There’s a positive side to the rainy weather Bryan-College Station has had over the holidays.
State Climatologist and Texas A&M professor John Nielsen-Gammon says that although Texas as a whole is still in a drought, the Brazos Valley is doing better now than it was last year at this time.
In fact, Nielsen-Gammon says while last year the the twin cities only received about half of their normal rainfall, so far this winter, they have received more than the usual amount.
He says the municipal water supply for BCS is an aquifer which presently has plenty of capacity, so there aren’t any immediate water-supply issues for urban water users.
As for rural communities, ranches, and those in agriculture, he says supply will vary greatly depending on location.
Nielsen-Gammon says in some areas, such as the northwest, stock tanks are still very dry, while in other areas, they are almost normal.
He says long-term drought issues are still in place and the area’s reservoirs, such as Lake Somerville, are still running somewhat low, but there’s been enough rain this winter that the area is doing fine at the moment, and certainly isn’t in immediate danger of fire.
Nielsen-Gammon says moisture usually builds up in the soil during winter, so those looking forward to landscaping and planting can check for adequate moisture by digging a hole six or eight inches deep.
He says as long as there’s moisture deep down, it makes anything that’s planted much more resilient.
John Nielsen-Gammon visits with WTAW’s Kat McMullen
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