Severe drought, heat in Central Texas worst since summer of 2011

AUSTIN, Texas – Central Texas is in a extreme drought proper now because of unseasonable warmth and the dearth of precipitation, and it is bringing flashbacks to an analogous scenario greater than a decade in the past.

Good Day Austin meteorologist Zack Shields says that the dry floor and scorching temperatures can feed off one another. When there may be extra warmth this may result in extra evaporation drying out the bottom and killing the vegetation. The drier the bottom there might be much less vitality absorbed so the temperatures climb. 

When that occurs it’s exhausting to interrupt up and Zack says you would wish a significant shift within the climate sample or a tropical system impacting the world, one thing he does not see occurring anytime quickly. 

The drought is so extreme within the Hill Nation, that 14″ to 18″ of rain might want to fall west of Austin with the intention to do away with the drought. Llano and San Saba simply went by way of the driest November to April ever. It might take half a foot of rain to saturate the bottom earlier than we get run-off. 

That is bringing again flashbacks to the Summer season of 2011. In the event you evaluate Might 2022 to the one in 2011 the drought is just not as extreme or excessive. In Might of 2011, 98% of Texas was in drought mode in comparison with 80% now. Again then half the state was in distinctive drought, and we’re solely at 20% now. 

We nonetheless have time to expertise some a lot wanted rain in Might and June to decelerate the warmth. If the rain does not present up we might be in for 70 to 80 100-degree days and fall in need of the report of 90 in the summertime of 2011. 

The one wildcard could be a number of tropical methods taking purpose on Texas this Summer season. This might maintain the variety of 100-degree days decrease. It is a risk since we expect a busy tropical season. Keep tuned and buckle up for an extended and scorching Summer season.

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