Officially official: Drought has returned to the Brazos Valley
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – It’s news we did not want to receive, but probably knew all along – drought is “officially” here, and will likely worsen before it improves.
Continued week after week of little to no measurable rain has parched Brazos Valley soils and flora, leading to a widespread swath of Moderate Drought (D1) that has finally expanded into the area, with both east and west sides of the area now in Severe Drought (D2).
The City of College Station has already asked residents to limit watering to twice per week, and additional restrictions are possible, especially in special utility districts just outside of town.
Across the State
Drought continues to expand nearly statewide, with some worsening expected through the end of the month.
Nearly 70% of the state of Texas is classified in at least “Moderate Drought” (D1-D4). With a stubborn ridge of high pressure in control over much of the summer, really only northern portions of the state north of I-20 have seen enough beneficial rain to remain drought-free.
Where do we go from here? It’s likely to get worse before it gets better. Though there are some signals of some slightly wetter days to finish the month, the hope here is only for enough rain for the drought to not continue to worsen, at best.
With an El Niño fall and winter all but certain, the long term outlook should still be seen as relatively positive. The question is when will the rain start to fall, and fall in plenty? Right now, it looks like we’ll have to wait at least through the end of the month to do that.
