The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows even more improvement east of Austin. Only parts of the Hill Country, like Gillespie and Blanco counties, remain in the severe category.

DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
1258 PM CDT THU MAR 29 2012

...PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...THE HILL COUNTRY AND
RIO GRANDE PLAINS REMAIN IN MODERATE TO TO EXTREME DROUGHT
STATUS...

SYNOPSIS...
DROUGHT CONTINUES TO PLAGUE A LARGE PORTION OF SOUTH CENTRAL
TEXAS...BUT RAINFALL FROM THE LAST THREE MONTHS CONTINUES TO
ELIMINATE THE SHORT TERM DROUGHT IMPACTS ACROSS THE REGION.
FOLLOWING THE RAINFALL EVENTS IN MARCH THE LAKES AND RESERVOIRS
HAVE CONTINUED TO SEE INCREASES. THE WESTERN SECTIONS ALONG THE
RIO GRANDE HAVE SEEN SLIGHTLY LESS RAINFALL...BUT EVEN HERE THE
TOTALS FOR MARCH ARE ABOVE NORMAL. WITH THE WETTEST TIME OF THE
YEAR FROM NOW THROUGH JUNE ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL LIKELY
CONTINUE TO PROVIDE IMPROVEMENTS IN LAKE AND RESERVOIR LEVELS.

THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER (CPC) IS FORECASTING THE LA NINA PATTERN TO WEAKEN AND TRANSITION INTO AN ENSO (EL NINO SOUTHERN
OSCILLATION) NEUTRAL PATTERN BY MAY 2012. WITH AN ENSO NEUTRAL
PATTERN EXPECTED BY LATE SPRING WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO SEE A MORE
TYPICAL RAINFALL PATTERN.

THE US DROUGHT MONITOR (USDM) VALID MARCH 27TH AND ISSUED ON MARCH
29TH...SHOWED MOST OF THE REGION CONTINUED TO SEE SOME
IMPROVEMENTS DUE TO THE RECENT RAINFALL. THE MAJORITY OF THE AREA
IS CURRENTLY IN MODERATE (D1) TO SEVERE (D2) DROUGHT STATUS.
PORTIONS OF THE HILL COUNTRY AND RIO GRANDE PLAINS FROM VAL VERDE
COUNTY NORTHEAST TO KERR COUNTY THEN NORTHEAST TO WESTERN
WILLIAMSON COUNTY REMAIN IN EXTREME (D3) DROUGHT STATUS. A LARGE
PORTION OF THE AREA ALONG AND EAST OF I-35 FROM AUSTIN TO SAN
ANTONIO IS NOW IN ABNORMALLY DRY STATUS (D0). AS WE SEE ADDITIONAL
RAINFALL THEN MORE IMPROVEMENTS ARE LIKELY.

CURRENTLY 67 PERCENT OF THE STATE IS IN MODERATE DROUGHT (D1) TO
EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT (D4). ONLY 18 PERCENT OF THE STATE REMAINS IN
EXCEPTIONAL (D4) DROUGHT STATUS. THERE ARE LOCATIONS ACROSS NORTH
CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST TEXAS WHERE DROUGHT IS NO LONGER A PROBLEM.
AS ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IS OBSERVED ACROSS THE STATE CONTINUED
IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE NOTED IN THE THE DROUGHT SEVERITY.

SUMMARY OF IMPACTS...

FIRE DANGER IMPACTS...

FIRE DANGER IS CURRENTLY LOW TO MODERATE. AS OF MARCH 29TH...BURN
BANS WERE IN EFFECT FOR 10 COUNTIES IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. THE
COUNTIES WITH ESTABLISHED OUTDOOR BURN BANS INCLUDE
DIMMIT...EDWARDS...FRIO...KARNES...KINNEY...MAVERICK...
MEDINA...UVALDE...VAL VERDE AND ZAVALA COUNTIES.

CURRENTLY ATASCOSA...BANDERA...BASTROP...BEXAR...BLANCO...
BURNET...CALDWELL...COMAL...DEWITT...FAYETTE...GILLESPIE...
GONZALES...GUADALUPE...HAYS...KENDALL...KERR...LAVACA...
LEE...LLANO...REAL...TRAVIS...WILLIAMSON AND WILSON COUNTIES HAVE
LIFTED THEIR BURN BANS.

RESIDENTS IN ALL COUNTIES SHOULD CONTACT THEIR LOCAL COUNTY
JUDGE`S OFFICE OR FIRE MARSHALL BEFORE DECIDING TO CONDUCT
ANY TYPE OF OUTDOOR BURNING.

THE MARCH 29TH KEETCH-BYRAM DROUGHT INDEX (KBDI) SHOWED KBDI
VALUES RANGED FROM ZERO TO 300 ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION. VALUES
OF 300 TO 500 WERE NOTED ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE PLAINS AND WESTERN
HILL COUNTRY.

