Drought Information Statement

000
AXUS74 KSHV 092121
DGTSHV
ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073-LAZ001>006-010>014-017>022-OKZ077-TXZ096-
097-108>112-124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167-101200-

DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
420 PM CDT TUE MAY 9 2011

...PROLONGED HEAVY RAINFALL DURING LATE APRIL/EARLY MAY HAS SIGNIFICANTLY
REDUCED DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS
BUT EXTREME AND EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT CONDITIONS CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF
EAST TEXAS AND NORTH LOUISIANA...

SYNOPSIS...

MUCH OF APRIL WAS CHARACTERIZED WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND BELOW
NORMAL RAINFALL ONCE AGAIN...UNTIL A SERIES OF FRONTAL SYSTEMS AND ASSOCIATED
UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES INITIATED A PROLONGED PERIOD OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EXTREME NORTHEAST TEXAS...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...AND
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS DURING THE FINAL TEN DAYS OF APRIL...WHICH LINGERED INTO
THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF MAY. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL TOTALS OF FIVE TO TEN
INCHES...WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS EXCEEDING TWELVE INCHES...WERE RECORDED ACROSS
THESE AREAS...WHICH EITHER ELIMINATED OR SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED DROUGHT
CONDITIONS. THIS EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF RAINFALL ALSO PRODUCED MINOR FLOODING
ACROSS THE SULPHUR RIVER OF NORTHEAST TEXAS...AS WELL AS THE OUACHITA RIVER
BASIN OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ARKANSAS. MINOR FLOODING WAS ALSO OBSERVED
ALONG THE GLOVER AND LITTLE RIVERS OF EXTREME SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND ADJACENT
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS. ELEVATED RIVER LEVELS WERE ALSO A RESULT ALONG THE RED
RIVER AND LOWER OUACHITA RIVERS OF NORTHWEST AND NORTHCENTRAL LOUISIANA...WITH
POINTS ALONG THESE RIVERS NEAR OR JUST HAVING RECENTLY CRESTED.
UNFORTUNATELY...AREAS FARTHER SOUTH ACROSS EAST TEXAS AND NORTH LOUISIANA
OBSERVED MUCH LOWER CUMULATIVE RAINFALL TOTALS...WITH AMOUNTS GENERALLY
RANGING FROM ONE TO THREE INCHES. AS A RESULT...DROUGHT CONDITIONS CONTINUE
TO DETERIORATE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS DEEP EAST TEXAS AND WESTCENTRAL
LOUISIANA...AS EXCEPTIONAL (D4) DROUGHT CONDITIONS HAVE DEVELOPED GENERALLY
ALONG THE LOWER SABINE RIVER AND TOLEDO BEND COUNTRY. HERE...RAINFALL AMOUNTS
WERE ONLY SOME 25-50% OF NORMAL...WITH WHAT IS USUALLY THE WETTEST PERIOD OF
THE YEAR. EXTREME (D3) AND SEVERE (D2) DROUGHT CONDITIONS CONTINUE ELSEWHERE
ACROSS EAST TEXAS AND NORTHCENTRAL LOUISIANA...WITH CONSIDERABLE IMPROVEMENT
OBSERVED ACROSS THE EASTERN SECTIONS OF NORTHCENTRAL LOUISIANA...EAST
OF A RUSTON...TO JONESBORO...TO RICHWOOD LOUISIANA LINE...WHERE EXCESSIVELY
HEAVY RAINFALL ALSO FELL DURING THE 26TH-27TH OF APRIL.


SUMMARY OF IMPACTS...

AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS.
BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL...AND MUCH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES
EXPERIENCED DURING APRIL AND THE FIRST WEEK OF MAY HAS MAINTAINED
VERY DRY SOIL MOISTURE CONDITIONS ACROSS EAST TEXAS AND MUCH OF NORTH
LOUISIANA ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20. HOWEVER...MUCH IMPROVEMENT
WAS OBSERVED ACROSS EXTREME NORTHEAST TEXAS...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...AND
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...GIVEN THE WIDESPREAD FIVE TO TEN INCHES OF RAIN
THAT FELL THROUGHOUT APRIL AND EARLY MAY. WHEREAS WET SOIL MOISTURE CONDITIONS
HAS GREENED VEGETATION...ELIMINATED THE BURN BANS...AND REDUCED THE FIRE
DANGER ACROSS THESE AREAS...THE VERY DRY CONDITIONS FARTHER SOUTH ACROSS
EAST TEXAS AND NORTH LOUISIANA HAVE ALLOWED FOR THE CONTINUATION OF
LOW LAKE AND POND LEVELS...WITH MANY PASTURES STILL VERY DRY.
THUS...PRODUCERS ARE STILL PROVIDING SUPPLEMENTAL FEED TO THEIR LIVESTOCK.

