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How has recent rain impacted South Texas' drought status? Barely, experts say.

The Edwards Aquifer continues to sit well below normal, according to experts.

SAN ANTONIO — Some of us were lucky enough to get rain over the past few days and our lawns most definitely needed it. 

But those showers and storms were just a drop in the bucket for this area of Texas that's been plagued by drought for a long time.

Many may be wondering how that rainfall impacted our dry conditions, which continue to worsen as the days go on. The quick answer, as experts say: It hardly impacted our drought status at all. 

"Most of that has fallen over the Hill Country and points to the west," said Mack Morris, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office for Austin and San Antonio. "Not significant rainfall (for Bexar County)." 

Most of the heavier rain fell in a line from near Del Rio into the southern Hill Country and just northwest of San Antonio. So with some of that rain falling over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, that helped a little. 

"However, it's going to take a lot more rain than just that," Morris said.

"Aquifer levels are about 30 feet below average for this time of year, both here in the San Antonio area and out west in the Valley area," added Paul Bertetti, senior director for science and modeling with the Edwards Aquifer Authority. 

So how much rain would we need for aquifers to recover to normal levels? 

"We need the equivalent of a year and a half of rainfall in a short period of time. On the order of 15 inches or so, in a very short period of time, will make a big difference," Bertetti said.

It also doesn't help that we're in a La Niña weather pattern, when the water in the Pacific is cooler than normal. That leads to warmer and drier-than-average conditions in South Texas. 

"We've gotten some short-term drought over the last month and a half, two months here," Morris said. "Any sort of rainfall we can get will certainly help, but it's going to take some time."

Lake levels and reservoirs are also virtually unchanged from a few days ago. That includes Medina Lake, which currently sits at just 2.8% full.

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