EAST TEXAS (KLTV) – This July we’ve seen more rain in East Texas than normal.
But is there ‘too much’ of a good thing for growers?
A familiar sight this July here in East Texas, dark skies and rain. Unusual for a month that traditionally is dry and hot.
“All of East Texas is on track to have its wettest July on record,” says Texas A&M climatologist Dr. John Nielson-Gammon Ph.D.
As of Thursday, statistics show rainfall totals for East Texas over twice the normal rainfall for Longview and Lufkin. Unusual but not rare according to Nielson-Gammon.
“The most recent comparable July was back in 2007. Somewhat cyclical, but that’s more in winter when we have ‘El Nino’ and ‘La Nina’. Upper level disturbances coming into the central United States where as the western United States has been under a lot of heat,” he says.
The rain has provided much needed moisture to crops and forage.
“The plants are loving that, they’re loving this. If we had a little sunshine with the lower temperatures, we’d be better off,” says Gregg county master gardener Tom Babin.
But it can hamper hay production.
“Rainfall can also be a negative once that forage has been cut and we’re trying to cure it,” said Texas A&M Overton professor Vanessa Corriher-Olson Ph.D.
And it’s not all good, as too much water can hurt plants.
“The big negative that I’m finding out here, is we’re getting more fungal type diseases on plants,” Babin says.
And growers need sunshine.
“The plants need it. The plants are starting to wilt,” says Babin.
There is a plus.
“We do a lot of drought monitoring here and we don’t have to worry about East Texas for a while. and the rain helps keep temperatures down,” the climatologist says.
Nielson-Gammon says a relatively dry winter is predicted because of a ‘’La Nina’ developing in the pacific.
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