All you have to do it say the word "drought" and folks across the area and Texas will sit up and take notice on the heels of last years devastating heat and lack of rain. The good news is, compared to the summer of 2011, temperatures and lack of rainfall have been less devastating so far this year.  The key words being "so far".....

The latest Drought Monitor was released on Thursday morning and showed conditions getting 

worse, once again, for parts the Brazos Valley.  After a soggy winter and start of Spring, outside of the occasional afternoon downpour, rain really hasn't been a common factor over the past several months for region -- and it shows.  

You'll notice a hint of red showing up in Northwest Milam County which indicates an area of  "Extreme Drought" (D3), and a good amount of orange coloring over the western half of the area (Lee, Burleson, Milam and Robertson) indicating "Severe Drought" (D2).  Even for Bryan / College Station, Brazos, Washington, Austin and Waller Counties, "Moderate Drought" (D1) is currently in place -- not the worst situation, but it shows just how bad conditions are starting to get.  

Much Needed Rain in the Forecast

The better side of this story is that it looks as if Texas, and more specifically, the Brazos Valley is about to fall into a bit of a wet pattern.  

High pressure will adjust itself and settle in over the Western US, while a large trough of low pressure drags a rare front into Texas and keeps it in the neighborhood for a couple of days.  That, in addition to periodic, small disturbances and good Gulf moisture, will keep rain chances running high for several days -- starting as early as this upcoming Sunday afternoon.

While it won't be a washout completely, the area stands to receive periods of soggy weather off and on again.  With rain chances, cloudier skies, and hopefully a soggy ground, temperatures should only top off in the low 90s (possibly only upper 80s depending on when and how long the rain falls over this time period).  In fact, the extended outlooks for our part of the state call for "below normal" temperatures and "above normal" precipitation over the next week to two weeks.  The 5th graphic below will show the anticipated rain amounts over the next 5 days -- which is showing roughly 1/2" to 1.5" of rain possible:

6-10 Day Precipitation Outlook:

6-10 Day Temperature Outlook:

8-14 Day Precipitation Outlook:

8-14 Day Temperature Outlook:

5 Day Rain Total Forecast:

So find your umbrella, whether it be stored in the back of your closet or on the floorboard of the car -- you may just need it from time to time over the next week.  Of course, you can track the rain before stepping out by using our Interactive PinPoint Radar or checking KBTX.com on your mobile phone.  As always, all the latest updates can be found through Twitter as well @KBTXShel or @KBTXWeather.