drought

The drought has meant a smaller than usual pumpkin crop in Texas this year. Farmers say that drop in supply will mean higher prices for pumpkins popular for fall display and Halloween carving.

Hemp advocates promised the Texas Legislature the crop was drought resistant. The 2022 drought has proven otherwise. And farmers are abandoning the nascent market.

Despite record-setting downpours in some areas of Texas offering temporary relief to scorched parts of the state, drought conditions persist in some of the hardest-hit areas.

Rain is in the forecast across much of the state. But it won’t be enough to reverse the drought that has gripped Texas since last fall.

Weekend rainfall is some parts of Texas provided some relief. But climate experts hope September and October provide much-needed rainfall in most of the state.

“We’re on the brink. We’re teetering. It’s a balancing act. It’s a 50/50 proposition,” said Gunter City Manager Rick Chaffin.

Hundreds of wildfires have broken out this spring. More than a dozen areas are under voluntary or mandatory water use restrictions, and more than 200 Texas counties have been designated as crop disaster areas.

Two of the largest blazes cover more than 37,000 acres. The National Weather Service warns of “critical” fire danger throughout Texas heading into the weekend.

Texas A&M Forest Service has responded to nine fires across the state this week, saying they “have the potential to exhaust state and local resources.”

The year was a blast furnace, marked by drought, triple-digit heat and historic wildfires. It started with a dry winter that quickly turned into a hot and dry spring, setting the state up for a stretch of scorching months that lasted long into the fall.

The forces that have killed the river this spring aren’t likely to abate. What’s happening now could become a regular occurrence.

The drought could drive up the price of beef. One agronomist explains why, and what farmers might do to adapt.