Drought in Texas, January 1 to 14, 2013

Over an inch of rain fell during the first half of the month across coastal Cameron County. A Cooperative site in Port Isabel recorded 1.86 inches of rain during the first 10 days of the month. This beneficial and welcome rain allowed for drought conditions to improve across all of coastal Cameron county.

The area began the month with Extreme (D3) drought conditions which would improve to Severe (D2) levels on the January 15th Drought Monitor.

Over an inch of rain fell during the first half of the month across portions of coastal Willacy County. A COOP site in Port Mansfield recorded 1.37 inches of rain during the first 10 days of the month. The month began where 2012 left off - Extreme (D3) Conditions.

Despite the rainfall in Port Mansfield, Drought conditions remained Extreme (D3) along the northern half of coastal Willacy County. Better rainfall closer to Cameron County improved conditions from Extreme to Severe (D2) by the 15th.

January 2013 began where December 2012 left off - with inland Cameron County remaining in Extreme (D3) Drought conditions. First week cloud cover and light rain gave way to a period of heavier rain, spawned by a vigorous upper level disturbance, between the 8th and 10th. A stripe of 2 to nearly 4 inches of rain fell from the Rio Grande near San Pedro (west of Brownsville) through Los Fresnos, including Harlingen and much of the City of Brownsville. Farther west, rainfall was closer to an inch - and drought relief was very brief.

Official observed values included 2.52 inches at Valley International Airport in Harlingen, and 1.44 inches of rain at Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport.

The general wet period through the 14th improved the Extreme (D3) levels to Severe (D2), with the exception of the western sliver of the county by the Hidalgo County line, on January 15th.

January 2013 began where December 2012 left off - with inland Willacy County remaining in Extreme (D3) Drought conditions. First week cloud cover and light rain gave way to a period of heavier rain, spawned by a vigorous upper level disturbance, between the 8th and 10th. One to more than two inches of rain fell during the first half of the month across portions of Willacy County. 1.18 inches of rain was reported by a Cooperative observer in Raymondville for the first half of the month, and Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow (CoCoRaHS) network observers just across the border in northern Cameron recorded as much as 2.38 inches of rain.

These rains, slightly cooler temperatures, and increased cloud cover improved drought across the southeast corner of the county, from Extreme (D3) to Severe (D2) Drought, by the 15th. The rest of the county remained in Extreme (D3) Drought conditions, except for a sliver on the far western side of the county that remained in Exceptional (D4) Drought conditions, with just over an inch of rainfall.

Despite a brief window of temporarily welcome rainfall, cloud cover, and cooler temperatures for the first half of January 2013, Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4) Drought conditions were barely dented. Unlike the Lower Valley, the King Ranch missed out on the relatively heavy rainfall and saw less than an inch for the period. The cooperative observer at Sarita recorded 0.98 inches of rain, while Armstrong, 25 miles to the south, recorded less than a third (0.31). A small sliver along the western border of the county improved from Exceptional (D4) drought conditions to Extreme (D3) drought conditions, but little else changed. Most of the county remained in Exceptional (D4) Drought, with the southeast corner of the county in Extreme (D3) Drought.

Between an inch and an inch and a half of rain fell during the first half of the month across portions of Brooks County. 1.25 inches of rain was reported by a CoCoRsHS observer in Falfurrias during the first half of the month. This rain was beneficial and welcome and allowed for improvement in drought conditions across Brooks County. Exceptional (D4) Drought dominated the County to begin the month, but the aforementioned rain would bring a one-category improvement by the 15th (to Extreme, or D3) with the exception of a small sliver of Exceptional (D4) Drought clinging to the far southeast corner of the county. Along the western county boundary, a small sliver of Extreme (D3) Drought improved to Severe (D2) at the end of the period.

Helpful rainfall, cooler weather, and cloud cover during the first week of January would improve drought conditions across the Ranchlands of Jim Hogg County from Extreme (D3) to Severe (D2), which would hold through mid-month and beyond. Between one half inch and an estimated more than 1 1/2 inches of rain fell during the first half of the month. A stripe of Jim Hogg County received more rainfall during the first two weeks of the month, than is typically received during the entire month.|A Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow (CoCoRaHS) observer recorded 1.25 inches of rain in Hebbronville. Along the far SW corner of the county, a patch of Severe (D2) Drought improved to Moderate (D1) by the end of the period.

January 2013 began where December 2012 left off - with the eastern half of Starr County remaining in Extreme (D3) Drought and the western half in Severe (D2) Drought. First week cloud cover and light rain gave way to a period of heavier rain, spawned by a vigorous upper level disturbance, between the 8th and 10th. Portions of Starr and southern Jim Hogg County benefited from lift provided by the proximity of the upper level system, which would then bypass the southeast corner of Starr and Hidalgo County before re-emerging with enhanced Gulf moisture close to the coast.

Between one half inch and a little more than 1 1/2 inches of rain fell during the first half of the month across a wide swatch of Starr County. A stripe of Starr County ranchlands received more rainfall during the first two weeks of the month than usually received during the entire month. In other areas, closer to half an inch of rain fell. The cooperative observer in Rio Grande City reported only 0.50 inches of rain. Farther west at Falcon Dam, 0.85 inches of rain was reported by the cooperative observer.

This beneficial rain allowed for improvement in drought conditions across portions of Starr County during the first half of the month. On the 8th, Extreme (D3) Drought improved to Severe (D2) Drought west of La Grulla; by the 15th, the last improvement arrived from Rio Grande City to Roma as conditions there temporarily improved to Moderate (D1). A very small sliver of Exceptional (D4) conditions held firm along the Hidalgo line just west of Sullivan City.

Bands of rain which improved drought conditions across the Upper Rio Grande Valley/Ranchlands (Starr/Jim Hogg) and the Lower Valley (Cameron into southern Willacy) largely bypassed Hidalgo County, which typically received 1 to 2 inches of rain through January. Despite a period of generally cooler than average temperatures and some rainfall, Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4) Drought ruled the mid Rio Grande Valley. Rainfall across Hidalgo County for the first half of the month ranged from one half inch across the northern ranchlands to 0.75-1 inch in the higher population and agriculturally rich region near the Rio Grande. McAllen/Miller International Airport received 0.96 inches of rain, a little further east, a CoCoRaHS observer in Weslaco recorded 0.75 inches of rain, and east of Weslaco in Mercedes, a CoCoRaHS observer reported 1.51 inches of rain.

Exceptional (D4) Drought remained firmly entrenched across the middle of the county, with Extreme (D3) Drought on either side.

No improvement nor deterioration was noted in drought conditions across Zapata County during the first half of January. Despite significant rain falling elsewhere across Deep South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, Zapata County missed out on much of the action. Falcon Dam, situated just east of the Zapata County line received 0.85 inches of rain during the first half of the month, while Zapata received less than half an inch. Widespread Severe (D2) drought conditions continued across much of the county, with the NW corner of the county remaining in Moderate(D1) drought conditions.