Comal County's Nov. 13 drought index averaged 347, with readings ranging from 76 to 477. That spread makes the countywide number a limited guide to conditions at any one location.
Residents using the county average to understand local drought conditions should account for the wide range within Comal County. The official summary reports the county's low, high and average, giving readers a fuller picture than the average alone.
The Keetch-Byram Drought Index measures dryness on a scale from 0, meaning saturated soil, to 800, meaning extreme drought. The Nov. 13 county figures span 401 index points between the lowest and highest readings; that is a difference within the county, not a change over time.
For the next reading, residents can inspect the Texas A&M Forest Service's daily summary and compare its county low, high and average. The summary used here does not locate the two extremes within Comal County, so a location-specific reading would be needed to answer where they occurred.