Not only was the month of August hot and dry in North Texas, but it was hot and dry for the entire state. The average temperature for the state was 88.3 degrees F with only 0.76 inches of rain. This puts August 2023 as the hottest and third driest since 2000.
You may have noticed the impacts of drought. Very dry grass and vegetation and big cracks in the ground.
This week's drought map shows extreme to exceptional drought from the Hill Country to Houston.
Interactive map of Texas drought status (last week to current and current)
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In central and northern parts of the state, the drought has been getting worse for the past 11 weeks. There has been some improvement across southern parts of the state. Rainfall from Tropical Storm Harold brought one to two categories of drought improvement to parts of south Texas.
Next week offers a chance for rain with lower temperatures. The Climate Prediction Center also has much of Texas receiving above-normal amounts of precipitation through mid-September.
The rain forecasted in North Texas will not be enough to erase the drought but it will help. The rain will also help lower the ongoing wildfire threat.
