AUSTIN, Texas — It's another Thursday, which means a new drought monitor has been released.
However, one wouldn't know it, given that the latest release is nearly the exact same as last week. However, there were some incremental improvements in Bell County, which is just north of the KVUE viewing area. An area northeast of Temple went from the "moderate" drought category to the "abnormally dry" category.
Statewide, however, we've unfortunately had some regression due to the lack of rain. For instance, areas not in a drought decreased by 1%, while areas in the "abnormally dry" category increased by that same metric. Also, the "moderate" drought, despite its improvement in Bell County, actually had a 2% statewide increase, largely due to the lack of rain this week.
While we expect to continue this dry spell through the end of the month, given this seven-day forecast below, there could be changes beyond the seven-day period.
Rain chances in two weeks?
While we don't expect rain chances in the immediate short term, we're tracking an increasing potential for above average temperatures. The better shot at this will primarily be along and east of I-35, as it seemingly always is, due to the added moisture availability in the Coastal Plains.
However, this does not mean the Hill Country could get shut out like it was during the last rain event, as they too are in the above average precipitation, although it's not as likely as the Coastal Plains.
With all of this in mind, it's important to stick with KVUE for all the latest as we track any real rain chances ahead.