AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – Drought conditions in the Texas Panhandle have improved significantly throughout May due to weeks of increased rainfall, according to the Texas Water Development Board.
According to the most recent “Water Weekly” report from the TWDB, drought conditions impacted 41% of the state of Texas as of May 13, compared to 46% the previous week, 42% three months ago and 26% one year ago.
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The area of Texas impacted by drought reached its lowest value since October 2024, according to the TWDB, though more than 10% of the state remained under “exceptional drought” conditions for the ninth week in a row.
Drought in the Texas Panhandle was mostly nonexistent, with the northernmost counties impacted by “abnormally dry” conditions and only areas of eastern Lipscomb and Hemphill counties experiencing “severe” drought conditions. Those drought levels showed significant improvement over conditions seen in April.
As noted in previous reports, recent rainfall on the High Plains has provided relief for crop fields and added to the soil profile’s moisture levels. However, the strong winds that have accompanied the rainfall have also posed threats to early-stage cotton.
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The TWDB detailed that drought expanded from 54% of Texas to 70% in March, then contracted to 41% drastically in the past week.
During the next three months, updated estimates from the National Weather Service expect drought to persist at around 41% in Texas, focused predominantly in the southwestern regions of the state…