Drought conditions expanded to 27% of the state (D1–D4); statewide reservoir storage rose to 75.1% full but still about ten percentage points below normal for this time of year. El Niño has a 95% chance of extending through the March-April-May season, with La Niña favored in June-July-August and through at least November-December-January. Drought is expected to remain and expand in West and Far West Texas and improve in parts of the Hill Country.
Author: Robert Mace
Robert Mace is the Executive Director and Chief Water Policy Officer at The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment and a Professor of Practice in the Department of Geography at Texas State University. Robert has over 30 years of experience in hydrology, hydrogeology, stakeholder processes, and water policy, mostly in Texas.
outlook+water: Drought holding steady, La Niña on the way, possible improvements for the Hill Country
Drought holds steady in the state, with 24% under drought conditions (D1–D4). El Niño has a 75% chance of extending through the March-April-May season, with La Niña favored in June-July-August and at least October-November-December. Drought is expected to remain and expand in West and Far West Texas and improve in the Hill Country.
outlook+water: Drought conditions persist, a La Niña Watch, and drought expansion in the South
Summary: The amount of the state under drought conditions (D1–D4) remained the same as four weeks ago at 23%. El Niño has a 100% chance of extending through the February-March-April season, giving way to neutral conditions in April-May-June and greater odds of La Niña developing in the summer. Drought is expected to expand across the Edwards Plateau and down the Rio Grande Valley
think+water: The economics of water levels, springs drying up, and more water in the future?
This month, Dr. Robert E. Mace explores academic publications on the topics of developing an analytical model to quantify the effects of groundwater overdraft on well performance, reviewing the status of major and historical springs across the state, and evaluating future water availability in Texas through the lens of a data-driven approach.
outlook+water: Big improvements in drought east of I-35, El Niño on the way out (and La Niña in the fall), and last year was the warmest on record
Summary: The amount of the state under drought conditions (D1–D4) decreased from five weeks ago at 39% to 23% this week, with drought improvements across much of the state. El Niño conditions have a 90% chance of extending through the February-March-April season, giving way to neutral conditions in April-May-June and greater odds of La Niña conditions in the fall. Last year was the warmest on record for Texas, a full 3.5 F warmer than the long-term average.