The U.S. Drought Monitor Jan 24, 2006
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:11 pm
The U.S. Drought Monitor has placed portions of North Texas in "exceptional drought," the most severe drought category.
HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
730 AM CST FRI JAN 20 2006
...DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT FOR NORTH TEXAS...
PRECIPITATION DEFICITS CONTINUE TO INCREASE ACROSS NORTH TEXAS. MANY
LOCATIONS RECORDED 2005 PRECIPITATION TOTALS 10 TO 20 INCHES BELOW
NORMAL. MOST OF NORTH TEXAS IS IN THE EXTREME TO EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT
CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO THE U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR.
THE SHORTAGE OF RAINFALL ACROSS THE REGION HAS BEEN SO SEVERE THAT
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HAS MADE DISASTER DECLARATIONS
FOR NEARLY EVERY COUNTY IN NORTH TEXAS. EVERY COUNTY IS NOW
ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL DISASTER RELIEF.
FIRE DANGER...
WITH DROUGHT-STRESSED VEGETATION DORMANT...THE FIRE DANGER ACROSS
THE AREA REMAINS VERY HIGH. EVERY COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS HAS
AN OUTDOOR BURNING BAN IN PLACE. INCREASING PRECIPITATION DEFICITS...
ALONG WITH COLD FRONTS BRINGING STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY...WILL
ONLY EXACERBATE THE ONGOING FIRE DANGER. SEVERAL LARGE GRASS FIRES
HAVE OCCURRED SINCE MID-DECEMBER RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF MANY HOMES
ACROSS THE AREA. IN THE FIRST HALF OF JANUARY...A QUARTER OF A
MILLION ACRES BURNED ACROSS TEXAS...MORE THAN ALL OF 2005.
WATER RESOURCES...
NORTH TEXAS LAKES CONTINUE TO RECEDE...AND WATER CONSERVATION IS
BEING STRONGLY ENCOURAGED (AND EVEN MANDATED) BY SEVERAL
MUNICIPALITIES. EVERY LAKE IN NORTH TEXAS IS BELOW NORMAL POOL
ELEVATION...WITH MANY OF THESE LAKES SEVERAL FEET BELOW NORMAL. THE
MOST EXTREME DEFICITS ARE AT LAKES ARLINGTON...BENBROOK...LAVON...
AND BRIDGEPORT...ALL 10 TO 15 FEET BELOW NORMAL POOL ELEVATION. MOST
NORTH TEXAS RESERVOIRS ARE BETWEEN 60 AND 85 PERCENT CAPACITY BASED
ON THEIR CONSERVATION POOL ELEVATIONS.