THE TEXAS FOREST SERVICE USES THE KBDI AS A MEANS FOR RELATING
CURRENT AND RECENT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO POTENTIAL OR EXPECTED
FIRE BEHAVIOR. THE KBDI IS A NUMERICAL INDEX CALCULATED DAILY
FOR EACH COUNTY. EACH NUMBER IS AN ESTIMATE OF THE AMOUNT OF
PRECIPITATION...IN HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH...NEEDED TO BRING THE
SOIL BACK TO SATURATION. THE INDEX RANGES FROM ZERO TO 800...WITH
ZERO REPRESENTING A SATURATED SOIL AND 800 A COMPLETELY DRY SOIL.
REMEMBER...THAT FIRE DANGER CAN CHANGE QUICKLY FROM ONE DAY TO
ANOTHER AS WINDS AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY VARY.

AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS...

THE TEXAS CROP AND WEATHER REPORT ISSUED BY TEXAS A AND M
AGRICULTURAL ON MARCH 27, 2012 INDICATED...STORMS BROUGHT
RAIN...HIGH WINDS...HAIL AND ONE TORNADO TO THE DEVINE AREA.
MOST COUNTIES RECEIVED RAIN. AMOUNTS VARIED FROM AS LITTLE AS 0.5
OF AN INCH...WITH REPORTS OF 2 TO 6 INCHES BEING MORE COMMON. NO
MAJOR FLOODING WAS REPORTED. CREEKS AND STREAMS WERE RUNNING. THE
FRIO AND SABINAL RIVERS ROSE 2 TO 3 FEET. HOWEVER...THE NUECES
RIVER REMAINED DRY. THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE TO CROPS OR
LIVESTOCK IN THOSE COUNTIES THAT HAD HAILSTORMS. THE LAMBING AND
KIDDING SEASON CONTINUED. CATTLE BLOAT FROM EXCESS CLOVER
CONSUMPTION CONTINUED TO BE AN ISSUE FOR LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS.
FIELD CROPS WERE PLANTED AND HAD EMERGED AFTER THE RAINS.

CLIMATE SUMMARY...

MARCH WILL BE THE FOURTH MONTH IN A ROW WITH WETTER THAN AVERAGE
CONDITIONS. THIS HAS BEEN GREAT NEWS IN A WINTER WITH A LA NINA
EVENT IN PLACE. HISTORY DOES SHOW THAT 1 IN 5 OR ABOUT 20 PERCENT
OF THE LA NINA WINTERS DO ACTUALLY PRODUCE NORMAL OR ABOVE NORMAL
RAINFALL FOR MOST OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.

PRECIPITATION FROM JANUARY 1, 2012 TO MIDNIGHT MARCH 28, 2012 AND
DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL:

                    2012      NORMAL     DEPARTURE     PERCENT
                  RAINFALL    TO DATE    FROM NORMAL   OF NORMAL

AUSTIN MABRY      13.21        6.76        +6.45         195%
AUSTIN BERGSTROM  16.27        6.92        +9.35         235%
SAN ANTONIO       12.84        5.67        +7.17         226%
DEL RIO            3.01        2.65        +0.36         114%

THROUGH MIDNIGHT MARCH 28TH...DEL RIO RECEIVED HAS RECEIVED
1.31 INCHES OF RAIN. THIS IS 0.26 OF AN INCH ABOVE THE NORMAL
OF 1.05 INCHES. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR MARCH TO DATE IS 66.8
DEGREES. THIS IS 3.0 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 63.8 DEGREES.

THROUGH MIDNIGHT MARCH 28TH...SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
HAS RECEIVED 3.22 INCHES OF RAIN. THIS IS 1.10 INCHES ABOVE THE
NORMAL OF 2.12 INCHES. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AT THE SAN ANTONIO
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FOR MARCH TO DATE IS 65.5 DEGREES. THIS IS
3.7 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 61.8 DEGREES.

THROUGH MIDNIGHT MARCH 28TH...AUSTIN MABRY RECEIVED HAS
RECEIVED 5.47 INCHES OF RAIN. THIS IS 2.95 INCHES ABOVE
THE NORMAL OF 2.52 INCHES. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE
FOR MARCH TO DATE AT AUSTIN MABRY IS 65.2 DEGREES. THIS IS
3.8 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 61.4 DEGREES.

THROUGH MIDNIGHT MARCH 28TH...AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT HAS RECEIVED 5.11 INCHES OF RAIN. THIS IS 2.79
INCHES ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 2.32 INCHES. THE AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE FOR MARCH TO DATE AT THE AUSTIN BERGSTROM
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS 63.9 DEGREES. THIS IS 5.1 DEGREES
ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 58.8 DEGREES.

PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK...

DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...A DRIER PATTERN IS EXPECTED ACROSS
THE REGION DURING THE WEEK OF APRIL 2ND. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED
TO REMAIN NEAR OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL.

THE LATEST CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER (CPC) 8 TO 14 DAY OUTLOOK
ISSUED ON MARCH 28TH AND VALID APRIL 5TH THROUGH APRIL 11TH 2012
IS TRENDING TOWARDS SLIGHTLY GREATER CHANCES FOR ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE WESTERN HILL COUNTRY AND UPPER RIO GRANDE
PLAINS. ELSEWHERE...NO CLEAR TRENDS FOR NORMAL...ABOVE NORMAL OR
BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES WERE SEEN.

