Houston weather: 16 inches of rain in 1 month currently needed to end southeast Texas drought

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Drought conditions are getting worse in southeast Texas, and it's likely going to take several months, if not years, to fully end it.

The two most intense levels of drought classified as "extreme" and "exceptional" are expanding around Houston.

Extreme drought conditions now cover over half of southeast Texas, and exceptional drought conditions now cover over 12% of the region. This is still not as bad as the drought of 2011, but it's getting pretty grim.

Chief Meteorologist Travis Herzog says that based on current drought conditions, it would take over 16 inches of rain in one month to completely end the drought.

SEE MORE: Drought having big impact on crops and farmers in Waller County

"96% of Texas is in a type of a drought," said a professor from the Prairie View A&M University's School of Agriculture and Human Sciences.

The only way that would happen is if a tropical system sat over southeast Texas and brought flooding rains, and the current odds of that happening are less than 1%. Historically, we average just under five inches for the month of August.

A more realistic path to end the drought would be for "normal" rains to return in the fall and continue through the spring.

Even then, there's barely a 20% chance the drought will be completely over by next spring, and less than a 30% chance it will be gone by next summer.

That's not to say the drought conditions won't improve over the next year, but it will likely be a long time before we can declare the drought is over in southeast Texas.

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Nevada officials are doubling down on conservation efforts as Lake Mead's water levels continue to drop, KTNV reports.

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