HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 947 AM CDT THU JUL 3 2008
...EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE AND THE NORTHWESTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...
...EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS THE EASTERN OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE AND THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS PANHANDLE...
...MODERATE DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NORTHEAST TEXAS PANHANDLE THROUGH THE SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS PANHANDLE...
...ABNORMALLY DRY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE TEXAS PANHANDLE EXCEPT THE SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST TEXAS PANHANDLE WHERE NORMAL CONDITIONS EXIST...
SYNOPSIS...
THE LATEST DROUGHT MONITOR ISSUED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SHOWS EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE AND THE NORTHWESTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE. EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS THE EASTERN OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE AND THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS PANHANDLE. MODERATE DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS THE NORTHEAST TEXAS PANHANDLE THROUGH THE SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS PANHANDLE. ABNORMALLY DRY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE TEXAS PANHANDLE EXCEPT THE SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST TEXAS PANHANDLE WHERE NORMAL CONDITIONS EXIST.
SPOTTY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE OCCURRED JUST ABOUT DAILY THE PAST WEEK ACROSS THE OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLE. HEAVY RAIN OCCURRED LAST NIGHT OVER THE TEXAS PANHANDLE WHERE 1 TO 2 INCH AMOUNTS WERE RECORDED WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN IN THE 90S ACROSS THE PANHANDLES. THE WESTERN AREAS OF THE OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLE HAVE RECEIVED SOME BENEFICIAL RAIN THIS WEEK BUT NOT ENOUGH TO EASE THE DROUGHT. AMARILLO HAS RECEIVED 0.05 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION AS OF JULY 3RD. THIS IS 0.30 INCHES BELOW THE NORMAL FOR THE MONTH. THE TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR HAS BEEN 7.62 INCHES WHICH IS 2.10 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. BORGER TEXAS HAS RECEIVED 0.89 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION AS OF JULY 3RD. THIS IS 0.62 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE MONTH. TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR IS 6.12 INCHES WHICH IS 5.10 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. DALHART TEXAS HAS RECEIVED 1.00 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION AS OF JULY 3RD. THIS IS 0.74 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE MONTH. TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR IS 4.59 INCHES. THIS IS 4.01 INCHES BELOW NORMAL. GUYMON OKLAHOMA HAS RECEIVED 0.62 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION AS OF JULY 3RD. THIS IS 0.40 INCHES ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE MONTH. TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR IS 3.62 INCHES WHICH IS 5.35 INCHES BELOW NORMAL.
HYDROLOGIC IMPACTS...
AREA STREAM AND RIVER LEVELS CONTINUE TO FALL DUE TO THE LACK OF RAINFALL OVER THE PANHANDLES EXCEPT FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE WHERE HEAVIER RAINS RESULTED IN A FEW STREAM REACHING BANKFULL. LAKE MEREDITH...A MAJOR SUPPLIER OF DRINKING WATER TO THE HIGH PLAINS...CONTINUES TO FALL TO RECORD LOWS DAILY. LAKE MEREDITH IS AT 45.42 FEET...WHICH IS MORE THAN A 2 FOOT DECREASE SINCE MAY 22ND. AT 42 FEET...PORTABLE PUMPS MUST BE BROUGHT IN TO HELP WITH PUMPING. THERE ARE NO WATERING RESTRICTIONS IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE AT THIS TIME BUT WATER CONSERVATION IS BEING ENCOURAGED ESPECIALLY IN THE AMARILLO AREA WHERE THE "EVERY DROP COUNTS...A GUIDE TO WATER CONSERVATION" CAMPAIGN IS ONGOING.
FIRE DANGER IMPACTS...
WITH THE LACK OF STEADY PRECIPITATION...FIRE DANGER WILL CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. THE TEXAS FOREST SERVICE TELLS US THAT IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE DALLAM...HARTLEY...SHERMAN...MOORE...POTTER...RANDALL ARMSTRONG...HANSFORD AND OCHILTREE COUNTIES HAVE BURN BANS IN EFFECT. THE KEETCH-BYRAM DROUGHT INDEX THAT IS ISSUED BY THE TEXAS FOREST SERVICE COMBINES DROUGHT CONDITIONS WITH EXPECTED FIRE BEHAVIOR. MOST OF THE TEXAS PANHANDLE IS IN THE MODERATE CATEGORY EXCEPT FOR GRAY... ROBERTS...WHEELER...DEAF SMITH AND HEMPHILL COUNTIES WHICH ARE IN THE LOW CATEGORY AND POTTER...DALLAM AND SHERMAN COUNTIES ARE IN THE HIGH CATEGORY.
AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS...
THE SOIL MOISTURE INDEX ACROSS THE TEXAS PANHANDLE VARIES IN RATINGS FROM SURPLUS TO VERY SHORT WITH MOST AREAS REPORTING SHORT TO ADEQUATE. CATTLE ARE RATED IN FAIR CONDITION. SUPPLEMENTAL FEEDING CONTINUES. WHEAT IS RATED POOR TO FAIR. WHEAT HARVEST CONTINUES. SOME AREAS REPORTING THAT DRYLAND PATCHES OF WHEAT ARE SEVERELY MOISTURE STRESSED AND CONTINUE TO DRY. RANGE CONDITIONS ARE RATED VERY POOR TO EXCELLENT WITH MOST REPORTING POOR TO FAIR. CORN IS RATED MOSTLY FAIR. COTTON VARIES IN RATING FROM EXCELLENT TO VERY POOR WITH MOST AREAS REPORTING FAIR TO POOR. PEANUT...SORGHUM AND SOYBEAN ARE RATED MOSTLY FAIR.
OUTLOOK...
TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN TO WARM THIS WEEKEND AS HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES IN OVER THE PANHANDLES. PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL DIMINISH TO NOTHING BY SATURDAY. THE 6 TO 10 DAY OUTLOOK ISSUED BY THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER FORECASTS MUCH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND NEAR NORMAL PRECIPITATION. THE CLIMATE OUTLOOK FOR AUGUST THROUGH OCTOBER SHOWS THE LIKELIHOOD FOR ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND NEAR NORMAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE PANHANDLES.
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