NO CLEAR TRENDS WERE SEEN FOR NORMAL...ABOVE NORMAL OR BELOW NORMAL
PRECIPITATION.

THE LONGER RANGE OUTLOOK FOR APRIL 2012 THROUGH JUNE 2012...
CREATED ON MARCH 15TH IS TRENDING TOWARDS ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES AND NO CLEAR TRENDS FOR BELOW NORMAL...ABOVE
NORMAL OR NORMAL RAINFALL. THESE OUTLOOKS WILL BE UPDATED
ON APRIL 19TH.

HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK...

WITH THE CONTINUED WET PATTERN AND LOW EVAPORATION RATES MOST
LAKES AND RESERVOIRS HAVE CONTINUED TO SHOW INCREASES IN
LEVELS DURING THE PAST FEW WEEKS. MOST OF THE RIVERS...CREEKS
AND STREAMS OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS CONTINUE
TO SEE BETTER FLOWS.

THE MAIN DROUGHT CONCERNS ARE CURRENTLY LONG TERM HYDROLOGIC
IMPACTS ACROSS THE REGION. EVEN THESE ARE SHOWING IMPROVEMENTS AS
LAKES AND RESERVOIRS CONTINUE TO SHOW INCREASES WITH EACH RAINFALL
EVENT.

THE 7 DAY STREAM FLOW AVERAGE IS IN THE 25 TO 75 PERCENT
(NORMAL) RANGE ACROSS ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.

RESERVOIR CONDITIONS AS OF MARCH 29TH...

AREA LAKES...RIVERS AND RESERVOIRS REMAIN WELL BELOW NORMAL
POOL ELEVATIONS. MOST LEVELS HAVE SEEN RISES AS THE WET
PATTERN CONTINUES. LAKE GEORGETOWN HAS ACTUALLY REACHED POOL
LEVEL AGAIN. LAKE AMISTAD IS THE ONLY LAKE TO CONTINUE
TO SEE LEVELS DECREASE (THIS IS DUE TO WATER BEING USED FOR
HYDRO-ELECTRIC POWER GENERATION).

BELOW IS A LIST OF RESERVOIRS WITH THE LATEST ELEVATIONS AND
NORMAL POOLS.

                NORMAL POOL    LATEST ELEVATION    DIFFERENCE
                    (FT)             (FT)             (FT)
MEDINA LAKE        1064.2           1013.93           -50.3
CANYON LAKE         909              902.05            -7.0
LAKE TRAVIS         681              640.30           -40.7
LAKE BUCHANAN      1020              996.29           -23.8
LAKE GEORGETOWN     791              791.69           +0.69
LAKE AMISTAD       1117             1096.70           -20.3

RESTRICTIONS...

THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM (SAWS) HAS RECENTLY DROPPED
MANDATORY WATER RESTRICTIONS. THE MANDATORY RESTRICTIONS
AND THE MORE FREQUENT RAIN EVENTS HAVE HELPED TO KEEP THE
EDWARDS AQUIFER LEVEL FROM FALLING BELOW 660 FEET.

THE EDWARDS AQUIFER IS CURRENTLY READING 666.0 FEET AS OF
MARCH 29TH. THIS IS 3.2 FEET BELOW THE HISTORICAL MONTHLY
AVERAGE FOR MARCH WHICH IS 669.2 FEET. THE AQUIFER LEVEL
IS 3.6 FEET ABOVE THE LEVEL OBSERVED ON THIS DATE IN
MARCH 2011.

ONCE NEW RESTRICTIONS ARE IN PLACE THEY WILL REMAIN IN PLACE
FOR 30 DAYS AFTER RISING ABOVE THE TRIGGER LEVEL. AFTER 30
DAYS...IF THE AQUIFER LEVEL REMAINS ABOVE THE TRIGGER LEVEL
THEN RESTRICTIONS WILL BE UPDATED.

MANY COMMUNITIES ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS HAVE RECENTLY
DROPPED BACK ON THE STAGES OF WATER RESTRICTIONS DUE TO LESS
USE AND MORE FREQUENT RAINFALL. THE STRICTER RESTRICTIONS
COULD BE IMPLEMENTED AT ANY TIME IF THE DRIER THAN NORMAL
CONDITIONS RETURN.

THE BARTON SPRINGS HAVE SEEN STEADY RECHARGE OVER THE PAST FEW
WEEKS. BARTON SPRINGS HAS NOW DECLARED NO DROUGHT CONDITIONS FOR
AQUIFERS WITHIN THE DISTRICT.

AUSTIN REMAINS IN STAGE 2 WATER RESTRICTIONS AND THE THE CITY OF
KERRVILLE IS NOW IN STAGE 2 WATER RESTRICTIONS. ALL CITIES CONTINUE
TO WARN RESIDENTS THAT RESTRICTIONS COULD RETURN AT ANY TIME IF
DRIER CONDITIONS DEVELOP.

LOCATIONS THAT DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE MANDATORY RESTRICTIONS
CONTINUE TO STRONGLY PROMOTE YEAR ROUND WATER CONSERVATION.