Texas
The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) is updated each Thursday to show the location and intensity of drought across the country. This map shows drought conditions across Texas using a five-category system, from Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions to Exceptional Drought (D4). The USDM is a joint effort of the National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA, and NOAA. Learn more.
The following state-specific drought impacts were compiled by the National Drought Mitigation Center. While these impacts are not exhaustive, they can help provide a clearer picture of drought in Texas.
- Producers begin supplemental feeding for livestock
- Planting is postponed; forage germination is stunted; hay cutting is reduced
- Grass fires increase
- Dryland crops are stunted
- Early cattle sales begin
- Wildfire frequency increases
- Pasture conditions are very poor
- Soil is hard, hindering planting; crop yields decrease
- Wildfire danger is severe; burn bans are implemented
- Soil has large cracks; soil moisture is very low; dust and sand storms occur
- Row and forage crops fail to germinate; decreased yields for irrigated crops and very large yield reduction for dryland crops are reported
- Need for supplemental feed, nutrients, protein, and water for livestock increases; herds are sold
- Exceptional and widespread crop loss is reported; rangeland is dead; producers are not planting fields
- Seafood, forestry, tourism, and agriculture sectors report significant financial loss
- Extreme sensitivity to fire danger; firework restrictions are implemented
- Producers begin supplemental feeding for livestock
- Planting is postponed; forage germination is stunted; hay cutting is reduced
- Grass fires increase
- Dryland crops are stunted
- Early cattle sales begin
- Wildfire frequency increases
- Pasture conditions are very poor
- Soil is hard, hindering planting; crop yields decrease
- Wildfire danger is severe; burn bans are implemented
- Soil has large cracks; soil moisture is very low; dust and sand storms occur
- Row and forage crops fail to germinate; decreased yields for irrigated crops and very large yield reduction for dryland crops are reported
- Need for supplemental feed, nutrients, protein, and water for livestock increases; herds are sold
- Exceptional and widespread crop loss is reported; rangeland is dead; producers are not planting fields
- Seafood, forestry, tourism, and agriculture sectors report significant financial loss
- Extreme sensitivity to fire danger; firework restrictions are implemented
- Producers begin supplemental feeding for livestock
- Planting is postponed; forage germination is stunted; hay cutting is reduced
- Grass fires increase
- Dryland crops are stunted
- Early cattle sales begin
- Wildfire frequency increases
- Pasture conditions are very poor
- Soil is hard, hindering planting; crop yields decrease
- Wildfire danger is severe; burn bans are implemented
- Soil has large cracks; soil moisture is very low; dust and sand storms occur
- Row and forage crops fail to germinate; decreased yields for irrigated crops and very large yield reduction for dryland crops are reported
- Need for supplemental feed, nutrients, protein, and water for livestock increases; herds are sold
- Exceptional and widespread crop loss is reported; rangeland is dead; producers are not planting fields
- Seafood, forestry, tourism, and agriculture sectors report significant financial loss
- Extreme sensitivity to fire danger; firework restrictions are implemented
Explore Drought Conditions by City and County
View up-to-date drought conditions down to the city and county level, including temperature, and precipitation conditions, key drought indicators, outlooks, historical conditions, and water supply, agriculture, and public health maps.
Drought in Texas from 2000–Present
The U.S. Drought Monitor started in 2000. Since 2000, the longest duration of drought (D1–D4) in Texas lasted 271 weeks beginning on May 4, 2010, and ending on July 7, 2015. The most intense period of drought occurred the week of October 4, 2011, where D4 affected 87.99% of Texas land.
The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) is a national map released every Thursday, showing parts of the U.S. that are currently in drought. The USDM relies on drought experts to synthesize the best available data and work with local observers to interpret the information. The USDM also incorporates ground truthing and information about how drought is affecting people, via a network of more than 450 observers across the country, including state climatologists, National Weather Service staff, Extension agents, and hydrologists. Learn more.
The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is an index to characterize meteorological drought on a range of timescales, ranging from 1 to 72 months. The SPI is the number of standard deviations that observed cumulative precipitation deviates from the climatological average. NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information produce the 9-month SPI values below on a monthly basis, going back to 1895. Learn more.
Tree rings are used to extend the instrumental record of drought to over 2,000 years. The Living Blended Drought Product (LBDP) is a recalibrated data series of June-July-August Palmer Modified Drought Index (PMDI) values in the lower 48 U.S. states. This dataset blends tree-ring reconstructions and instrumental data to estimate the average summer PMDI values, which extend over 2,000 years in some parts of the U.S. Learn more.
Web Resources for Texas
Drought Early Warning Update: September 16, 2021
Texas Water Development Board | Data, Apps, and Maps
USGS | Current Water Data for Texas
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality | Drought in Texas
Texas State Drought Preparedness Council
Office of the Texas State Climatologist
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension | Managing for Drought on the Rangelands
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension | Drought in Texas
NDMC | Texas Drought Planning Resources
USDA Farm Service Agency | Texas
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office | AMA – Amarillo, TX
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office | EWX – Austin/San Antonio, TX
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office | BRO – Brownsville/Rio Grande Valley, TX
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office | CRP – Corpus Christi, TX
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office | FWD – Fort Worth/Dallas, TX
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office | EPZ – El Paso, TX
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office | HGX – Houston/Galveston, TX
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office | LUB – Lubbock, TX
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office | MAF – Midland/Odessa, TX
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office | SJT – San Angelo, TX
Southern Regional Climate Center
USDA | Southern Plains Climate Hub
South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center
Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP, a NOAA RISA team)
National Weather Service | Southern Region
National Weather Service | West Gulf River Forecast Center (WGRFC)
National Weather Service | Arkansas-Red Basin River Forecast Center (ABRFC)
Tell us how drought is impacting your community by submitting a condition monitoring report. Your submissions help us better understand how drought is affecting local conditions.