Austin's April full of rain
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A cyclist rides along South Lamar Boulevard after heavy rain in Austin in early April. Photo: Jay Janner/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images
Austin remains in drought, but a very wet April has replenished waterways crucial for drinking water, recreational activity, farming and manufacturing.
Why it matters: Upriver areas, home to one of Central Texas' major reservoirs, are out of drought, making heavy water restrictions unlikely this summer.
The latest: More rain is expected Friday morning. Rain and storm chances increase throughout the day Friday, Chris Morris, meteorologist with the Austin/San Antonio National Weather Service office, tells Axios.
- A flood watch is in effect until 9pm Friday. Drivers could see dangerous conditions for morning and evening commutes, Morris says.
State of play: Despite April's rains, the U.S. Drought Monitor map released Thursday designates much of Travis County as experiencing "extreme drought," the second-most severe level of drought.
- That's because of where the rain has fallen. Much of the downpours have been northwest of Austin, in the upper parts of the Colorado River basin.
- In Lampasas, for example, 70 miles northwest of Austin, 10.78 inches of rain fell in April, per data from the Lower Colorado River Authority, the nonprofit utility that manages the region's dams.
The intrigue: Areas north and northwest of Austin, such as Llano County, home to major Central Texas reservoir Lake Buchanan, are usually the ones struggling through drought — and the rice-growing regions to the southeast are water-rich.
- But the latest drought monitor map shows the reverse.
Between the lines: Austin's drought condition may not matter, since the region's reservoirs are in such good shape.
- Lake Travis is 74% full while Buchanan Lake is 96% full.
- The downriver Arbuckle Reservoir, crucial for farming interests, is 97% full.
Stunning stat: Through Wednesday, 4.21 inches fell at Camp Mabry in April — or nearly 2 inches more than normal.
Yes, but: Austin is still trailing, year to date, on normal precipitation totals.
- Through April 29, 7.51 inches had fallen this year at Mabry. Normally through late April, the rainfall totals 9.83 inches.
What's next: Heavy rain is in the forecast Friday and meteorologists predict above-normal rainfall for Central Texas over the next month.
The bottom line: "This rainfall is going to be welcome to the drought situation. Every little bit helps," Morris tells Axios. "But we do still have a multiyear deficit that we're still making up for."