN THE NATIONAL
CENTERS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTION (NCEP).
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QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS...
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON OUR DROUGHT
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES...PLEASE CONTACT...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE
3401 NORTHERN CROSS BLVD.
FORT WORTH, TX 76137
PHONE: (817) 429-2631
E-MAIL: SR-FWD.webmaster@noaa.gov
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