Drought in Texas, February 1 to 28, 2025

A long stretch of little to no rainfall led to continued drought over portions of La Salle County through the month of February. This includes the introduction of D3 Extreme Drought over northern areas of the county on 2/11.

Texas A&M AgriLife: Unseasonably warm and dry conditions followed by sudden freezing temperatures have created a challenging environment for agriculture. Temperatures fluctuated from highs in the 70s to lows in the 20s and 30s, with intermittent drizzle, fog, and dew offering no measurable rainfall. As a result, both topsoil and subsoil moisture levels remained poor or very short across much of the region, severely limiting planting activities and pasture recovery. While some fields had dried enough for early corn and grain sorghum planting, many farmers remained idle or considered delaying planting due to inadequate moisture. Freeze conditions caused damage to leafy greens and stressed citrus trees, though citrus fruit appeared largely undamaged. Meanwhile, some vegetables and oats rebounded well, and winter weed growth was spurred by brief warm spells. Pastures and rangelands remained in poor condition, especially after the freeze, which left many with burnt forage tops and limited grazing options. This forced producers to rely heavily on supplemental feeding using hay, range cubes, protein tubs, and even burning prickly pear for cattle. Water hauling became necessary in some areas where stock tanks were dry. The high demand for hay, coupled with shrinking supplies, drove prices up to $100 per round bale. Livestock markets responded with strong prices across all classes, encouraging ranchers to market cattle more aggressively. Wildlife also felt the strain, with deer and wild hogs foraging along roadsides due to scarce food. Overall, the combination of erratic temperatures, insufficient rainfall, and prolonged drought created significant stress on crops, pastures, livestock, and wildlife alike, emphasizing the urgent need for sustained precipitation.

A long stretch of little to no rainfall led to continued drought over portions of north and central McMullen County during the month of February.

Texas A&M AgriLife: Unseasonably warm and dry conditions followed by sudden freezing temperatures have created a challenging environment for agriculture. Temperatures fluctuated from highs in the 70s to lows in the 20s and 30s, with intermittent drizzle, fog, and dew offering no measurable rainfall. As a result, both topsoil and subsoil moisture levels remained poor or very short across much of the region, severely limiting planting activities and pasture recovery. While some fields had dried enough for early corn and grain sorghum planting, many farmers remained idle or considered delaying planting due to inadequate moisture. Freeze conditions caused damage to leafy greens and stressed citrus trees, though citrus fruit appeared largely undamaged. Meanwhile, some vegetables and oats rebounded well, and winter weed growth was spurred by brief warm spells. Pastures and rangelands remained in poor condition, especially after the freeze, which left many with burnt forage tops and limited grazing options. This forced producers to rely heavily on supplemental feeding using hay, range cubes, protein tubs, and even burning prickly pear for cattle. Water hauling became necessary in some areas where stock tanks were dry. The high demand for hay, coupled with shrinking supplies, drove prices up to $100 per round bale. Livestock markets responded with strong prices across all classes, encouraging ranchers to market cattle more aggressively. Wildlife also felt the strain, with deer and wild hogs foraging along roadsides due to scarce food. Overall, the combination of erratic temperatures, insufficient rainfall, and prolonged drought created significant stress on crops, pastures, livestock, and wildlife alike, emphasizing the urgent need for sustained precipitation.

A long stretch of little to no rainfall led to continued drought over much of Live Oak County during the month of February.

Texas A&M AgriLife: Unseasonably warm and dry conditions followed by sudden freezing temperatures have created a challenging environment for agriculture. Temperatures fluctuated from highs in the 70s to lows in the 20s and 30s, with intermittent drizzle, fog, and dew offering no measurable rainfall. As a result, both topsoil and subsoil moisture levels remained poor or very short across much of the region, severely limiting planting activities and pasture recovery. While some fields had dried enough for early corn and grain sorghum planting, many farmers remained idle or considered delaying planting due to inadequate moisture. Freeze conditions caused damage to leafy greens and stressed citrus trees, though citrus fruit appeared largely undamaged. Meanwhile, some vegetables and oats rebounded well, and winter weed growth was spurred by brief warm spells. Pastures and rangelands remained in poor condition, especially after the freeze, which left many with burnt forage tops and limited grazing options. This forced producers to rely heavily on supplemental feeding using hay, range cubes, protein tubs, and even burning prickly pear for cattle. Water hauling became necessary in some areas where stock tanks were dry. The high demand for hay, coupled with shrinking supplies, drove prices up to $100 per round bale. Livestock markets responded with strong prices across all classes, encouraging ranchers to market cattle more aggressively. Wildlife also felt the strain, with deer and wild hogs foraging along roadsides due to scarce food. Overall, the combination of erratic temperatures, insufficient rainfall, and prolonged drought created significant stress on crops, pastures, livestock, and wildlife alike, emphasizing the urgent need for sustained precipitation.

A long stretch of little to no rainfall led to continued drought over much of Bee County during the month of February.

Texas A&M AgriLife: Recent weather conditions have significantly impacted agricultural activities, particularly fieldwork and forage growth. Persistent light rain showers, cloudy days, and wet fields have delayed pre-planting work, including fertilizer applications and corn planting in some regions. Although some farmers were able to begin planting corn and preparing for sorghum, wet soils and intermittent freezing temperatures disrupted progress. Despite scattered showers and light rainfall (generally under 0.5), soil moisture levels remained inadequate. The mix of recent moisture and fair temperatures did support the growth of winter grasses and volunteer clover, offering some improvement in cool-season forages. However, overall pasture conditions stayed poor due to limited forage growth. As a result, supplemental feeding of livestock with hay and protein remained widespread. While hay supplies were sufficient, they were not easily accessible for purchase. Livestock conditions declined slightly but were expected to rebound with warmer, drier weather and improving grazing. The outlook suggests that more significant rainfall will be crucial to support continued recovery in both crop readiness and pasture health.

A long stretch of little to no rainfall led to continued drought over western San Patricio County during the month of February.

Texas A&M AgriLife: Recent weather conditions have significantly impacted agricultural activities, particularly fieldwork and forage growth. Persistent light rain showers, cloudy days, and wet fields have delayed pre-planting work, including fertilizer applications and corn planting in some regions. Although some farmers were able to begin planting corn and preparing for sorghum, wet soils and intermittent freezing temperatures disrupted progress. Despite scattered showers and light rainfall (generally under 0.5), soil moisture levels remained inadequate. The mix of recent moisture and fair temperatures did support the growth of winter grasses and volunteer clover, offering some improvement in cool-season forages. However, overall pasture conditions stayed poor due to limited forage growth. As a result, supplemental feeding of livestock with hay and protein remained widespread. While hay supplies were sufficient, they were not easily accessible for purchase. Livestock conditions declined slightly but were expected to rebound with warmer, drier weather and improving grazing. The outlook suggests that more significant rainfall will be crucial to support continued recovery in both crop readiness and pasture health.