Alva Review-Courier -

According to the National Drought Summary for May 25, significant drought improvement occurred in some of the hardest-hit areas of Oklahoma and Texas, as rain benefited rangeland, pastures and summer crops. In Texas, rangeland and pastures rated in very poor to poor condition by the U.S. Department of Agriculture improved from 51 to 36% during the week ending May 21. On the same date, topsoil moisture was rated less than one-third very short to short in Texas (29%) and Oklahoma (28%).

Still, even with abundant showers and thunderstorms, pockets of extreme to exceptional drought (D3 to D4) persisted in western and central Texas and across the northwestern half of Oklahoma. Farther east, most areas remained free of dryness and drought, aside from a few areas in the central Gulf Coast region.

As of May 25 the U.S. Drought Monitor shows the northern part of Woods County, Oklahoma, still in the extreme category, the second driest division. The southern part of the county is listed a step lower in the severe category. Currently 39.86 percent of the state is considered drought-free, and that’s in the southeastern part of the state.

The Oklahoma Mesonet shows Alva has received 4.86 inches of rain in the last 30 days. Normal for the month of May is 4.1. For the year to date, Alva has had 9.05 inches. In 2022, another drought year, Alva received a total of 18.7 inches of rainfall.

Freedom has had 3.06 inches in the past 30 days, while Buffalo had 3.21, Cherokee 3.31, Fairview 3.81 and Woodward 3.21.