December was an extremely dry month for the combined Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles. Absolutely no precipitation occurred and this contributed to worsening soil conditions. Soil across the area went from dry to very dry. Cattle and livestock needed supplemental feeding with range land grasses being non-existent. Winter wheat was suffering in dry lands. There were even reports of the dry soils leading to wheat fields being lost to high wind events. Also, multiple wildfires occurred during high wind events during the month with fuels being extremely dry.

Drought in WHEELER, TEXAS
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Wheeler County started out in severe drought conditions for the month of December. With the exception of the far northeast corner where conditions were only classified as moderate drought (D1) to begin with. Dry conditions continued and by the third week the entire county was at least in severe drougth with the far western third of the county slipping into extreme drought (D3). By the end of the month the entire county had slipped into extreme drought.  Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought in DEAF SMITH, TEXAS
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Deaf Smith County started the month of December in severe drought (D2) conditions across the entire county. Zero precipitation fell during the month leading to worsening conditions, especially in the eastern third to half of the county the was classified in extreme drought (D3) by months end.  The extremely dry conditions contributed to a wild fire that burned approximately 400 acres. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought in RANDALL COUNTY, TEXAS
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Randall County started the month of December in severe drought (D2) with the exception of the far southeast corner where moderate drought (D1) existed. Zero precipitation fell during the month leading to severe drought in the southeast third to half of the county with the rest of the county in the west to northwest slipping into extreme drought (D3) conditions.  Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought in COLLINGSWORTH, TEXAS
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Collingsworth County started the month of December in severe drought (D2) conditions throughout the entire county. Zero precipitation fell during the month leading to the northeast third to half of the county slipping into extreme drought (D3) conditions. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought in DONLEY, TEXAS
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Donley County started the month of December with severe drought (D2) conditions in the northeast half of the county. Zero precipitation fell during the month leading to the entire county slipping into severe drought, with the far northeast corner seeing extreme drought (D3) by months end. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought in DALLAM, TEXAS
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 01-DEC-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Conditions continued worsen with absolutely no precipitation falling during the month of December. With the entire county starting in severe drought (D2), extreme drought (D3) developed quickly starting with the far northern and western portions of the county by mid-December. By the end of December all but a small portion of the far southwest corner was in extreme drought. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought in SHERMAN, TEXAS
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Not a drop of water fell from the sky during the month of December. With most of the county in severe drought (D2) to begin with, extreme drought conditions (D3) took over the entire county by the end of the third week. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought in HANSFORD, TEXAS
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

December ended with no precipitation falling from the sky. Severe drought (D2) conditions were already in place at the beginning of the month. By the third week of December extreme drought (D3) conditions that were present to the northwest were now present in almost entirely in Hansford County. A few small areas in the southern two corners were not classified in D3 until after week 4. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought in HARTLEY, TEXAS
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Hartley County was already in severe drought (D2) going into December. Nothing really changed until the end of the month when the lack of precipitation forced conditions in the northeastern third of the county into extreme drought (D3).  Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought in MOORE, TEXAS
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Moore County was already in severe drought (D2) going into December. Nothing really changed until the end of the month when the lack of precipitation forced conditions in the northeastern third of the county into extreme drought (D3).  The extremely dry conditions contributed to a wildfire that consumed 3607  acres on December 10th. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought in HUTCHINSON, TEXAS
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The vast majority of Hutchinson County was already in severe drought (D2) conditions going into December. Zero precipitation during the month of December made conditions worse with the entire county falling into extreme drought (D3) by the end of the month. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought in ROBERTS, TEXAS
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Almost three fourths of Roberts county was in severe drought (D2) going into the month of December. Due to the lack of precipitation during the month conditions worsened to extreme drought (D3) for almost the entire county at the end of the month.  Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought in HEMPHILL, TEXAS
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Hemphill County started out with the southwest in severe drought (D2) conditions. Zero precipitation fell during the month worsening the drought. By the end of the month the southwest two thirds had fallen into extreme drought (D3) conditions while the other third slipped into severe drought. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought in OLDHAM, TEXAS
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Oldham County started the month of December with severe drought (D2) conditions across the entire county.  Soils continued to dry out through the month, especially in the far eastern portion of the county where extreme drought (D3) conditions were classified by the end of the month. During the month the county did have a wildfire that was caused by powerlines being knocked down by hihg winds and catching the dry vegetation on fire. This fire consumed approximately 700 acres. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought in POTTER, TEXAS
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Potter County started the month of December in severe drought (D2). Zero precipitation fell in December leading to conditions falling into extreme drought (D3) classification after the last week. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.

Drought in CARSON, TEXAS
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Carson County started the month in severe drought (D2) conditions across almost the entire county. Zero precipitation fell during the month with the majority of the county ending up extreme drought (D3) by months end. The exception being a small area in the far south remaining in severe drought at the end of the month. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date. It is noted a farmer lost all their wheat crop to a wind storm mid month as the soil was too dry to hold the wheat.

Drought in GRAY, TEXAS
From 01-DEC-21 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-21 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Gray County started the month of December in severe drought (D2) across the entire county. Zero precipitation fell during the month leading to the worsening of drought.  By the middle of the month the entire county slipped into extreme drought (D3) where it stayed through months end. Many areas across the county remain in a 4 to 8 inch deficit year-to-date.