FIRE DANGER IMPACTS.
BURN BANS ARE IN EFFECT FOR RUSK...PANOLA...NACOGDOCHES...SHELBY...
ANGELINA...SAN AUGUSTINE...AND SABINE COUNTIES IN EASTERN TEXAS. BURN BANS
ARE ALSO IN EFFECT FOR DESOTO...RED RIVER...SABINE...AND NATCHITOCHES PARISHES
IN NORTHWEST LOUISIANA. FIRE DANGER REMAINS MODERATE TO HIGH ACROSS EAST
TEXAS AND NORTH LOUISIANA SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20.

CURRENT WATER RESTRICTIONS.
THE PLEASURE POINT WATER SYSTEM IN ANGELINA COUNTY TEXAS REMAINS
UNDER A MILD RATIONING OF WATER UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.


CLIMATE SUMMARY...

THE VERY DRY CONDITIONS EXPERIENCED THROUGH MUCH OF APRIL HAVE BEGUN TO AFFECT
TEMPERATURES ACROSS MUCH OF THE FOUR STATE REGION. IN FACT...MOST LOCALES
ACROSS EAST TEXAS AND NORTH LOUISIANA EXPERIENCED ONE OF THE WARMEST APRILS
ON RECORD. BELOW IS A LIST OF THE APRIL AVERAGE TEMPERATURES...THEIR
DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL...AND HOW THEY RANKED AS WARMEST APRILS ON RECORD...FOR
SELECTED LOCATIONS ACROSS THE FOUR STATE REGION:

CITY:                 APRIL 2011         DEPARTURE
                       AVG TEMP.        FROM NORMAL

SHREVEPORT LA            70.8              +5.6
NOTE: APRIL RANKS AS THE 5TH WARMEST APRIL ON RECORD, BEHIND 1967, 1930, 2006,
      AND 1925. RECORDS SINCE 1872.

SHREVEPORT LA            69.5              +4.3
(SOUTH SHREVEPORT/SOUTHERN HILLS OFFICIAL COOPERATIVE OBSERVING STATION)
NOTE: APRIL RANKS AS THE THIRD WARMEST APRIL ON RECORD, TIED WITH 2006.
      RECORDS SINCE 1980.

MONROE LA                71.0              +5.1
NOTE: APRIL RANKS AS THE 2ND WARMEST APRIL ON RECORD, BEHIND 1981. RECORDS
      SINCE 1930.

TEXARKANA AR             67.1              +2.8
NOTE: APRIL TIES AS THE 17TH WARMEST APRIL ON RECORD. RECORDS SINCE 1892.

EL DORADO AR             66.4              +2.7

DEQUEEN AR               63.5              +3.1

TYLER TX                 72.1              +5.5
NOTE: APRIL RANKS AS THE 3RD WARMEST APRIL ON RECORD, BEHIND 1930 AND 1925.
      RECORDS SINCE 1896.

LONGVIEW TX              71.6              +6.2
NOTE: APRIL RANKS AS THE WARMEST APRIL ON RECORD. RECORDS SINCE 1902.

LUFKIN TX                72.0              +5.8
NOTE: APRIL RANKS AS THE 2ND WARMEST APRIL ON RECORD, BEHIND 1967. RECORDS
      SINCE 1949.


A DISTINCT NORTH-SOUTH GRADIENT IN RAINFALL WAS OBSERVED THROUGHOUT THE
MONTH OF APRIL...WITH WIDESPREAD SIX TO TEN INCHES OF RAIN RECORDED...WITH
ISOLATED AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF TWELVE INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF MCCURTAIN
COUNTY OKLAHOMA AND ADJACENT SECTIONS OF SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS. BELOW IS A LIST
OF THE APRIL MONTHLY RAINFALL...THEIR DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL...AND PERCENTAGES
OF NORMAL...FOR SELECTED LOCATIONS ACROSS THE FOUR STATE REGION:


CITY:                 APRIL 2011         DEPARTURE      PERCENTAGE
                       RAINFALL         FROM NORMAL      OF NORMAL

SHREVEPORT LA            2.85              -1.57            64%

SHREVEPORT LA            4.63              +0.21           105%
(SOUTH SHREVEPORT/SOUTHERN HILLS OFFICIAL COOPERATIVE OBSERVING STATION)

MONROE LA               11.84              +7.07           248%
NOTE: THIS WAS THE 2ND WETTEST APRIL ON RECORD. RECORDS SINCE 1930.

