Drought Information Statement for South Texas Valid January 5, 2025 Issued By: NWS Corpus Christi, TX Contact Information: sr-crp.webmaster@noaa.gov This product will be updated by February 7, 2025 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/crp/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements.. Drought continues to expand across the region Above normal temperatures persist long term Generally below normal rainfall through January 1 U.S. Drought Monitor Drought intensity and Extent D4 (Exceptional Drought): None D3 (Extreme Drought): None D2 (Severe Drought): Portions of La Salle, McMullen, Live Oak, Bee, San Patricio and Goliad counties D1 (Moderate Drought): Portions of La Salle, McMullen, Live Oak, Bee, Goliad, Victoria, Calhoun, Refugio, Aransas, San Patricio, Nueces, Kleberg, Jim Wells, Duval and Webb counties D0: (Abnormally Dry): Portions of Webb county Recent Change in Drought Intensity Link to the latest 4-week change map Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change. Drought Worsened: Portions of Bee, McMullen, Jim Wells and Kleberg counties No Change: Portions of La Salle, McMullen, Live Oak, Bee, Goliad, Victoria, Calhoun, Refugio, Aransas, San Patricio, Nueces, Kleberg, Jim Wells, Duval and Webb counties Drought Improved: Portions of Goliad county Precipitation Well below normal rainfall for most of South Texas Little rainfall through the month. However, a few locations received several inches South Texas Rainfall Temperature Above to well above normal temperatures over the last 7 and 30 days. Summary of Impacts Hydrologic Impacts Low reservoir levels contributing to water restrictions Agricultural Impacts (https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/) Coastal Bend: .Scattered showers brought about 1 inch of rain to some areas of Coastal Bend, but field conditions remained very dry. Pastures continued to deteriorate rapidly, with many ranchers already feeding hay and protein due to poor nutritional forage quality. Fall fieldwork, including stalk destruction and row preparation, continued at a slow pace, especially on heavy clay soils. Hay fields were not growing due to the lack of moisture, and ryegrass and winter pasture planting were delayed until more moisture arrives. Cattle were in good condition and prices remained high, but hay feeding was necessary. South: Conditions were very dry in South Texas. Spotty showers occurred with no measurable amount of rain in some areas. Soil moisture levels were very short to short. Ranchers continued to manage water resources carefully to support livestock and vegetation recovery. Peanuts and sesame were being harvested. Strawberry planting was winding down, and it looked like about 20% of the crop would need to be replanted. Some row crop producers began preparation for the upcoming growing season. Cool-season vegetables progressed well and benefited from the recent rains. Producers planted leafy greens, cabbage and onions. Citrus harvest began for certain varieties, and others will follow in the next few months. Forages continued to decline in quality. A few irrigated hay fields were producing bales. Pecan yields were low due to the lack of water. Plenty of low-cost hay was available across the county. The recent rainfall helped heat-stressed corn. Rangeland conditions were declining, and some brush species were dropping leaves. Supplemental feeding for livestock continued. Local markets continued to report average volumes and steady prices for all classes of beef cattle. Beef cattle were still in good condition, and producers supplemented with protein to offset the decline in forage quality. Stock tank levels remained a concern to producers across the county, with a slight increase in herd reduction. Summary of Impacts Fire Hazard Impacts Above normal fire danger at this time Other Impacts Corpus Christi under stage 3 water restrictions (https://www.cctexas.com/) Portland under stage 3 water restrictions (https://www.portlandtx.com/399/Drought-Management-Plan) Laredo under stage 3 water restrictions (https://laredoutilities.com/water-conservation-program/) Alice under stage 3 restrictions (https://www.alicetx.com/2024/03/11/city-of-alice-enters-stage-2-moderate-drought-restriction/#/) Bishop under stage 3 water restrictions (https://southtexascommunitynews.com/stcn/bishop-under-stage-2-water-restrictions#gsc.tab=0) Rockport under stage 3 water restrictions (https://www.rockporttx.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3440) Other South Texas communities under restrictions can be found here Mitigation Actions Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information. USGS 7-Day Avg Streamflow | Texas Reservoirs Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Flows are below to much below normal across much of the region. Reservoir Pool Elevation (ft) Current Elevation (ft) Choke Canyon. 220.5 187.41 Lake Corpus Christi 94.0 81.30 Lake Texana 44.0 38.91 Coleto Creek 98.0 96.64 Canyon Lake 909.0 880.63 Lake Amistad 1117.0 1051.19 Reservoir values as of Dec 2, 2024 Soil Moisture | Crop Moisture Agricultural Impacts Soil moisture is below normal across the region. Crop moisture is severely dry across South Texas Fire Hazard Impacts Burn Bans in place across most of South Texas Above Normal significant wildfire potential through February Latest TX Burn Ban map available here. Seven Day Precipitation Forecast Up to around 0.50-1” of rain is forecast over the next 7 days Long-Range Outlooks The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage chances for below normal precipitation through January Above normal temperatures expected through January Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal drought outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Drought conditions are expected to persist across South Texas over the next few months.