WACO, Texas (KXXV) — Central Texas is experiencing significant drying conditions on Thursday that are raising wildfire concerns across the region. At the same time, warmer temperatures are causing trees to bud and flowers to bloom before spring officially arrives.
Watch the story here:
Central Texas faces dry weather as warm weather triggers early blooms
The wild weather swings are keeping crews at local nurseries busy as they navigate the challenges of protecting plants through unpredictable conditions.
“We do get those really cold spells like a couple of weeks ago when we had the ice all on the ground, so everything had a lot of tender growth,” said Corie Tucker from Westview Nursery and Landscaping.
Tucker has worked in landscaping for nearly 20 years and says winter is always the toughest season. Recent ice and hard freezes forced his team to move plants indoors to prevent major damage.
“We had to pull all of our plant material inside so it would survive… it definitely keeps you on your toes,” Tucker said.
After last month’s winter weather, warmer temperatures are now triggering early blooms across the region.
“It’s like a false spring,” Tucker said.
The warmth is also creating dry conditions throughout Central Texas. Thursday brought especially low humidity and dropping dew points, increasing watering demands for nurseries and raising moderate fire danger across parts of Central Texas, especially west of I-35.
“When it’s dry because all of our plants are in containers, we just are nonstop having to water. It keeps our water person super busy,” Tucker said.
Relief could arrive this weekend with cooler temperatures and added moisture expected in the forecast.
In the meantime, Tucker says plant owners should prepare for what the rest of winter could bring.
“Always keep a good thick 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch on your plants and your shrubs. If you know we’re going to get a freeze, water beforehand, that will insulate the roots down in the soil, and if you can, you can always put a blanket or a sheet over them to help keep the frost off of it,” Tucker said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Follow Bella on social media!
More stories from Bella Popadiuk