The rains of spring are but a memory, and a familiar presence has returned to Texas: Drought.
The most recent federal data for the Lone Star State shows that while it’s mainly precipitation as usual in the bone-dry western half of Texas, the more humid eastern part of the state has been deprived of rainfall.
The Ark-La-Tex region has the lowest precipitation totals compared to average local conditions, with the driest area in the vicinity of Lake o’ the Pines and Caddo Lake.
Most of the KETR service area is classified as Abnormally Dry – a rating used when conditions don’t constitute actual drought, but are borderline.
Delta, Hopkins, Hunt, Rains, Rockwall and Wood counties are currently listed as Abnormally Dry.
Fannin County is experiencing normal precipitation, except for the southeastern corner, which is Abnormally Dry. In Collin County, the southeastern half of the county is Abnormally Dry, while the rest is listed as normal. Similarly, the southeastern half of Lamar County earned an Abnormally Dry classification, while the northwestern parts of Lamar County did not.
To the east, Franklin, Titus and Camp counties are part of a belt of Moderate Drought that extends down to the Longview-Marshall area.
Still, Texas soils and surface waters are faring better than at this time last year. In early August 2014, 82 percent of the state was in drought, compared to 27 percent currently.
