Drought in Texas, August 1 to 31, 1996

Drought conditions over northern Texas continued the slow but consistent improving trends of the past several months in August as scattered thunderstorm activity during the first three weeks of the month became much more widespread by the month's end. A cold front pushed into the area and became stationary with moist and unstable air already in place across the region. The heavy rain threat was enhanced by weak steering winds aloft (resulting in slow cell movement and training of cells along boundaries) and the influx of tropical moisture from Hurricane Dolly that made landfall in Mexico. Many locations in northern Texas received above average rainfall amounts during the month with the Waco area receiving its seventh wettest August of all time and the Dallas/Fort Worth area receiving its eighth wettest August of all time. The heavy rain that the area received at the end of the month combined with scattered activity that affected northern Texas the past several months had pretty much alleviated the agricultural drought as ample soil moisture returned. Below normal lake and reservoir levels continued, however, and interests relying on this remained stressed.