By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Editor
There’s mixed news for Texans in this week’s Water Weekly report from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB).
While “abnormally dry” conditions in the Panhandle and Northeast Texas decreased over the past week, dry conditions increased in the Corpus Christi area and Lower Rio Grande Valley.
According to the report, drought conditions are expected to remain and expand in the lower Coastal Bend and Lower Rio Grande Valley through April.
The northeast side of the Panhandle, near Hansford, Ochiltree, Hutchinson and Lipscomb counties, is “abnormally dry” this week, as are Wilbarger, Wichita, Seymour and Archer counties along the Red River.
Red River, Lamar, Fannin and Hunt counties in Northeast Texas are under a moderate drought.
In the Coastal Bend, Brazoria and Matagorda counties are now “abnormally dry,” while further south, Nueces, Kleberg and Kenedy counties have entered a moderate drought.
The northern portion of Edinburg County is also in a moderate drought, while surrounding counties Cameron, Starr, Jim Hogg and Brooks remain “abnormally dry.”
Those counties listed as “abnormally dry” or in moderate drought make up three percent of the state. That’s down from four percent last week and 11 percent three months ago.
The rest of the state is drought free.
TWDB’s in-house projection of summer rainfall suggests much of the state will see below normal rainfall. East Texas and a small part of the Panhandle are the exception. Those areas are likely to have above-normal rainfall.