http://droughtreporter.unl.edu/

v 2.4.3.0

West Central Texas received 1-4 inches of rain, but most areas still needed more. Water levels rose in most lakes and stock tanks. The rains helped topsoil moisture, but subsoil moisture levels remained short. The rain greened up pastures, but grazing remained limited, and several timely rains were needed for rangeland recovery and forage growth. The soil moisture should benefit cotton and sorghum crops the most. Field preparation for spring forage planting continued with some fields already planted and some fertilizer applications complete. Some producers planted Sudan grass before the rain, and it was up and growing. Wheat and oat fields neared graze-out. The rains will not help wheat fields that were going to grain. Sorghum fields were off to a strong start with timely rains but needed more moisture soon to maintain progress. Row crop producers sprayed weeds and prepared the ground for upcoming cotton planting. Some wheat fields were baled for cattle. Producers rushed to plant hay grazer. Pecan trees were slow to grow and leaf out. Pastures appeared very green following recent rains. Calls continued regarding drought-stressed trees, and concerns were expected to persist. Producers continued spring cattle work. Cattle looked fleshy and in good condition. Some producers applied fertilizer to Coastal Bermuda grass before recent rains. Producers continued supplemental feeding and sold cattle lighter than usual. Mineral deficiencies were noted in some livestock. Many calves were weaned early to help cows recover and conserve grass. The cattle market remained strong with all classes selling at steady to higher prices. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), April 29, 2025 Cold weather and some frost occurred, accompanied by high winds. Recent rains improved conditions in some areas of West Central Texas, but overall drought conditions continued. Temperatures remained unseasonably warm, with highs in the upper 80s. Windy days dried out the moisture from prior rains. Moisture losses were above normal for this time of year. Field preparation increased for spring forage planting. Producers continued fertilizing hay fields and implementing weed control. Wheat and oat pastures remained extremely short and were expected to be grazed out soon. Irrigated winter wheat showed signs of improvement after recent moisture, and some freeze damage was reported in a few fields. Row crop producers continued weed management. Grain and forage sorghum planting was underway. Field preparation for cotton continued, but rain was needed before May plantings get underway. Some producers planted hay grazer with rain in the forecast. Pasture and rangeland conditions remained mostly unchanged due to the lack of follow-up rain. Pecan trees slowly broke winter dormancy. Small grasshoppers were noted in some pastures. Frost damaged some trees in low-lying areas. Cattle generally looked fair to good. Cows were calving, and supplemental feeding continued. Stock tanks needed more runoff. Hay feeding increased. The cattle market was active with strong demand. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), April 15, 2025 All areas of West Central Texas needed rain. Some areas received decent rainfall toward the end of the week. Temperatures cooled but were still unseasonably warm and beyond 80 degrees most days. High winds and heat were reducing soil moisture levels. Soil samples in a few areas showed subsoil moisture was very short. Pastures were dry and offering little grazing. Producers were controlling weeds in warm-season pastures. Rangelands and pastures needed rainfall to produce. Cattle were in fair to good shape, and cows were calving. Most herds were receiving supplemental feed. Producers continued to make deeper culls and were selling lighter calves. Dust pneumonia was reported in some cattle. Some fields were being prepared for forage plantings. Some producers hoped to plant haygrazer if fields received rainfall. Some small grain fields were overgrazed and mostly droughted out. Most trees were blooming, and mesquite and oaks were leafing out. Pecan trees have broken bud. Irrigated wheat started to enter the boot stage for those planning to harvest, but most fields were being grazed out. Fieldwork continued in preparation of spring crops, especially cotton. Producers applied fertilizer, and some began planting irrigated sorghum, with a few of those fields emerging. Most corn was planted, and many fields had emerged, but acres were expected to be down this season. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), April 1, 2025 West Central Texas needed rain, with very high winds reported late in the week. Some areas received trace amounts up to 1 inch of rainfall. High winds were expected, and no rain appeared in the 10-day forecast. Warm and dry conditions continued throughout the week, with extreme fire danger. Recent winds, lack of rainfall and above-normal temperatures set back rangeland and pastures. Sustained high winds with damaging gusts affected the area, with conditions remaining dry with low humidity. Wheat was in extreme need of rain. Wind gusts over 65 mph for over eight hours late in the week caused some damage to farm structures. Soil temperatures rose. Some late cool-season forbs and grass emerged. Producers began planting sorghum fields, though many were waiting for rain as the soil profile had little moisture. In areas that received measurable rainfall, wheat improved somewhat, though some fields sustained damage from blowing sand and erosion during the late-week windstorm. Field preparation continued for spring planting, but rain was needed before any dryland planting will start. Irrigated corn and sorghum planting had started. Some field preparation for spring forage planting occurred, but grazing was short in almost all fields. Pastures were dry and offered little to no grazing, with limited water in running streams. Supplemental feeding of livestock continued as stock tank levels declined. Livestock were in fair condition heading into spring. Some stockers were pulled off wheat and sold, with stock pond water levels ranging from fair to low. Cattle markets remained strong, with good demand. Prices for stocker steers were steady to $5 higher per hundredweight, and stocker heifer prices were steady to $3 higher. Pairs and bred cows sold steady. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), March 18, 2025 Weather conditions in West Central Texas were near normal, with temperatures climbing and a slight chance of rain in the forecast for the following week. The area remained dry and warm throughout the week, with cooler temperatures arriving at the end. Drought conditions worsened, and soil moisture levels remained very low. There was zero moisture, and temperatures rose into the 70s after being in the teens the previous week. Supplemental feeding continued due to very dry conditions. Some areas saw daytime temperatures close to 90 degrees, while nighttime temperatures stayed in the 40s. Topsoil moisture continued to decline, and subsoil moisture ranged from decent to dry. Forage growth for cool-season crops slowed drastically due to dry weather, and field preparation for spring forage planting occurred. The last cold snap severely impacted small grain crops, with oats turning completely brown. Some producers pulled cattle off wheat due to a lack of grazing. Rain was needed before sorghum and cotton planting. Pastures had little to no grazing, and livestock diets were supplemented. Stock tank water levels were dropping. Sale volumes at local sale barns were lower, and prices were steady to higher. Some ranchers culled older cattle and held onto heifers. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), March 4, 2025