NATCHITOCHES LA          2.30              -2.22            51%

COLUMBIA LA              3.90              -2.06            65%

TEXARKANA AR             5.94              +1.99           150%

EL DORADO AR             8.29              +3.74           182%
NOTE: THIS WAS THE 17TH WETTEST APRIL ON RECORD. RECORDS SINCE 1905.

HOPE 3NE AR              9.68              +4.79           198%
NOTE: THIS WAS THE 9TH WETTEST APRIL ON RECORD. RECORDS SINCE 1915.

PRESCOTT 2NNW AR        11.93              +6.96            26%
NOTE: THIS WAS THE 4TH WETTEST APRIL ON RECORD BEHIND 1966, 1973, AND 1957.
      RECORDS SINCE 1896.

DEQUEEN AR              11.64              +6.79           255%
NOTE: THIS WAS THE 3RD WETTEST APRIL ON RECORD BEHIND 1957 AND 1986.
      RECORDS SINCE 1936.

MT. PLEASANT TX          3.46              -0.31            92%

TYLER TX                 3.25              -0.45            88%

LONGVIEW TX              3.07              -0.85            78%

LUFKIN TX                1.55              -1.58            50%
NOTE: THIS WAS THE 15TH DRIEST APRIL ON RECORD. RECORDS SINCE 1949.


SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA MESONET STATIONS...
MT. HERMAN               7.43              +2.89           164%
BROKEN BOW              12.25              +7.71           270%
IDABEL                   7.62              +3.28           176%


PLENTIFUL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF SIX TO IN EXCESS OF TWELVE INCHES ACROSS
EXTREME NORTHEAST TEXAS...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...AND SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS
DURING APRIL HAS SIGNIFICANTLY EATEN AWAY AT THE LONG TERM RAINFALL
DEFICITS SINCE THE DROUGHT BEGAN OVER A YEAR AGO. HOWEVER...LITTLE CHANGE
WAS NOTED ELSEWHERE WITH THE LONG TERM DEFICITS...WITH SEVERE...EXTREME...
AND EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT CONDITIONS STILL IN PLACE ACROSS MUCH OF EAST TEXAS
AND NORTH LOUISIANA. THESE AREAS ON AVERAGE HAVE SEEN ONLY 55-65% OF THEIR
NORMAL RAINFALL SINCE THE DROUGHT BEGAN IN MARCH 2010. BELOW IS A LIST OF
RAINFALL TOTALS FROM MARCH 2010 THROUGH THE FIRST WEEK OF MAY 2011...THEIR
DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL...AND THEIR PERCENTAGES OF NORMAL...FOR SELECTED
LOCATIONS ACROSS THE FOUR STATE REGION:

CITY:           MARCH `10 - MAY `11      DEPARTURE      PERCENTAGE
                  (THROUGH 5/7/11)      FROM NORMAL      OF NORMAL

SHREVEPORT LA           36.88             -24.23            60%

SHREVEPORT LA           36.96             -24.15            60%
(SOUTH SHREVEPORT/SOUTHERN HILLS OFFICIAL COOPERATIVE OBSERVING STATION)

MONROE LA               59.15              -0.36            99%

NATCHITOCHES LA         34.25             -28.41            55%

COLUMBIA LA             39.73             -33.57            54%

TEXARKANA AR            37.04             -18.64            67%

EL DORADO AR            39.87             -25.11            61%

HOPE 3NE AR             44.07             -21.94            67%

PRESCOTT 2NNW AR        48.17             -18.05            73%

DEQUEEN AR              44.02             -20.92            68%

MT. PLEASANT TX         36.57             -17.41            68%

TYLER TX                36.10             -17.80            67%

LONGVIEW TX             31.17             -26.92            54%

LUFKIN TX               34.64             -19.70            64%


SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA MESONET STATIONS...
MT. HERMAN              50.25             -16.45            75%
BROKEN BOW              57.63              -9.07            86%
IDABEL                  45.11             -16.09            74%


PRECIPITATION/TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK...

ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE FOUR STATE REGION
THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THIS WEEK...AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE IN THE UPPER
LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
THIS RIDGE WILL BEGIN TO WEAKEN AND DRIFT EAST WEDNESDAY...AS A LARGE UPPER
LEVEL STORM SYSTEM BEGINS TO SLOWLY EJECT NORTHEAST OUT INTO THE PLAINS.
THIS WILL RESULT IN ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPING OVER EAST TEXAS...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...AND
NORTHWEST LOUISIANA WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND THURSDAY...AHEAD OF A WEAK COLD
FRONT THAT WILL SHIFT SOUTHEAST INTO THE REGION THURSDAY NIGHT. THIS FRONT
WILL DO VERY LITTLE TO COOL TEMPERATURES BEFORE IT WASHES OUT
FRIDAY...ALTHOUGH ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR RAIN WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE THIS
WEEKEND AS ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE TRANSLATES SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE
REGION. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF A HALF INCH TO AN INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THESE SERIES OF SYSTEMS...WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF AN INCH
POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY OVER EXTREME NORTHEAST TEXAS...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...AND
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 30 CORRIDOR.

