Texas drought reaches 10-year peak, no rain in sight for the South Plains
About midway through the summer months, much of Texas is still experiencing hot and dry conditions that have far superseded the past few years.
While the majority of Texans have likely already faced their hottest day of this year -- reaching 113 degrees in some areas of the South Plains -- regional temperatures will remain in the upper-90s or over 100 through, at least, mid-August.
Although parts of the northern Panhandle received between two to three inches of precipitation last week, there's no rain in sight for the South Plains as forecasts do not anticipate rain for the next 10 days.
So far this year, Lubbock has recorded 4.79 inches of precipitation -- about 5.66 inches below the year-to-date average of 10.45 inches, according to data from the National Weather Service. During the same period, Amarillo has seen roughly 8.5 inches of precipitation - well below its average of around 21 inches but already above the record-dry year of 2011, which only recorded 7.01 inches.
"I don't think anyone will be surprised to see that this will likely be our hottest July on record," said Joe Merchant, a forecaster for the National Weather Service office in Lubbock.
More:Caution warranted as Texas continues to experience hot and dry conditions
Record-level drought
Almost all of Texas is facing drought — from the lowest level of drought of "abnormally dry" to "exceptional drought," the most severe level on the drought monitor's scale. This week's drought map shows the largest area of the state in drought since January 2012, when 99.5% of Texas was in drought, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
The two most severe levels of drought — extreme and exceptional drought, typified by crop loss and extreme sensitivity to fire danger — now covers 60% of Texas, including all of the South Plains and Panhandle. The Texas Water Development Board, which finances water supply projects, notes that the state is also seeing the largest extent of extreme and exceptional drought since January 2012, when such conditions covered about 62.5% of the state, the Statesman reported.
More:Extreme heat wave, drought persist across South Plains and Texas
Drought monitor data also indicates that at least 22.8 million Texans -- roughly 80% of the population -- live in drought-stricken areas.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas drought reaches 10-year peak, no rain in sight for South Plains
