Drought — Victoria, Texas

2025-04-01 to 2025-04-25 · Victoria, Texas

Event narrative

Continued D2 drought.

Texas A&M AgriLife: A widespread rainfall event brought 1.5 to 7 inches of precipitation across the district, greatly improving soil moisture and temporarily boosting agricultural conditions. Low-lying areas saw standing water, and the wet fields delayed cotton and rice planting. However, the moisture provided a much-needed boost to corn and sorghum crops, particularly those that had been dry-planted, and pasture conditions began to improve with warmer temperatures. Most ponds were replenished and are now full, reducing immediate water concerns for livestock. Fertilizer and herbicide applications were well-timed ahead of the rain, and some hay fields benefited from the added nutrients. As fields began to dry, planting resumed, and corn and sorghum were nearing completion, with cotton planting continuing. Pastures showed rapid improvement where grazing pressure was low, leading to reduced hay consumption. Despite the positive impact of the rainfall, a cold front followed by warm and windy conditions quickly began drying out fields and pastures. Soil moisture, while improved, started to decline again, and moisture stress began to appear in some corn fields. Emerging cotton, corn, and sorghum were vulnerable to the recent temperature dips, and rice fields required irrigation to continue progressing. Rangeland and pasture conditions were mixed, with some areas reporting growth and greening while others continued to decline due to drying soils and lagging warm-season forage. Thrips were reaching control thresholds in cotton, and hay producers completed their first cutting. While livestock were in mostly fair condition, supplemental feeding could resume if pastures fail to keep up. The overall outlook improved briefly with the rain but remains fragile, dependent on further precipitation to support crop and forage development.

Wider weather episode

A long stretch of little to no rainfall led to continued severe and/or exceptional drought over most of South Texas through the month of April.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1237601. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.