Rain brings relief to San Antonio, but drought lingers
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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Much-needed rain arrived this week, with some parts of town receiving over 4 inches between Tuesday and Wednesday, but Bexar County remains in a drought.
Why it matters: While the rain didn't drastically improve drought conditions, it offered short-term relief that could delay further declines in our water supply.
State of play: The Edwards Aquifer, the city's primary water source, stood at about 632 feet above sea level as of Thursday, down from 641 feet six months ago.
- The Edwards Aquifer Authority enters stage 4 restrictions, the highest level, when the 10-day average is less than 630 feet.
- Stage 4 restrictions limit landscape watering to once every other week and add a $10.37 surcharge per thousand gallons over 12,000 gallons. San Antonio was in stage 4 for most of the summer.
- Bexar County remains in a moderate drought.
By the numbers: Converse and Alamo Heights saw the most rain in Bexar County, with 4.14 inches and 4.01 inches, respectively, in a 24-hour span between Tuesday and Wednesday.
- The San Antonio International Airport recorded 1.45 inches of rain this week.
- Annual precipitation for 2024 stands at 21.23 inches, surpassing 2023's total of 20.01 inches.
Medina Lake, which was on the verge of disappearing this summer, is now 3.3% full. While still below last year's 4.3%, it's an improvement from June's 2.5%.
- The lake has risen over 3 feet since June.
- "Whoever ordered the refill of Medina Lake ... it's being worked on," @BexarCOSW, a National Weather Service partner, posted on X Tuesday night.
Reality check: The rain totals are nothing out of the ordinary. They're actually on par with normal rainfall total for the year to date (21.06 inches).
- San Antonio is only 0.17 inches above average for 2024 so far.
What's next: Rain chances will decrease throughout the weekend, with fall-like temperatures expected early next week, according to NWS meteorologist Orlando Bermudez.
- Residents can expect to wake up to lows in the mid-60s Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. We can finally open our windows!
- And 100-degree days are off the table for at least the next eight to 14 days, Bermudez tells Axios.