Needed Rain Falls Overnight

We were asked to pray for it on Sunday and overnight our prayers were answered as the first decent rainfall in months fell over the Big Country. While many of us slept a band of rain and thunderstorms swept across the Big Country late Sunday night and early Monday morning bringing our welcomed rains, not to mention the first significant precipitation for this area in months.

Rainfall amounts across the Big Country, heartland and Northern Concho Valley overnight ranged from about a quarter to nearly an half an inch in some isolated spots. Abilene Regional Airport officially recorded 0.29" of rainfall for the event. This rainfall was not a drought buster but will settle the dust and help briefly reduce the wildfire threat.

The rains developed Sunday evening to our west and slowly moved eastward overnight. Other than the ponding of water and the usual spots that become puddles,only a gentle light to moderate rain fell in the area and no severe weather was reported.

The last decent rain for this area was back in October. While some precipitation fell in January due to winter weather events, it was not enough to remedy the drought. Also the last two months of 2008 were also very dry for the Abilene and Big Country area.
 
Abilene has now dropped back to just under a inch for the rain deficit for this year. Our area remains under a severe stage drought while extreme drought conditions can be found along the Colorado River in the Heartland.

Another storm system will move west late Tuesday and could bring a slight chance for a shower or thunderstorm late Tuesday and early Wednesday.

Abilene Fire Dept. rain totals from the stations:

Station 1 -  250 Grape Street  0.32'
 
Station 2 -  901 ES 27th Street 0.35"
 
Station 3 -  2201 South 19th Street 0.32"
 
Station 4  -  1909 West Stamford 0.40"
 
Station 5 -  1250 EN 16th Street 0.43"
 
Station 6 -  1482 South Danville 0.34
 
Station 7 -  4317 North 10th Street 0.30
 
Station 8 -  5680 Buffalo Gap Road 0.26