Denton County is in the grip of a scorching summer and severe drought

July is the month that summer got down to business in Denton County.

The numbers really tell the story this time. Denton’s average high was 100.5, five degrees warmer than normal. The average low was 75, two degrees warmer than the climatological norm of 73. The day-night average temperature for the month was 88, five degrees warmer than normal. The hottest temperature recorded last month was 110 degrees on July 18^th. The coolest temperature was 63 on July 23^rd. The warmest overnight low was 84 on the 14^th.

Rainfall wasn’t very good, but it could’ve been worse. While DFW picked up less than half an inch (.47”) for the entire month, Denton Enterprise picked up .57” on the 3^rd, .33” over the 9^th and 10^th of the month, plus another .17” on the 16^th.  July rainfall totaled 1.07” which was only half an inch shy of July’s normal rainfall of 1.58”.

That’s all the good news you’ll see in this piece.

Last week, the U.S. Drought Monitor has declared Denton County in a “Severe Drought.” Only “Extreme” and “Exceptional Drought” are more severe. To quote the Drought Information Statement released by the National Weather Service on July 27^th, “In late March, the year-to-date precipitation total at Denton was above normal. In the four months since March, Denton Enterprise has recorded less than five inches of rain, which has left Denton roughly 9 inches below normal for the year. Denton’s drought status went from “Normal” to “Abnormally Dry,” through “Moderate Drought” to Denton’s current status of “Severe Drought.”

Most North, Central and East Texas lakes are still in fairly good shape, but several reservoirs have fallen below 60 percent of their conservation levels. Summer usage and evaporation are taking roughly an inch off the lakes every few days.

Looking ahead, normal August rainfall of 2 inches would be welcome, but August is traditionally one of the driest months of the year.

Wildfire and grassfire danger is becoming extreme. Accordingly, The Texas Forest Service has put Denton County under a burn ban. Statewide, over half of Texas’ 254 counties have been placed under burn bans, including much of the East Texas Piney Woods and even along the coast.

As we transition from three years of a weak La Nina into an El Nino, the warming waters of the equatorial Pacific generally produce milder and wetter winters, but they don’t do much to quench the heat or drought during North American summers. The Climate Prediction Center forecasts only “normal” rainfall, but “above normal” temperatures for August. Everyone in Denton County should take proactive measures to prevent and stop the spread of wildfires.