DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 715 PM CDT WED SEP 3 2008 ...ABUNDANT AUGUST RAINFALL SIGNIFICANTLY EASES THE DROUGHT... -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------- NEXT ISSUANCE DATE... AN UPDATED DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED IN THE LATTER HALF OF SEPTEMBER. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/ -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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). -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 -------------------------------------------------------------------- HUCKABY/25