000 FGUS74 KSHV 121708 ESFSHV ARC027-057-061-073-081-091-099-133-139-LAC013-015-017-021-027-031- 043-049-059-061-069-073-081-085-111-119-127-OKC089-TXC005-037-063- 067-073-159-183-203-315-343-347-365-387-401-403-405-419-423-449-459- 499-142359- HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA 1208 PM CDT WED APR 12 2006 ...DROUGHT STATEMENT... ...DROUGHT CONDITIONS RETURNING... SINCE THE BEGINNING OF APRIL...ALL OF EAST TEXAS...SOUTH ARKANSAS...NORTH LOUISIANA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA HAVE RECEIVED WELL BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL. THE FORECAST OUTLOOK FOR RAINFALL THROUGH THE THIRD WEEK OF APRIL LOOKS SCANTY AT BEST AND THE WEATHER FORECAST RETURNS WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES TO BOOT. AREA RESIDENTS WELCOMED TIMELY AND BENEFICIAL RAINFALL DURING MARCH AS MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL ALLEVIATED DROUGHT CONDITIONS. SOME OF THE NOTABLE MARCH MONTHLY RAINFALL TOTALS FROM HIGHEST TO LOWEST FOLLOW BELOW. CLARKSVILLE 1W TEXAS 9.20 INCHES ASHDOWN 4SSE ARKANSAS 8.33 INCHES LUFKIN TEXAS (KLFK) 2.62 INCHES UNFORTUNATELY THIS APRIL STARTED STEPPING OFF ON THE WRONG FOOT THUS FAR...WITH SCANTY APRIL TOTALS THROUGH APRIL 12TH LISTED BELOW. DEQUEEN ARKANSAS 0.53 INCHES MONROE LOUISIANA 0.23 INCHES EL DORADO ARKANSAS 0.10 INCHES TEXARKANA ARKANSAS 0.01 INCHES SHREVEPORT LOUISIANA TRACE TYLER TEXAS TRACE LONGVIEW TEXAS TRACE AREA OFFICIALS LOWERED BURN BANS COMMON DURING THE WINTER OF 2005 AND 2006...THROUGHOUT MARCH OF 2006. UNFORTUNATELY...LITTLE IF ANY RAINFALL FORECAST THROUGH THE THIRD WEEK OF APRIL ALONG WITH EXPECTED WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO DRY AREA SOILS AND VEGETATION. SHOULD THE ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND SCANTY RAINFALL CONTINUE THROUGH THE END OF THE MONTH...EXPECT SEVERAL LOCATIONS TO RANK IN THE TOP FIVE DRIEST AND WARMEST APRILS ON RECORD. THIS ONLY SPELLS OUT AN OMINOUS TREND FOR THIS SUMMER AS APRIL AND MAY CLIMATOLOGICALLY EXPECT FOUR TO SIX INCHES OF MONTHLY RAINFALL TO CARRY US THROUGH THE HOT AND DRY MONTHS OF SUMMER DURING JULY AND AUGUST. THE FACT THAT WEAK LA NINA CONDITIONS CONTINUE IN THE EQUATORIAL PACIFIC OCEAN COULD ALSO PLAY A ROLE IN WHAT HAPPENS WEATHERWISE DURING THIS SUMMER. HISTORICALLY SPEAKING...AVERAGE TEMPERATURES TREND ABOVE NORMAL DURING LA NINA CONDITIONS WITH BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL DURING THE SUMMER ESPECIALLY DURING JULY AND AUGUST. $$ VIII.