Source: AgriLife Today
October and November were two of the driest Octobers and Novembers on record, and much of the state appears to be facing a continued dry spell through winter, according to the state climatologist.
Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon said conditions were excessively dry throughout the typically wet fall months, and dry conditions are expected to continue through the next several weeks at least.
The lack of rain is causing concerns about fire danger, poorly developed winter pastures, including wheat, and dropping surface water levels for livestock, according to reports from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agents in areas that have missed rain events.
“When you get a dry spell it takes a while for soils to dry out, but they do get there,” he said. “Take the areas affected by Hurricane Harvey, you saw extreme flooding in some areas and not much since then.”
Nielsen-Gammon said October-November 2017 was the 12th-driest since the state started keeping records in 1895. September and October are typically wetter months for Texas, he said, but rain hasn’t materialized.
Learn more about Managing for Drought on Texas Rangelands
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