Drought Information
Click Here To View The Most Recent North and Central Texas Drought Information Statement
5/7/26 Update
Drought conditions across North and Central Texas have improved over the past month, thanks in large part to a much wetter April. Many locations picked up more than 4 inches of rainfall during the month, with broad portions of the region ending April at roughly 150 to 200 percent of normal precipitation. That rainfall has translated into meaningful, and in some cases significant, drought improvement across parts of the forecast area, including much of the DFW Metroplex where many locations are no longer in drought. Even so, the drought has not been erased entirely. Extreme Drought (D3) continues across portions of East Texas, and lingering pockets of more significant dryness remain in places that missed out on the highest rainfall totals.
Looking ahead, the calendar still offers a favorable window for additional improvement as May is climatologically the wettest month of the year across North and Central Texas. This is supported by CPC’s May outlook, which leans toward above-normal precipitation across parts of Texas, while the monthly drought outlook favors either drought removal or improvement across much of the region. That said, not all areas are expected to recover at the same pace, and parts of the Red River vicinity may see drought linger a bit longer than areas farther south and west.
More broadly, ENSO-neutral conditions are now present and are favored through late spring into early summer, with El Niño increasingly likely to emerge later this year. For now, the combination of recent rainfall and a seasonally wetter pattern supports cautious optimism that additional drought improvement will occur through May, even if complete removal remains unlikely everywhere.
Current Drought Conditions
Fire Danger
With winter dormancy ongoing, any extended period without precipitation could reignite wildfire concerns. The days with the greatest potential for fire initiation and spread are those that are sunny and warm with low humidity and breezy winds. This potential will diminish with the onset of the spring growing season.
Even if a formal burn ban is not in effect for your area, it is still important to be vigilant about fire usage. Avoid open flames near dry vegetation, and assure all coals and embers are fully extinguished.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index is a drought statistic specifically designed to assess fire danger.
Drought Links
National Integrated Drought Information System
National Drought Mitigation Center
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