AUSTIN, Texas — It's another Thursday in Central Texas, which means the latest drought monitor has been released.
Drought monitor comparison
As expected, areas east of Interstate 35 continued to improve, with virtually everyone in the Coastal Plains now free of drought. This includes places like Bastrop, Luling and Lockhart, and Elgin could be on the verge of being out of the drought if they get another good soaking of rain.
However, when looking at the Hill Country, not much has changed. The exception is Gillespie County, where most are now under the "extreme" level of drought.
Statewide, we've seen incremental decreases in all drought categories, but there is now around 60% of Texas that is not in any level of drought – up 3% from last week. Additionally, the three lowest levels of drought decreased by around 1%, and "exceptional" drought remains nonexistent in Texas.
Rain chances
In addition to the incremental drought improvements, we're expecting a couple more rounds of rain, especially during the weekend, as a Pacific front slides through. We do have storm chances both Saturday and Sunday. but we do not expect any storm to be severe.
Additionally, rainfall models are trending higher with totals, which would be really helpful for our drought situation. The European model has some areas just north of Burnet, which is in the Trinity Aquifer Recharge Zone, receiving some of the heaviest rain, which would also help our Highland Lakes system.
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