All of North Texas Officially Back in Drought

The latest drought monitor was issued today and the news is not good for North Texas.  As expected, because of all the extreme temperatures and the lack of significant rainfall, all of North Texas has returned to drought.  A severe drought is now found from the Metroplex back toward the Red River.  Extreme and the worst, exceptional, drought are found in our western, southwestern and southeastern areas of North Texas.

According the state climatology office, this is now the worst one-year drought on record in Texas.  Currently 99.5% of the state is in drought, following the warmest July on record across Texas.  According to Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, this drought has been "shorter but sharper" than the official worst long-term drought in Texas back in the 1950s.

Texas saw the least amount of rainfall on record year-to-date and the least amount of rainfall from July 2010 to present.  And the news may not improve much as the Climate Prediction Center today issued a La Niña Watch.  Typically when La Niña develops in the Pacific, it usually means drier than average weather for North Texas. A La Niña Watch is issued when conditions are favorable for the development of La Niña conditions within the next six months.  This could mean beneficial rains will be in short supply even as we end summer and head into fall and winter.