The soil may be soaked, but weather-watchers say drought conditions could return as long as La Niña holds in the Pacific Ocean. DRC/Al Key A car splashes through a large puddle on Oakland Avenue on Friday in Denton. View larger More photos Photo store DRC/Al Key Texas Woman's University student Hillary Nwonuma walks across the campus as rain falls Friday in Denton. View larger More photos Photo store
The U.S. Drought Monitor map, a weekly analysis prepared at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, showed Denton County out of the drought this week for the first time since July.
Another 0.13 of an inch of rain fell during the day Friday, with more accumulations expected with a line of storms Friday evening, according to Steve Fano, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.
Officially, 10.55 inches of rain have fallen at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport this winter, about 6 inches more than normal.
The next couple of months still look to be warmer than normal because of La Niña, he said.
"Our office doesn't watch it - another part of the weather service does - but there are some weaknesses in La Niña," Fano said.
Cooler than normal temperatures in the Pacific Ocean along the equator - a La Niña pattern - usually means that there's colder air and that the storms that come with it stay in the northern half of the U.S.
The big rains have helped. Chris True, a park ranger at the Ray Roberts Lake Park Complex, said the lake is getting close to full.
"We're about 2 feet down," True said. "We're very excited to get the water we did."
Many of the smaller trees in the park are dead, and True expects that the oldest trees are stressed and prone to disease, such as canker. But until they begin leafing out, it's too soon to tell for many other trees.
"We expect a large mortality, especially on the oaks," True said.
He continues to heed the caution from climate watchers that current rains are a temporary reprieve in a long-term drought pattern.
"This could be more of a 15-year type of pattern, with peaks and valleys and temporary relief," True said.
For the time being, though, the soil moisture has helped, he said, and if spring doesn't get too hot too soon, other plants may recover.
"We noticed with the blue-stem grasses, we don't have near the regrowth," True said.
Horticulturist Greg Church, an agent with Texas Agrilife Extension Service in Collin County, said the recent rain was generous and timely.
Bluebonnets and other wildflowers that grow rosettes over the winter and then bolt in late February and March benefit from such conditions.
"In early spring, we should be in good shape," Church said.
He, too, was concerned about La Niña and whether the drought would persist.
"Lake Lavon is still down and some areas of Collin County are still struggling," Church said. "Water conservation is a year-round concern. We have a growing population and the water supply is finite."
PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at 940-566-6881. Her e-mail address is pheinkel-wolfe@dentonrc.com.
