Recent rain...

Some welcome rain fell around the district last week on Thursday evening (May 9.)

Of course, the term "welcome rain" is redundant at this point, as any moisture we get (almost!) is welcome. (We say almost, because some folks in southern Wheeler county could have done without the hail that fell earlier in the week.)

About two inches were recorded in parts of Pampa and White Deer. Parts of Amarillo received a half inch, with other reports coming anywhere between those amounts.

The clouds first began building over southern Donley County about 3:00 pm, and Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District's weather modification pilots were put on alert. Aaron Woolsey was soon in the air, firing flares as instructed by staff meteorologist Jennifer Puryear--who was keeping a hand on the mouse, a hand on the microphone, ears on the radio, and eyes on the radar and satellite images. In between all of that, she was finding time to inform this blogger what the images meant, what the messages from the pilot told her, and what she was telling the pilot to do. (Aaron also covered Armstrong County and was joined in ther air later by Herb Speckman who covered Roberts and Gray Counties.) It was fascinating--and obviously productive.

On a personal note, this was the first real test of my rainwater harvesting (RWH) system. It is crude and comparatively small--catching only a fraction of the runoff from my roof--but it captured a full 55 gallons in a matter of minutes, with the overflow going to a tree in my back yard. I will save the water for an "unrainy day"!

Click for more info on our Precipitation Enhancement program.