It’s been almost a month since Dallas-Fort Worth got any measurable rain.
On July 15, 0.07 inches of rain fell at DFW International Airport, according to the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office, one of only two days with measurable precipitation last month. In the weeks since, a few days have recorded trace amounts of water, but the North Texas landscape has broadly been left to fry.
However, strong spring precipitation has helped prevent D-FW from falling too far behind on annual rainfall. Nearly 23 inches of rain have fallen at the airport this year, as of Aug. 14. That’s less than an inch behind the 30-year average of 23.2 inches of water by mid-August.
Significant rain in the late spring has kept Dallas out of drought, at least so far. Dallas County and much of North Texas have been rated “abnormally dry” by the U.S. Drought Monitor, which is usually associated with an increased risk of grass fires and declining surface water levels.
Much of the state’s land is similarly thirsty, but hasn’t yet advanced to legitimate drought. Almost 30% of Texas’ land falls under the “abnormally dry” classification, while 28% of the state is experiencing some level of official drought. The most severe drought is currently in the Texas Panhandle, with some also recorded in South Texas.
However, without much rain in the forecast for Dallas-Fort Worth, formal drought is likely to materialize soon. The Climate Prediction Center issued an alert Thursday that a prolonged heat wave is forecasted for the southern United States, including most of Texas.
Given that heat wave and the recent lack of rain, the climate center warned that a “Rapid Onset Drought” is underway for parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas — including Dallas. This type of drought warning is issued when the prior 30 days have a significant precipitation deficit, high temperatures are expected and there is minimal rain in the forecast.