644 AXUS74 KFWD 302320 DGTFWD TXC001-027-035-085-093-097-099-113-119-121-133-139-143-145-147- 161-181-193-213-217-221-223-231-237-251-257-277-281-289-293-309- 331-333-337-349-363-367-379-395-397-425-429-439-467-497-503- 062330- Drought Information Statement National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 620 PM CDT Sun Oct 30 2022 ...DROUGHT CONDITIONS PERSIST THROUGH THE AUTUMN RAINY SEASON... For additional content, visit weather.gov/fortworth/drought ------------------------------------------------------------------ .SYNOPSIS: .Drought intensity and extent: During what is climatologically one of the wettest months of the year, inadequate October rainfall worsened drought conditions. Most of the region is at least in Severe Drought (D2), with Extreme Drought (D3) in place from the Big Country into Central Texas. An enclave of Exceptional Drought (D4), which is reserved for twice- a-century events, persists in the Fort Hood area. .Precipitation: Two rain events during late October allowed portions of North Central and Northeast Texas to exceed normal precipitation values for the month. But for much of Central Texas, October was yet another month with insufficient rainfall. Killeen has seen less than half of its normal precipitation for the year to date. Waco's 12-month deficit exceeds 20 inches. .Hydrologic conditions: Recent rainfall has reversed long-term reservoir declines in some areas, but Central Texas lakes continue to fall. While our transition to the cold season has reduced both water usage and evaporation, inadequate rainfall will continue to take its toll on the region's water resources. As a result, enhanced water restrictions are being introduced in some municipalities. ------------------------------------------------------------------ .SUMMARY OF IMPACTS: .Agricultural impacts: After more than a year of drought and punishing inflation, hay and feed prices have soared, necessitating herd reductions. Millions of cattle have been sold off this year, the greatest liquidation since the drought year of 2011. Inadequate rainfall during the fall rainy season has resulted in half the normal hay production, and ranchers are looking to ryegrass seeding for winter pasture forage. The drought has also dramatically increased the incidence of clostridium infections in livestock. The potentially fatal bacteria have impacted cattle, sheep, and goats. After excessive rain limited pumpkin production in 2021, drought has reduced Texas pumpkin yields again this year. The Christmas tree industry has also been hit hard, with East Texas tree farms reporting widespread losses. .Fire hazards: The first killing freeze typically arrives during November, sending warm season vegetation into dormancy. These dry grasses will remain conducive to fire initiation and spread throughout the cold season. The days of greatest concern are those that are sunny and warm with low humidity, especially if it is also breezy. As winter approaches, windy days with low humidity become more common. Many outdoor burn bans have been discontinued in recent weeks, but many are still in place, particularly across Central Texas. Even if a formal ban is not in effect for your area, it is still important to be vigilant about fire usage. Many outdoor activities (such as grilling) involve a risk of starting wildfires. The National Fire Protection Association estimates over 10,000 home grill fires occur each year, resulting in 135 million dollars in property damage annually. Avoid open flames near dry vegetation and assure all coals and embers are extinguished. .Lake levels: Much of the runoff from the October rainfall was absorbed into the parched soil, but where the precipitation was the most abundant, some lakes experienced rises. In particular, the water supply lakes for Bonham (Lake Bonham) and Paris (Lake Crook) saw marked improvement, Lake Bonham soaring from 75 percent to nearly 90 percent of its conservation volume in less than a week. Even some larger reservoirs had slight gains, including Texoma, Pat Mayse, Ray Roberts, Lewisville, and Tawakoni. A few reservoirs have dipped below the 60 percent threshold, including Pat Cleburne, Palo Pinto, and Proctor, which is now less than 50 percent of its conservation volume. Lake Waco, which fell below 60 percent in late September, has fallen nearly a foot during October. ------------------------------------------------------------------ .DROUGHT MITIGATION ACTIONS: .Water restrictions: For many jurisdictions, voluntary water conservation measures are in effect. However, in some municipalities, the water restrictions enacted during the multi-year drought a decade ago remain in place. In both Dallas and Fort Worth, landscape watering is limited to twice per week. Only hand watering is permitted between 10 am and 6 pm. (For Dallas, the 10 am to 6 pm restriction is only in effect from April to October.) In July, Waco enacted twice-per-week watering limits. In August, the daytime limit on hand watering was eased from 13 to 11 hours and is now only restricted during the window of 8 am to 7 pm. In August, Killeen enacted Stage 1 of its water conservation plan, which requests residents limit landscape watering to only two days a week. In addition, irrigation should not be done between 10 am at 8 pm. Similar voluntary conservation measures are ongoing for Temple, Belton, and Copperas Cove. Since water restrictions vary, residents should keep informed with the current guidelines from their municipality or water utility provider. ------------------------------------------------------------------ .LOCAL DROUGHT OUTLOOK: La Nina conditions prevail and are anticipated to remain in place into the upcoming winter. La Nina tends to reduce precipitation during the cold season, and outlooks for the next several months favor below normal precipitation. As a result, drought conditions are expected to persist or worsen. ------------------------------------------------------------------ .NEXT ISSUANCE DATE: The next Drought Information Statement will be issued during November. ------------------------------------------------------------------ .RELATED WEB SITES: NWS Fort Worth Drought Page - weather.gov/fortworth/drought National Integrated Drought Information System - drought.gov Climate Prediction Center - cpc.ncep.noaa.gov Precipitation Estimates - water.weather.gov/precip National Drought Mitigation Center - drought.unl.edu U.S. Drought Monitor - droughtmonitor.unl.edu Drought Impact Reporter - droughtreporter.unl.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------ .ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The U.S. Drought Monitor facilitates continuous discussion among numerous agencies, academia, and other local interests. The expertise of its members has been invaluable in developing drought products and services for our customers and partners. The Drought Impact Reporter (maintained by the National Drought Mitigation Center) has allowed various impacts to be compiled within one clearinghouse. These impacts include agricultural issues, hydrologic deficits, fire danger, and other social and economic consequences. The Texas A&M Forest Service continually monitors vegetation conditions and wildfire potential. The state agency also maintains a current list of countywide burn bans. Outlooks of temperature and precipitation are summarized from a variety of products created by the Climate Prediction Center (CPC). CPC is a National Weather Service (NWS) entity within the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). Hydrologic information is compiled from numerous sources, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), and local water districts. ------------------------------------------------------------------ .CONTACT INFORMATION: For additional information or to provide feedback on our drought products and services, please contact: National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office 3401 Northern Cross Blvd. Fort Worth, TX 76137 phone: (817) 429-2631 e-mail: sr-fwd.webmaster@noaa.gov ------------------------------------------------------------------ $$ 25