THE THREE MONTH TEMPERATURE OUTLOOK FOR MAY-JUNE-JULY...ISSUED BY
CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER (CPC)...INDICATES GREATER PROBABILITIES
FOR ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES OVER EAST TEXAS AND NORTH LOUISIANA. EQUAL
CHANCES FOR ABOVE NORMAL/NORMAL/BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE CURRENTLY
INDICATED OVER SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS. THE THREE MONTH
PRECIPITATION OUTLOOK THROUGH JULY INDICATES GREATER PROBABILITIES FOR
BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL ACROSS DEEP EAST TEXAS AND THE SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF
NORTHCENTRAL LOUISIANA. EQUAL CHANCES FOR ABOVE NORMAL/NORMAL/BELOW NORMAL
RAINFALL ARE CURRENTLY INDICATED ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF NORTHEAST
TEXAS...NORTHCENTRAL LOUISIANA...SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA.


HYDROLOGIC SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK...

AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS EXTREME NORTHEAST
TEXAS...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...HAS RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT RISES OF POOL
STAGES AND RIVER LEVELS ACROSS THESE AREAS DURING LATE APRIL AND EARLY
MAY. IN FACT...RESERVOIRS HERE HAVE RISEN TO SOME TWO TO FIVE FEET ABOVE
NORMAL POOL STAGE...WITH BROKEN BOW LAKE...DEQUEEN LAKE...GILLHAM LAKE...AND
DIERKS LAKE RISING SOME TWELVE TO TWENTY FIVE FEET ABOVE NORMAL POOL STAGE
GIVEN THE SATURATED GROUNDS AND EXTENSIVE RUNOFF. MEANWHILE...BELOW NORMAL
RAINFALL...COMBINED WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND WINDY CONDITIONS
DURING APRIL HAS RESULTED IN LOWER THAN NORMAL POOL STAGES ACROSS NORTH AND
NORTHEAST TEXAS...WITH RESERVOIRS SUCH AS LAKE TAWAKONI...LAKE FORK...MARTIN
LAKE...LAKE NACOGDOCHES...AND SAM RAYBURN LAKE REMAINING SOME THREE TO SEVEN
FEET BELOW NORMAL. MINOR FLOODING WILL CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS
ALONG THE SULPHUR RIVER IN NORTHEAST TEXAS...AND THROUGH MUCH OF MAY/EARLY
JUNE ALONG THE OUACHITA RIVER IN SOUTHCENTRAL ARKANSAS. FLOWS ALONG THE RED
RIVER IN SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS AND NORTHWEST LOUISIANA WILL ALSO REMAIN
ABNORMALLY HIGH THROUGH THE THIRD WEEK OF MAY...AS CONSIDERABLE RUNOFF AND
RESERVOIR RELEASES ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS
CONTINUE TO ROUTE DOWNSTREAM.


NEXT ISSUANCE DATE...

THE NEXT DROUGHT INFORMATION STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY EARLY JUNE.

&&

RELATED WEB SITES...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT HOMEPAGE: WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/SHV
NATIONAL INTEGRATED DROUGHT INFORMATION SYSTEM: WWW.DROUGHT.GOV
U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR: WWW.DROUGHT.UNL.EDU/DM/MONITOR.HTML
DROUGHT IMPACT REPORTER: WWW.DROUGHTREPORTER.UNL.EDU
CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER: WWW.CPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV
LA OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY: WWW.LOSC.LSU.EDU
TX OFFICE OF STATE CLIMATOLOGY: WWW.MET.TAMU.EDU/OSC
OK CLIMATOLOGICAL SURVEY: HTTP://CLIMATE.OK.GOV
UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY: HTTP://WATER.USGS.GOV
TEXAS A&M AGRICULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS-AGNEWS: HTTP://AGNEWS.TAMU.EDU
LA DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY: HTTP://WWW.LDAF.STATE.LA.US/
TEXAS FOREST SERVICE: HTTP://TEXASFORESTSERVICE.TAMU.EDU
ARKANSAS FIRE INFO: HTTP://WWW.ARKFIREINFO.ORG
OKLAHOMA FORESTRY SERVICES: HTTP://WWW.FORESTRY.OK.GOV/WILDLAND-FIRE
LSU AG CENTER: HTTP://WWW.LSUAGCENTER.COM