Drought in Stonewall, Texas

Rainfall deficits continued to deepen throughout July as heat ramped up due to the lack of moisture. Extreme drought (D3) conditions grew to include all but portions of the western South Plains where earlier spring rains were limiting drought conditions to severe (D2) levels. Exceptional drought (D4) expanded slightly to encompass portions of the northern and southern South Plains, Rolling Plains, and extreme southwestern Texas Panhandle.

Rainfall through the month was between zero and 50 percent of normal. Additionally, this July was the warmest on record for several locations including Lubbock (Lubbock County) where 18 days of 100 degrees or higher temperatures were recorded which is a new record. The North American monsoon remained mostly to the west of the region which is typical for July. This monsoon moisture expanded into West Texas for a few days during the month which brought beneficial but spotty rainfall. Wide ranging agricultural impacts continued with overall dry conditions resulting in a difficult year for cotton growth. Despite the dryness, relatively light winds mitigated wildfire danger.