DALLAS — It's not a secret that we just left one of the hottest and driest summers on record in North Texas. In fact, the past summer in DFW was the 3rd hottest and 4th driest on record.
Not Nearly Enough
While many in North Texas saw measurable rain this week, it wasn't even close to enough to put a respectable dent in our drought conditions. The highest totals DID fall in areas where the drought is the worst, but we have a lot more catching up to do.
Drought Worsens
If we look at a comparison between the drought monitor from the beginning of summer until now, you'll see what a number the summer did on our soils. The high heat and serious lack of rain has left a majority of our area under extreme to exceptional drought conditions. These are the worst drought conditions you can have.
Looking at the numbers
If we look at the deficits this year and summer have brought, we are seeing some impressive numbers. This is currently the 11th driest year to date. A major loss in the rainfall department came this summer. August saw ZERO measurable rain at DFW. That came after a June and July with only 1.25" of rain total.
Looking ahead
There is a small bright spot. Rainfall is forecast to be near or slightly above average over the next few weeks. While that is great news, I'm afraid it will take a lot more than that to make serious improvements to the drought conditions. Let's all hope the El Nino winter we are expecting can come through for us and dig us out of this hole.
