According to Micah Voulgaris at the Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District, we have received 1.77 inches of rain in 2022, less than the 2.02 inches received from January through April in 1954, the worst oneyear drought on record.
While there is still potential for rain, the forecast does not look good. Sea surface temperatures highly influence Texas rainfall in the Pacific Ocean. Currently, the Pacific is exhibiting what is known as La Niña, a period of low surface temperatures that result in low evaporation. Low evaporation from the Pacific reduces rainfall over the continent of North America, causing drought. Currently, over 60 percent of the United States is experiencing drought conditions.
Unfortunately, a recent advisory released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicates that “La Niña is favored to continue through the Northern Hemisphere summer (59 percent chance during June-August 2022), with a 50-55 percent chance through the fall.”
