April’s lack of rain here in Central Texas mean little change in our current drought status. Here’s an update from the National Weather Service.

DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
1241 PM CDT THU APR 19 2012

...PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...THE HILL COUNTRY AND
RIO GRANDE PLAINS REMAIN IN MODERATE TO TO EXTREME DROUGHT
STATUS...
 
SYNOPSIS...
AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS WITH ABOVE AVERAGE RAINFALL...APRIL HAS SEEN
DRIER CONDITIONS ACROSS THE REGION. SHORT TERM IMPACTS HAVE BEEN
SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED FOR THE TIME BEING. WITH THE WETTEST TIME
OF THE YEAR FROM NOW THROUGH JUNE...ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL
CONTINUE TO PROVIDE IMPROVEMENTS IN LAKE AND RESERVOIR
LEVELS...THUS REDUCING THE LONG TERM DROUGHT IMPACTS AND
CONTINUING TO MINIMIZE ANY SHORT TERM IMPACTS.

THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER (CPC) IS CALLING FOR THE TRANSITION INTO AN ENSO (EL NINO SOUTHERN OSCILLATION) NEUTRAL PATTERN FROM
NOW THROUGH SUMMER AND INTO THE FALL. WITH AN ENSO NEUTRAL PATTERN
EXPECTED WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO SEE A MORE TYPICAL RAINFALL
PATTERN.

THE US DROUGHT MONITOR (USDM) VALID APRIL 17TH AND ISSUED ON APRIL
19TH...SHOWED MOST OF THE REGION HAD LITTLE CHANGE DUE TO LACK OF
RAINFALL IN APRIL. THE MAJORITY OF THE AREA IS CURRENTLY IN
MODERATE (D1) TO SEVERE (D2) DROUGHT STATUS. PORTIONS OF THE
WESTERN HILL COUNTRY AND RIO GRANDE PLAINS FROM VAL VERDE COUNTY
NORTHEAST TO KERR COUNTY AND SOUTHWESTERN GILLESPIE 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). CALDWELL...LEE AND BASTROP COUNTIES ARE NOW OUT
OF ANY DROUGHT CLASSIFICATION. AS WE SEE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL THEN
MORE IMPROVEMENTS ARE LIKELY.

CURRENTLY 64 PERCENT OF THE STATE IS IN MODERATE DROUGHT (D1) TO
EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT (D4). ONLY 10 PERCENT OF THE STATE REMAINS IN
EXCEPTIONAL (D4) DROUGHT STATUS. THERE ARE LOCATIONS ACROSS NORTH
CENTRAL...NORTHEAST TEXAS AND A SMALL PORTION OF SOUTH CENTRAL
TEXAS JUST EAST OF I-35 BETWEEN GEORGETOWN AND SAN MARCOS 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 MODERATE. AS OF APRIL 19TH...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 APRIL 19TH KEETCH-BYRAM DROUGHT INDEX (KBDI) SHOWED KBDI
VALUES RANGED FROM ZERO TO 300 ACROSS THE EASTERN AND NORTHEASTERN
PORTIONS OF THE REGION. VALUES OF 300 TO 500 WERE NOTED ACROSS THE
WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN SECTIONS OF THE REGION.

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 APRIL 17 2012 INDICATED...WARMER WEATHER DRIED
UP SOIL MOISTURE BROUGHT BY RECENT RAINS. PASTURE GRASSES WERE
IN GOOD QUALITY...WITH LIVESTOCK GREATLY BENEFITING FROM IMPROVED
GRAZING. WARM-WEATHER CROPS EMERGED.

CLIMATE SUMMARY...

RAINFALL HAS BEEN ABSENT FROM MOST OF THE REGION DURING THE FIRST
18 DAYS OF APRIL. THE ONE EXCEPTION WOULD BE DEL RIO WHERE SEVERAL
RAINFALL EVENTS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED WITH RAINFALL JUST SLIGHTLY ABOVE
AVERAGE TO DATE. TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN ABOVE NORMAL.

PRECIPITATION FROM JANUARY 1, 2012 TO MIDNIGHT APRIL 18, 2012 AND
DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL:

                    2012      NORMAL     DEPARTURE     PERCENT
                  RAINFALL    TO DATE    FROM NORMAL   OF NORMAL

AUSTIN MABRY      13.41        8.20        +5.21         164%
AUSTIN BERGSTROM  16.36        8.38        +7.98         195%
SAN ANTONIO       12.88        6.97        +5.91         185%
DEL RIO            3.74        3.62        +0.12         103%

FOR APRIL...DEL RIO HAS RECEIVED RECEIVED 0.73 OF AN INCH OF
RAIN. THIS IS 0.15 OF AN INCH BELOW THE NORMAL OF 0.88 OF AN INCH.
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR APRIL TO DATE IS 74.0 DEGREES. THIS IS
3.8 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 70.2 DEGREES.

FOR APRIL...SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HAS RECEIVED 0.02 OF
AN INCH OF RAIN. THIS IS 1.09 INCHES BELOW THE NORMAL OF 1.11 INCHES.
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AT THE SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
FOR APRIL TO DATE IS 72.9 DEGREES. THIS IS 5.1 DEGREES ABOVE THE
NORMAL OF 67.8 DEGREES.

