WEST TEXAS — Snow storms in West Texas this weekend brought two to three inches in Marfa and four to six inches in Alpine, while south Brewster and Presidio counties mostly missed out on the flurries. It’s a break from the persistent arid weather that has plunged almost the entire tri-county area into “exceptional drought,” the most extreme classification the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration makes.
As a result of the snow, local mule deer, pronghorn and wildlife may get some extra food this winter as the precipitation is likely to grow “a nice little flush of winter weeds or winter forbs,” according to Sul Ross State University Range Management Professor Dr. Bonnie Warnock.
Unfortunately, the precipitation is unlikely to make a dent in the overall drought conditions in West Texas. Midland Weather Service meteorologist Michelle Schuldt provided some insight into the region’s drought and snowfall, saying snow does not have the same “liquid equivalent” as rain, meaning the two to three inches of rain Marfa saw might only translate to around .2 to .3 inches of rainfall, roughly, but “any little bit helps,” she added.
Warnock also doubted the weekend snow will help West Texas cattle, and indicated many ranchers in the area will continue to rely on their drought management plans. Those plans often dictate cattle operation adjustments based on rainfall and soil moisture measurements.
“We really haven’t had any significant precipitation since late winter or early spring. The reality is we really didn’t grow any grass this monsoon season this year,” said Warnock.
“We are ranching in a semi arid environment where drought is a reality,” Warnock said, saying it’s something most ranch operations plan for, even though it can be a painful financial decision to decrease their amount of livestock or supplement their cattle with feed.
“It’s really tough when you’re going through something like this, but pretty much everyone plans on droughts happening out here. It’s really tough, and it makes it harder that the cattle market prices are lower, so you’re basically having to sell off or sell early and you’re not really getting the return you want,” Warnock said.
Since March, rainfall patterns in West Texas have been similar to the drought in 2011, though a wetter winter/spring early this year offered some help. “This year may actually be worse than 2011,” Schuldt said. “I think we’re even drier than 2011.”
From the snow storm, Warnock said “there is going to be that little bump, and it’s enough moisture to get those annuals growing. We definitely need something in another couple weeks or another month or everything will kind of grow and die back again.”
Aside from the weather, many local residents in town got a reprieve from the stresses of life for a few moments, heading out to the courthouse lawn, parks and the high school track to throw around a few snowballs or roll up a snowman.