Despite our annual surplus in rainfall for 2017, we have now seen drought conditions quickly expand and worsen across East Texas due to a lack of rainfall over the past few months.
Even though we still have that surplus in rainfall for the year, it is the lack of timely rainfall which has led to the soil moisture content becoming depleted, leading to those drought conditions quickly building south into our part of the state.
Just three months ago, less than two percent of the state of Texas was in a drought.
As of this week, over 26% of the state is now in a drought and nearly 12% is in a stage two, severe drought.
We do have some much needed rain on the menu for this weekend, but it will not be enough to get rid of the drought.
It will keep things in check for the time being.
It should be noted that we currently have no burn bans in place in the Piney Woods.
However, you should still exercise caution and avoid doing any outdoor burning on days where the winds are up and the humidity values are low.
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