Buh-bye, dry! San Antonio’s drought eliminated in 5 weeks of rain

San Antonio sees more than a foot of rain from late April to early June

Since April 22, more than 13 inches of rain has fallen at the airport. (Copyright 2021 by KSAT - All rights reserved.)

SAN ANTONIO – If you’re feeling a bit waterlogged around the Alamo City, you’re not alone. In fact, from April 22 to June 4, we’ve had 13.27 inches of rain recorded at San Antonio International Airport. That’s more than half a foot of rain above average for late April to early June!

In San Antonio it tends to be “feast or famine” when it comes to rain chances, however, there has been steady chances for rain every week since the end of April, which has made outdoor planning a bit difficult.

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But before we complain, it’s important to remember just how beneficial this rain is.

Drought Eliminated Around San Antonio

At the end of April, extreme drought was creeping in, ranchers and farmers were struggling, and we were hoping for rain. In a span of 5 weeks, the drought has been completely wiped out around San Antonio, with some folks near the Rio Grande still experiencing moderate drought conditions -- still a major improvement from before! Slide the image below to see the improvement in the drought monitor.

Edwards Aquifer Rising

By the end of April, the J-17 well of the Edwards Aquifer fell below 650 feet, prompting Stage 2 water restrictions for SAWS customers. From April 21 to June 4, the well level rose by nearly 22 feet! This has allowed for a return to year-round watering rules for SAWS customers, eliminating the need for water restrictions.

The aquifer has risen back to a healthy level. (Copyright 2021 by KSAT - All rights reserved.)

Plant Life is Recovering

After a historic winter storm, our local cacti, citrus plants, and palms suffered. Many of these plants died, but several have been making a comeback. Segoe palms, in particular, are recovering nicely thanks to our recent tropical rains.

Stocking Up for the Summer Months

July and August are some of our driest months of the year. And with an average high temperature reaching 96° in August, we’ll take all of the rain that we can get before the heat of summer takes hold.

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About the Authors:

Sarah Spivey is a San Antonio native who grew up watching KSAT. She has been a proud member of the KSAT Weather Authority Team since 2017. Sarah is a Clark High School and Texas A&M University graduate. She previously worked at KTEN News. When Sarah is not busy forecasting, she enjoys hanging out with her husband and cat, and playing music.

Kaiti Blake is a child weather-geek-turned-meteorologist. A member of the KSAT Weather Authority, Kaiti is a co-host of the Whatever the Weather video podcast. After graduating from Texas Tech University, Kaiti worked at WJTV 12 in Jackson, Mississippi and KTAB in Abilene.