Despite forecasts predicting rainfall, October came and went in Brazos County without a drop based on data from the National Weather Service and the Texas A&M Southern Regional Climate Center. For the first time in 13 years the Bryan-College Station area went one calendar month without rain. According to data from the National Weather Service, October 2024 was the fifth month to have no days with rain in the area since 2000. The other months without any rain were April 2011, October 2010, June 2009 and September 2000. This comes after there were only four days of rain in the area in September with the last day of rain being Sept. 25, according to the National Weather Service. The 36 straight days without rain are the most in the area since March 30-May 1, 2011. By comparison, the area had nine days of rain in October 2023 and five days of rain in October 2022. In October 2018, 19 days saw rain in Bryan-College Station, a record for this century. That rainy October came two years after October 2016 had just two days of rain. People are also reading… Much of Texas experienced a dry October based on data from the Southern Regional Climate Center (SRCC). That has only deepened drought conditions statewide. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor data for the week ending Oct. 29, 91 percent of the state is still in some form of drought. That is up from last week’s report when 90 percent of the state was in drought conditions. The percentage of the state in severe drought conditions has gone up from 25 percent last week to 49.5 percent this week. All of Brazos County is currently in the severe drought level range which goes from no drought to exceptional drought. Severe drought is two levels below exceptional drought, the highest level on the monitor. About five percent of Texas, mostly around Big Bend National Park, is in what is considered exceptional drought. Since Oct. 1, only the area near Brownsville and the far northwest corner of the Panhandle near Dalhart have received at least an inch of rain. Cameron and Willacy counties each had the wettest October with between 1.75-3.25 inches recorded there. The dry conditions in October and going back to September led to Gov. Greg Abbott declaring a state emergency for 143 counties, including Brazos County. The lack of rain has meant conditions haven’t improved in the two weeks since a drought disaster was declared by County Judge Duane Peters. That disaster declaration was extended to an expiration of Nov. 20 by county commissioners last week. It’s possible the declaration might be extended if November doesn’t see rain. The Brazos Valley is still above normal for rainfall this season thanks to a wet spring. Through Oct. 30, the Bryan-College Station area had seen 39.94 inches of rain this year, about 5 inches above normal. As far as days with rain are concerned, Bryan-College Station has had 65 days of rain this year, the same amount as the first 10 months of 2023. The area has had just nine days of rain in the 90 days between Aug. 1 and Oct. 31. In that time a total of a little over an inch of rain fell on the area, well below normal. Last year there were 15 days of rain in Bryan-College Station between Aug. 1 and Oct. 31. There is rain in the forecast this weekend so it’s possible the dry October will not carry over. Last November saw six days of rain in Bryan-College Station and two years ago there were 10 days of rain recorded. A record-breaking November like 2000, when there were 19 days of rain totaling 9.29 inches, would certainly assist in ending drought conditions in Brazos County.