FOR APRIL...AUSTIN MABRY HAS RECEIVED 0.20 OF AN INCH OF RAIN. THIS
IS 0.93 OF AN INCH BELOW THE NORMAL OF 1.13 INCHES. THE AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE FOR APRIL TO DATE AT AUSTIN MABRY IS 73.2 DEGREES. THIS
IS 5.4 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 67.8 DEGREES.

FOR APRIL...AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HAS RECEIVED
0.09 OF AN INCH OF RAIN. THIS IS 1.11 INCHES BELOW THE NORMAL OF
1.20 INCHES. THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR APRIL TO DATE AT THE
AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS 71.3 DEGREES. THIS IS
5.7 DEGREES ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 65.6 DEGREES.

PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK...

THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ON FRIDAY...THEN A
DRIER PATTERN IS EXPECTED FOR AT LEAST 7 TO 10 DAYS WITH
TEMPERATURES AVERAGING NEAR OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE SEASONAL
NORMALS FOR LATE APRIL.

THE LATEST CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER (CPC) 8 TO 14 DAY OUTLOOK
ISSUED ON APRIL 18TH AND VALID APRIL 26TH THROUGH MAY 2ND IS
TRENDING TOWARDS GREATER CHANCES FOR ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND
NO CLEAR TRENDS FOR NORMAL...ABOVE NORMAL OR BELOW NORMAL
PRECIPITATION.

THE LONGER RANGE OUTLOOK FOR MAY 2012 THROUGH JULY 2012...
CREATED ON APRIL 19TH IS TRENDING TOWARDS ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES AND NO CLEAR TRENDS FOR BELOW NORMAL...ABOVE NORMAL
OR NORMAL RAINFALL. THESE OUTLOOKS WILL BE UPDATED ON MAY 17TH.

HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK...

THE RECENT DRIER PATTERN HAS CAUSED MOST LAKES AND RESERVOIRS TO
REMAIN STEADY OR FALL SLIGHTLY. MOST OF THE RIVERS...CREEKS
AND STREAMS OVER THE EASTERN AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF SOUTH
CENTRAL TEXAS CONTINUE TO SEE BETTER FLOWS.

THE MAIN DROUGHT CONCERNS ARE CURRENTLY LONG TERM HYDROLOGIC
IMPACTS ACROSS THE REGION. WITH LESS RAINFALL SO FAR IN
APRIL...THE LAKES AND RESERVOIRS HAVE SHOWN LITTLE CHANGE OR HAVE
BEGUN TO DECREASE. WITH WARMER WEATHER EVAPORATION RATES ARE
STARTING TO INCREASE.

THE 7 DAY STREAM FLOW AVERAGE IS IN THE 25 TO 75 PERCENT (NORMAL)
RANGE OR 10 TO 24 PERCENT (BELOW NORMAL) RANGE ACROSS ALL OF
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.

RESERVOIR CONDITIONS AS OF APRIL 19TH...

AREA LAKES...RIVERS AND RESERVOIRS REMAIN BELOW NORMAL POOL
ELEVATIONS. LEVELS HAVE REMAINED STEADY OR FALLEN SLIGHTLY OVER
THE LAST WEEK WITH NO SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL. LAKE GEORGETOWN
REMAINS JUST ABOVE THE POOL LEVEL.

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           1012.79           -51.4
CANYON LAKE         909              902.25            -6.7
LAKE TRAVIS         681              639.96           -41.0
LAKE BUCHANAN      1020              996.69           -23.3
LAKE GEORGETOWN     791              791.80           +0.80
LAKE AMISTAD       1117             1096.30           -20.7

RESTRICTIONS...

THE SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM (SAWS) IS NOW BACK IN STAGE 1 WATER
RESTRICTIONS. IF DRIER WEATHER CONTINUES THEN FURTHER RESTRICTIONS
MAY BE IMPLEMENTED ONCE AGAIN. THESE RESTRICTIONS WILL BE IN EFFECT
FOR 30 DAYS NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE AQUIFER LEVELS.

THE EDWARDS AQUIFER IS CURRENTLY READING 656.1 FEET AS OF APRIL
19TH. THIS IS 11.7 FEET BELOW THE HISTORICAL MONTHLY AVERAGE FOR
APRIL WHICH IS 667.8 FEET. THE AQUIFER LEVEL IS 1.9 FEET BELOW THE
LEVEL OBSERVED ON THIS DATE IN APRIL 2011.

MANY COMMUNITIES ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS HAVE RECENTLY
STARTED TO LOOK AT RE-INSTATING WATER RESTRICTIONS DUE TO THE
RECENT LACK OF RAINFALL AND INCREASED USAGE. STRICTER
RESTRICTIONS COULD BE IMPLEMENTED AT ANY TIME IF THE DRIER THAN
NORMAL CONDITIONS CONTINUE.

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 CITIES OF
KERRVILLE AND SAN MARCOS ARE IN STAGE 1 WATER RESTRICTIONS. ALL
CITIES CONTINUE TO WARN RESIDENTS THAT STRICTER 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.