Drought Information Statement for South Texas Valid March 7, 2025 Issued By: NWS Corpus Christi, TX Contact Information: sr-crp.webmaster@noaa.gov This product will be updated by April 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.. February experienced well below normal precipitation with mostly near normal temperatures Drought continues across the region but there were slight degradations across portions of South Texas Greater likelihood for above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation through March 1 U.S. Drought Monitor Drought intensity and Extent D4 (Exceptional Drought): None D3 (Extreme Drought): Sliver of northern La Salle county. D2 (Severe Drought): Bee, and San Patricio counties. Portions of La Salle, McMullen, Live Oak, Victoria, Duval and Webb counties D1 (Moderate Drought): Portions of Goliad and the rest of South Texas D0: (Abnormally Dry): Portions of Goliad county. Recent Change in Drought Intensity Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change. Drought Worsened: Portions of La Salle, McMullen, Live Oak, Bee, Goliad, Victoria, Calhoun, Aransas, Matagorda Island, Refugio, Nueces, San Patricio, Duval and Webb counties. No Change: Majority of South Texas counties. Drought Improved: Sliver of Goliad, Victoria, and Refugio counties. Precipitation Most of South Texas received 0-25% of normal precipitation. Portions of Victoria received 25-50% of normal precipitation. Most of the region received less than 0.5” of rain and most of Webb county didn’t receive any measurable precipitation. South Texas Rainfall Temperature Max temperatures were mostly normal except for portions of northern counties that were 1 to 3 degrees above normal and between 1 to 3 degrees below normal southeast over the last 7 days of February. Max temperatures were 1-3 degrees above normal across the western Brush Country over the month of February. Summary of Impacts Hydrologic Impacts Stage 3 water restrictions remain in effect as local lake levels continue to decline. Currently, the combined storage levels of Lake Corpus Christi and Choke Canyon are sitting at 17.6 percent as of Mar. 6th, marking a drop from just last week. Under Stage 4 water restrictions, outdoor watering is prohibited, but no date has been announced for if or when they will kick in. However, homeowners can still water their foundations by hand once every other week. Stage 4 is implemented when city officials determine a water-supply emergency exists. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and said they will continue to keep the public informed as the drought conditions persist. Agricultural Impacts (https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/tag/texas-crop-and-weather-report/) Coastal Bend: Scattered rainfall in the Coastal Bend ranged from 0.75-3 inches, with temperatures varying throughout the week and a potential freeze in the forecast causing concern. Soil moisture remained marginal, and subsoil moisture was inadequate despite recent precipitation. Wet conditions delayed fertilizer applications and spraying. Corn planting began but was put on hold due to cold weather concerns, while sorghum planting remained minimal. Pastures were beginning to green up, but growth was slow and inconsistent, with more rain needed. Hay supplies remained adequate from the strong spring 2024 season, but the dry winter has posed challenges. Livestock supplementation with hay and mineral tubs continued, and cattle conditions started to decline in some areas. A corn grower in San Patricio County halted planting due to freezing temperatures and dry soil. Farmers typically aim to get the crop planted before Valentine’s Day, so one would typically see planters in use. South: Conditions in South Texas fluctuated in terms of temperature with very warm to cool days. Mornings were foggy and afternoons were clear. No significant rainfall fell, except for Dimmit County which reported light rain over two days. Drought conditions continued to persist with no rain in the forecast. Topsoil and subsoil conditions were very short. Row crop producers continued planting corn and grain sorghum as they tried to take advantage of whatever soil moisture remained. Cotton planting should follow soon. Citrus harvest continued, and producers reported minimal damage due to last month’s freeze. Some citrus trees were beginning to show new blooms for the coming year. Leafy greens were being harvested. Range and pastures remained in poor condition. Winter weeds were thriving in some areas and provided some grazing for beef cattle and wildlife. Beef cattle producers continued supplementing their herds with hay, range cubes and molasses/protein/mineral tubs. Local markets remained strong with above-average offerings and steady prices for all classes of beef cattle. Beef cattle producers continued thinning herds amid dry conditions and to take advantage of good market prices. Feed prices were still high, and hay demand continued. Ranchers and deer producers continued to supplement their livestock and wildlife, with some producers supplying water to their ponds for cattle and wildlife. Summary of Impacts Fire Hazard Impacts Moderate fire danger as of March 7, 2025 Very High to Extreme fire danger for March 8, 2025 Very High fire danger for March 9, 2025 Moderate fire danger for March 10, 2025 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. 220.5 186.67 Lake Corpus Christi 94.0 80.38 Lake Texana 44.0 38.32 Coleto Creek 98.0 96.35 Canyon Lake 909.0 879.33 Lake Amistad 1117.0 1051.13 Reservoir values as of Mar 6, 2025 Soil Moisture | Crop Moisture Agricultural Impacts Soil moisture is much 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 April Seven Day Precipitation Forecast Up to around 0.1” of rain is forecast over the next 7 days across extreme eastern portions of South Texas. Long-Range Outlooks The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Greater chances for below normal precipitation through March Greater chances for above normal temperatures through March Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal drought outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Drought conditions are expected to persist or develop across South Texas over the next few months.