Donnie reports......

"Today's front page headline is that the drought is back in full force.  The first three months of 2014 have been drier than the first quarter of the awful record dry year of 2011."

DONNIE'S HEAT COMPLAINTS ARE JUSTIFIED

The National Weather Service says 2011 was the driest year ever recorded in Texas and it was the second hottest year ever (the hottest was in 1921).

And the worst news, of all, is that the current drought that grips the state will continue, at least, into June.

TOO DRY

The National Weather Service thought this seasons La Nina would alleviate the drought in our part of the world.  The bad news is that it didn't turn out to be as strong as expected so the dry conditions continue.  Here's the latest map showing the affected areas in this part of the country.

WEATHER FACTS FROM DONNIE

"I've been reporting that the Texas drought of 2011 is the most severe on record, referring to meteorological records that go back about 150 years.  Now we have an even larger picture.

Scientists track weather by means other than direct human observation, and are able to go back much farther by studying tree rings and soil samples and ancient glacial ice samples.

I just read a report that says 2011 is the driest in the last 500 years, with the single exception of 1789.  I believe that's the year the French Revolution broke out."

George Clooney says actors have huge egos but a politicians is bigger.

NOAA says 91% of Texas, 87% of Oklahoma and 63% of New Mexico now are experiencing extreme or exceptional drought and it would take 10 to 15 inches of rain before it even started to make a difference.  According to the forecasts for the winter, they ain't gonna get it.

WILLARD REPORTS THE SAME TRAGEDY THAT DONNIE AND LINDA ARE SEEING

"Shrubs and trees here are dieing. Two beautiful Magnolia Trees are on their last gasp."

TEXAS DROUGHT

Donnie and Willard have given us a good idea of what the Texas drought is like and here's another picture. In fact, several pictures. PHOTOS: TEXAS DROUGHT

DONNIE REPORTS:

"Now even the thunderstorms come without rain. This afternoon we had three hours of thunder and lightning and wind and dark skies--and not a drop of rain. Twenty miles on either side of us saw heavy showers, but we got nothing.

It is a supernatural curse. Someone in our neighborhood has been very naughty."

As I was reading this, from Donnie, I couldn't help thinking this would not be happening if Lady Bird was still living just down the road.

DONNIE LAMENTS

"I still can't believe the world is ending--I dared think the 100-degree days were over. Wrong! 102 today, 103 tomorrow, burning sun, strong wind.

I would not be surprised now to see 100 degrees in October. We don't even speculate on rain any more--it just isn't part of any forecast."

DONNIE REPORTS:

Hays County, where they live, has renewed the countywide burn ban for another 60 days.  The Keetch-Byram Drought Index, which measures the dryness of the soil lists a TOTAL LACK OF MOISTURE IN THE SOIL at 800.  Hays County soil now stands at 786.

MORE BAD NEWS FROM DONNIE

"Texas' June-through-August average of 86.8 degrees
was the hottest summer for any state in U.S. history,
beating a record set by Oklahoma (85.2) in 1934,
according to theNational Weather Service."*

Austin area is nearing 80 days over 100 degrees, and still counting.  Not a drop of rain since July 19, and very little before that, barely 1/3 the annual average to date.  And the La Nina drought will continue for another year, through winter and through next summer!

I fear we have long-since passed the time to relocate; already the many "For Sale" signs around us have sat ignored for years.  Anything sold is sold at a growing loss.  You won't be seeing Austin on many more of those "best places" lists.

DONNIE WRITES FROM TEXAS

We are back up to 100 degrees.  There seems to be a creeping sense of death in the air.  The trees are already losing leaves, and the woods look gaunt and bare long before their usual time--it's like looking through a skeleton.  A wind sock on the back porch floats silently on the hot breezes, like a melancholy farewell wave.  Ten familiar, hungry deer come and go all through the days, hoping for our contributions.  Linda feeds them each day at 5:00 p.m., and if she is late the deer stand in the yard and stare at the house, detecting our movements within.  The cracks across our concrete driveway and floors are ever more pronounced.  Even the pipeline work, heavy industrial noises, seems muffled and distant, in a cloud of dust.  Silence and wind and cracks and dust--it all feels like a terrifying slow-motion dream, an atmospheric movie graveyard.

THE END IS NEAR

Another very warm day will give way to much cooler weather, around here, for the rest of the week.  Slowly, but surely, winter is on its way back.

La Nina is also back so what does that mean?  More drought for Texas and lots of snow around here!  Make sure the snow blower is in good working order before the first flake flies!

DROUGHT

It's nothing like Texas but, believe it or not, after all the rain we had in June and July, August has actually been dryer than normal.  We're actually 2 1/2 inches below normal as we end this month.

Nothing like Texas but we DO have some dry areas around here this year.

This last time I talked to Aunt Wilda she mentioned they needed rain around Viroqua.  I was surprised to hear that because we've sure had plenty of rain around here.

Of course, Aunt Wilda is always right so I wasn't surprised when I looked at this map this morning.  Folks south of us COULD use some rain.

The New York Times says the Texas drought is the worst since they started keeping records in 1895.

And, what's even worse is that it looks like La Nina is not going to move.  That means the clear skys over the Lone Star State could remain clear into next year.

Donnie wonders.......

"Whatever happened to envelopes?  The other day I was at Costco and considered buying a box of 500 envelopes.  Then I wondered, will I ever use that many envelopes?  Who uses envelopes anymore.  Are they becoming antiques, Collectibles?

This week's Time magazine features the Texas Drought, with a two-page photo of Lake Travis, Austin's reservoir.  The boat docks are high and dry.

"What we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history."
~George Bernard Shaw

I don't think it will affect Willard's birdbath but....

Water restrictions went into effect in Houston this afternoon.

Home owners have 72 hours to repair all leaks and outdoor watering will be limited to two days a week.

I'll be surprised if more cities don't follow suit.

Just how bad is the Texas drought?

Donnie said, "Story in the news today says that even cactus are suffering from the drought."

NORTH AMERICAN DROUGHT MONITOR

If you're living in the drought area, which includes must of the central U.S. (including far south Wisconsin), you might be interested in this page from the NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.  It features maps and other drought information.  CLICK HERE FOR NORTH AMERICAN DROUGHT MONITOR