By Julie Tomascik
Editor

It was dry in Fayette County just a few months ago, much like it was across most of the Lone Star State.

But that all changed last week.

Nearly 8 inches of rain fell at Swiss Alp, which is located between La Grange and Schulenburg. Rainfall reports for Fayette County ranged between 8 inches to 14 inches.

“Just a week ago, we had no water in our dams,” said Lemay Higgs, who raises cattle and grows hay in Fayette County. “We had a terrible summer—dry and hot. And now everything is overflowing.”

The rain was much appreciated, even if it caused challenges like road closures and tougher conditions to feed cattle.

“The pastures kind of look like lakes, and the normal little streams were looking like rivers,” Higgs told the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network.

In Freestone County, Grant Holmes said they received about 3 inches.

“It’s made it really hard to get around to feed and put out hay for the cows, but we hate to complain about any moisture,” said Holmes, who raises cattle. “I’m just glad that we received 3 inches of rain and not 3 inches of ice.”

Although getting back in the fields will be delayed and there’s been some flooding, ranchers consider the rain a blessing and one they hope continues throughout the summer months.

“Tanks are full. It’s nice to see that, and it really helps as we prepare hay pasture going into spring,” Holmes told the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network. “It makes you optimistic about what’s coming and hopefully that we’re sitting good in spring and that leads into summer.”

The rainfall doesn’t erase the drought, but it does ease the dry conditions.

“About half the state has decent moisture, another 20% that is abnormally dry, so that leaves about one-third of the state, like Far West Texas, southern parts of the state and pockets in North and East Texas dealing with drought,” Dr. John Neilsen-Gammon, Texas state climatologist, said. “Drought in much of South Texas is related to long-term rain deficits, so for parts of the state these rains could be enough to knock that drought out, because there are a couple separate systems in the forecast. It’s just a matter of who catches conditions-altering amounts.”

Texas drought eases with January rainfall Parts of Texas received significant rainfall last week. Although parts of the state remain in drought, Texas farmers and ranchers are looking at a better outlook heading into spring.