People who know me will know that I'm a weather nut.  I love following hurricanes and watching severe weather.  I also, for the first time in a while, like the forecast for Austin and Central Texas later this week.  It looks like this:

Austin forecast calls for rain this week

Texas drought map

What you see above is a map showing drought condditions across the state.  The darkest area indicates an area experiencing exceptional drought conditions.  See why I am excited about the forecast.  It looks to me like a cold fromt will move south and stall over the Central Texas area.  If we get a few impulses of low pressure and moisture out of the southwest, we could get some pretty good rain amounts.  I wouldn't want to see flooding, but we sure need the rain.

During an average year, we should see around 33 inches of rain in the Austin area.  In 2008, we have had half of that.  At Camp Mabry in Austin, rainfall totals in 2008 showed us as having had since 1956 and the fourth driest year on record since 1856.  Since the drought began in September, 2007, Camp Mabry has received less than 27 inches of rain.

So Mother Nature, bring it on.