Drought Information Statement for The Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles Valid November 1, 2024 Issued By: WFO Amarillo Contact Information: sr-ama.webmaster@noaa.gov This product will be updated November 29, 2024 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/AMA/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. Please visit https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates/ for regional drought status updates. The far southeast and far east Texas Panhandle have degraded into severe (D2) to extreme (D3) drought conditions by the end of October. 1 Drought intensity and Extent D4 (Exceptional Drought): None D3 (Extreme Drought): Collingsworth County D2 (Severe Drought): Parts of Deaf Smith, Randall, Potter, Carson, Armstrong, Lipscomb, Hemphill, Wheeler, Donley, and Collingsworth Counties. D1 (Moderate Drought): Parts of the southern and eastern Texas Panhandle. D0: (Abnormally Dry): Central to northwestern portions of the Texas Panhandle. Recent Change in Drought Intensity Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change. Drought Worsened: Localized areas in the southern and eastern Texas Panhandle No Change: Majority of the Texas Panhandle Drought Improved: None Precipitation The far western combined Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles were the only areas to receive anywhere near normal precipitation over the last month, while a majority of the area remained well below normal. Temperature Most of the combined Panhandles have been 4 to 8 degrees above normal, while the northwest Panhandles were 2 to 4 degrees above normal over the last 30 days. Summary of Impacts Hydrologic Impacts There are no known impacts at this time Agricultural Impacts Heat and drought of late summer halved cotton yields in affected areas Fire Hazard Impacts Grasses and brush are primed for fire starts Other Impacts There are no known impacts at this time Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Streamflow remains below normal for the south and southeast Texas Panhandle. Fire Hazard Impacts Fall is seasonally dry and fire hazards are not uncommon if above normal temperatures coincide with high winds. Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Drought conditions expected to persist in the far eastern and far southern Texas Panhandle.