Thanks to the "large-scale" rains in the last week, the severe drought that's consumed Texas for the better part of three years has been largely slaked, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Texas no longer has any areas that are classified as "D4" by the monitor. D4 or exceptional drought means that the affected region is basically an arid wasteland. Areas of "D3" or just regular extreme drought remain in Central Texas and the Panhandle.
The welcome changes are striking. Just look at the drought map from the beginning of this year:
And from a year ago:
Even more rain is expected throughout the weekend, according to a forecast from The Weather Channel.