PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX 1050 AM CDT SUN JUL 6 2008 ...JULY`S DROUGHT RELIEF CONTINUING THIS WEEKEND... AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND A MOIST TROPICAL ATMOSPHERE CONTINUE TO PRODUCE AN EXTENDED RAINY PERIOD FOR THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY. INITIAL RAINS IN THE FORM OF HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS BEGAN TO COVER THE AREA ON JULY 1ST...AND AFTER A BREAK ON JULY 2ND WHEN EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER AND A SLIGHT WEAKENING OF THE UPPER DISTURBANCE...RAINS BEGAN IN EARNEST ONCE AGAIN LATE JULY 3RD...AND HAVE CONTINUED THROUGH THIS MORNING. AREAL RAIN TOTALS FOR JULY 5TH...PARTICULARLY IN THE MORE POPULATED LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY BETWEEN HIDALGO AND CAMERON COUNTY...WERE AMONG THE HIGHEST SINGLE DAY TOTALS THIS MONTH. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF ONE HALF TO ONE AND ONE HALF INCHES IS EXPECTED TODAY...WITH POCKETS OF MORE THAN 2 INCHES IN STRONGER CELLS AND RAIN BANDS. ADDITIONAL COPIOUS RAINS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND DEEP SOUTH TEXAS INTO TUESDAY. THE EXTENDED PERIOD OF WELCOME RAINS ALONG WITH CONSIDERABLE CLOUD COVER HOLDING TEMPERATURES AT LEAST 10 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL EACH AFTERNOON IS SURE TO HAVE A BENEFICIAL EFFECT ON THE SEVERE TO EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS OBSERVED IN JUNE. THE FOLLOWING ARE PRELIMINARY RAINFALL TOTALS FROM JULY 1ST THROUGH THIS MORNING: CITY/TOWN COUNTY RAINFALL AIRPORTS (THROUGH 10 AM SUNDAY): BROWNSVILLE/INTL CAMERON 3.99 WESLACO/MID COUNTY HIDALGO 3.57 PORT ISABEL/BAYVIEW CAMERON 3.52 HARLINGEN/VALLEY CAMERON 2.69 MCALLEN/MILLER HIDALGO 2.38 EDINBURG HIDALGO 2.02 ZAPATA ZAPATA 1.82 HEBBRONVILLE JIM HOGG 1.42 FALFURRIAS BROOKS 0.88 COOPERATIVE/COCORAHS/RAWS-MESOWEST (GENERALLY THROUGH 7 AM SUNDAY): SAN BENITO 5SSE CAMERON 5.67 RANCHO VIEJO* CAMERON 5.26 SOUTH PADRE/ISLA BLC CAMERON 4.68 PORT ISABEL CAMERON 4.60 BROWNSVILLE 2.2W CAMERON 4.59 LOS FRESNOS CAMERON 4.28 MERCEDES HIDALGO 4.19 HARLINGEN 2.6SE CAMERON 3.73 HARLINGEN CAMERON 3.68 LAGUNA ATASCOSA CAMERON 3.60 ALAMO 1.5NNE HIDALGO 3.52 EDINBURG HIDALGO 3.48 SANTA ANA NWR CAMERON 3.47 BROWNSVILLE 4.5NNW CAMERON 3.46 WESLACO* HIDALGO 3.38 BROWNSVILLE 4.1E CAMERON 3.37 ESCOBAS* ZAPATA 2.25 BROWNSVILLE 3.5N* CAMERON 2.21 ARMSTRONG* KENEDY 2.05 LA JOYA HIDALGO 2.02 MISSION 2.1NW* HIDALGO 1.91 MCCOOK* HIDALGO 1.83 LA JOYA 11.1N HIDALGO 1.72 HEBBRONVILLE JIM HOGG 1.55 MCALLEN HIDALGO 1.55 RAYMONDVILLE* WILLACY 1.45 LINN SAN MANUEL NWR HIDALGO 1.45 PORT MANSFIELD WILLACY 1.35 FALCON LAKE ZAPATA 1.33 SARITA 7E KENEDY 1.21 MISSION 1.9NE* HIDALGO 1.20 FALCON DAM ZAPATA 1.15 RIO GRANDE CITY* STARR 1.01 LYFORD* WILLACY 0.56 SANTA ROSA* HIDALGO 0.21 SAN MANUEL* HIDALGO 0.05 FALFURRIAS* BROOKS MISSING ZAPATA* ZAPATA MISSING *DATA INCOMPLETE OR MISSING.