Your Weekly Drought Update: A Mixed Bag

Map by National Drought Center

The latest drought monitor is a mixed bag.

Despite the fact that it’s been a relatively dry April for much of the state, particularly Central Texas, the slow improvement of the drought continues, though the news isn’t all good.

The latest numbers released today by the the National Drought Monitor show that parts of the state are still making their way out of drought. Less than nine percent of the state is in the worst stage of drought, “exceptional,” while 17 percent of the state is drought-free. A year ago, after a dismally dry winter, over 17 percent of the state was in the worst stage of drought.

But while there’s been some improvement in the past week or two, there’s also been a little bit of a turn back. While last week 63 percent of the state was in some stage of drought, this week that number’s gone up to nearly 67 percent.

You can learn more about the drought at our new interactive page, ‘Dried Out: Confronting the Texas Drought.’