DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA

1030 AM CDT SAT OCT 29 2016

 

...VERY LITTLE RAINFALL DURING SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER HAS RESULTED IN

SEVERE AND MODERATE DROUGHT DEVELOPMENT ACROSS MUCH OF THE FOUR STATE

REGION...

 

SYNOPSIS...

 

AFTER OBSERVING AN UNUSUALLY WET AUGUST, VERY WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS HAVE

BEEN RECORDED ACROSS ALL OF THE ARK-LA-TEX AREA DURING SEPTEMBER AND

OCTOBER, WITH AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATING THE AREA

WEATHER THROUGH MUCH OF THIS TIME. 90 DEGREE TEMPERATURES CONTINUED THROUGH

THE THIRD WEEK OF OCTOBER ACROSS PORTIONS OF EAST TEXAS AND NORTH LOUISIANA,

WITH RECORD OR NEAR RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES ALSO PERSISTING THROUGH LATE

OCTOBER. THESE ABNORMALLY HOT TEMPERATURES AND VERY DRY CONDITIONS HAVE

RESULTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF FLASH DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS MUCH OF THE

REGION, WITH THE GREATEST IMPACTS CURRENTLY FELT OVER PORTIONS OF EXTREME

NORTHEAST TEXAS AND NORTHEAST LOUISIANA. CUMULATIVE RAINFALL TOTALS SINCE

THE FINAL WEEK OF AUGUST HAVE ONLY TALLIED TO A HALF-INCH TO JUST OVER AN

INCH OVER THESE AREAS, WITH AMOUNTS OF AN INCH AND A HALF TO JUST OVER TWO

INCHES OVER THE REMAINDER EAST TEXAS, NORTH LOUISIANA, SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS,

AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA. THESE TOTALS ARE ONLY A THIRD OR LESS OF THE NORMAL

RAINFALL THROUGH THE PERIOD, WITH THE ABNORMALLY HOT TEMPERATURES AND LOW

AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITIES ONLY ENHANCING THE EVAPORATION RATES AND

FURTHER AGGRAVATING THE DROUGHT CONDITIONS IN PLACE.

 

AS A RESULT, SEVERE (D2) DROUGHT CONDITIONS HAVE NOW DEVELOPED ACROSS

PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST TEXAS ALONG A SULPHUR SPRINGS TO MOUNT VERNON, MOUNT

PLEASANT, PITTSBURG AND DAINGERFIELD LINE. SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS HAVE

ALSO DEVELOPED OVER EASTERN BOWIE COUNTY TEXAS AND NORTHERN MILLER COUNTY

ARKANSAS NEAR TEXARKANA, AS WELL AS MUCH OF NORTHEAST LOUISIANA EAST OF A

BASTROP TO MONROE AND COLUMBIA LINE. MODERATE (D1) DROUGHT CONDITIONS HAVE

DEVELOPED SURROUNDING THESE SEVERE DROUGHT AREAS ACROSS MUCH OF EAST TEXAS,

SOUTHERN MCCURTAIN COUNTY OKLAHOMA, SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS AND NORTH LOUISIANA.

ABNORMALLY DRY (D0) CONDITIONS STILL LINGER ACROSS NORTHERN MCCURTAIN COUNTY

OKLAHOMA, CHEROKEE, RUSK, WESTERN NACOGDOCHES AND ANGELINA COUNTIES IN DEEP

EAST TEXAS, AS WELL AS COLUMBIA AND UNION COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN ARKANSAS AND

WEBSTER, CLAIBORNE, AND NORTHERN BIENVILLE PARISHES IN NORTH LOUISIANA.

 

 

SUMMARY OF IMPACTS...

 

AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS.

THE LACK OF RAINFALL HAS RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN TOPSOIL

MOISTURE...EVEN AFTER A VERY WET AUGUST ACROSS THE REGION. NUMEROUS REPORTS

OF BROWNED/DORMANT PASTURES IN NORTHEAST TEXAS HAS BEEN RECEIVED...WITH

PRODUCERS ALREADY HAVING TO GIVE WINTER SUPPLIES TO MUCH OF THEIR LIVESTOCK

DUE TO THE LACK OF GRAZING. STOCK POND LEVELS HAVE LOWERED SIGNIFICANTLY OR

ARE NEARLY DRY ACROSS NORTHEAST TEXAS AND NORTHEAST LOUISIANA. SUMMER HAY

CUTTING HAS BEEN COMPLETED...WITH SOME PRODUCERS WAITING FOR RAIN BEFORE

PLANTING THEIR WINTER GRAZING GRASSES.

 

FIRE DANGER IMPACTS.

BURN BANS ARE NOW IN EFFECT FOR RED RIVER AND SHELBY COUNTIES IN EAST

TEXAS...AS WELL AS HEMPSTEAD COUNTY ARKANSAS...AND FOR SABINE...

NATCHITOCHES...WINN...LA SALLE...CALDWELL...OUACHITA...AND UNION PARISHES

IN NORTH LOUISIANA. GIVEN THE VERY DRY CONDITIONS...ABOVE NORMAL

TEMPERATURES...AND LOW HUMIDITIES...AN INCREASE IN WILDFIRES HAVE BEEN

NOTED ESPECIALLY OVER EAST TEXAS AND NORTH LOUISIANA. FIRE DANGER WILL

REMAIN LOW TO MODERATE ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH AT LEAST THE FIRST WEEK OF

NOVEMBER.

 

CURRENT WATER RESTRICTIONS.

VOLUNTARY WATER RESTRICTIONS ARE IN EFFECT FOR SMALLER RURAL WATER

SYSTEMS ACROSS EAST TEXAS. NO OTHER KNOWN WATER RESTRICTIONS ARE IN EFFECT

AT THIS TIME.