2017 has been an up-and-down year for rainfall in North Texas. The year started off wet, as Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport received two inches above its normal rainfall total.
February, March, April and especially May were dry months, before a wet summer took hold.
Rainfall was above normal for June, July and August, but the pattern flipped again in September, with a rainfall deficit of more than two inches, as D/FW Airport went 30 consecutive days without measurable rainfall.
The dry September led to some North Texas counties issuing local burn bans. Kaufman, Ellis and Henderson counties are included in the burn bans, but Dallas and Tarrant counties are not.
The latest drought monitor shows much of North Texas classified as unusually dry. A few spots are classified as moderate drought, which is the lowest level of drought.
The rest of the year and early 2018 may feature lower than normal precipitation, as a La Nina pattern is established. La Nina in North Texas typically leads to below normal precipitation and above normal temperatures.
