MIDLAND, Texas — NOTE: The National Weather Service reports right outside of the Midland International Air & Space Port
We're almost a quarter of the way through 2024, and it's hard to believe. So far in 2024, the Midland international airport has reported only about 0.58 inches of rainfall. This falls short of the inch and a half we typically expect by this point, representing only about a third of the usual amount.
West Texas desperately needs rain as it's been experiencing a prolonged dry spell. The region hasn't seen a rainfall surplus since 2021, marking nearly three consecutive years of below-average precipitation.
The latest drought monitor as of March 13, 2024, indicates that most of Midland is under moderate drought status, which is the first of four drought categories: moderate, severe, extreme and exceptional.
The reason the drought isn't in the severe, extreme or exceptional categories is somewhat complicated.
Despite the prolonged dry spell, the current drought isn't that bad. The main reason for this is due to the fact that we're coming out of winter when evaporation rates are low. Evaporation plays a significant role in drought severity, as it has the capability to remove large amounts of water from the environment. Drought is essentially a lack of water in the environment, and the quantity of water available is dictated by how much is added or subtracted.
If West Texas doesn't receive a good amount of rain in the coming months, extreme to exceptional drought could certainly make a come back. The good news is that the Permian Basin is expecting some solid rain totals over the coming days, which could even put temperatures at above our average for this time of year.