Rainfall continued to be spotty during the latter half of August across the Rio Grande Valley and Deep South Texas.  Dry conditions combined with triple digit temperatures and frequently breezy days allowing drought conditions to further deteriorate.

Drought in WILLACY, TEXAS
From 14-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Inland Willacy County received around half an inch of rain on the 19th and 1.91 inches of rain on the 29th according to CoCoRaHS data.  However, this rain was not enough to overcome the dry conditions earlier in the month and the areas east of Highway 77 slipped into Extreme (D3) drought conditions by the last week of the month, bringing the entire county into Extreme (D3) drought.

Drought in COASTAL WILLACY, TEXAS
From 14-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

No improvement was seen across Coastal Willacy County during the second half of August. Bayview, less than 15 miles south of the Cameron/Willacy border recorded 0.15 inches of rain during the last half of the month. Despite the rainfall, it was not enough to overcome dry conditions earlier in the month and Coastal Willacy County slipped into Extreme (D3) drought conditions the last week of the month.

Drought in KENEDY, TEXAS
From 14-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought conditions would not improve during the latter half of the month, despite a few showers here and there. A coop observer site in Sarita reported 0.70 inches of precipitation for the month. By the last week of the month, Exceptional (D4) drought conditions started to emerge along the northern county border of Kenedy County, while the remainder of the county remained entrenched in Extreme (D3) drought conditions.

Drought in HIDALGO, TEXAS
From 14-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

During the latter half of the month, rain fell in patches across Hidalgo County. McAllen Miller International Airport recorded a total of 0.29 inches of rain for the month (all in the last half), resulting in 1.92 inches below normal for precipitation.  Despite the rainfall, Extreme (D3) drought conditions spread west, claiming the entire county.

Drought in JIM HOGG, TEXAS
From 14-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Very little rainfall during the first half of the month combined with hot temperatures to allow drought conditions to worsen across portions of Jim Hogg County. Extreme (D3) drought conditions engulfed the northeast half of the county, while the other half remained split between D2 and D1 drought conditions. By the end of the month, Exceptional (D4) drought conditions emerged along the northern county border.

Drought in BROOKS, TEXAS
From 14-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Spotty rainfall continued through the end of the month with a CoCoRaHS site in Falfurrias reporting rainfall about once a week: 0.43 inches on the 14th, 0.88 inches on the 20th, 0.27 inches on the 29th and 0.8 inches on the 30th, for a total of 3.39 inches for the month of August.  Hot conditions battled against this beneficial rainfall and ended up the victor, with Extreme (D3) drought conditions claiming the entire county by the 20th, and Exceptional (D4) drought conditions starting to emerge along the northern county boundary.