Bluebonnet Notes

Each region is rated on a scale of 1-5. Obviously, with limited time one can only cover so much of any given area, and all opinions regarding bloom quality are subjective. The ratings are assigned as follows:

As expected, the 2023 bluebonnet season in the Big Bend was another bust, although, I would say I saw more blooms this year than I did in 2022...

In Part I of this series we took a look at the rainfall data from the Big Bend in West Texas and in Part II we looked at the data from South Texas. Now we move on to the Texas Hill Country. For the purposes of this article, the Texas Hill Country is defined as Llano County, Mason County, San Saba County, Blanco County, Burnet County, and Gillespie County.

In Part I of this series we took a look at the rainfall data from the Big Bend in West Texas. In Part II we will look at the data from South Texas. For the purposes of this article, South Texas is defined as Atascosa County, DeWitt County, Gonzales County, Guadalupe County, Karnes County, and Wilson County. Although there are certainly plenty of other areas of South Texas where bluebonnets bloom, these are the areas with which I am most familiar.

As February begins to wind down, we find that bluebonnet season is upon us once again. We are now four years into a drought that has not been kind to the wildflowers, and unfortunately, it persists. Though there are many contributing factors for a bluebonnet bloom, the most important by far is rainfall, on which the first three articles of this four-part series will focus.

Each region is rated on a scale of 1-5. Obviously, with limited time one can only cover so much of any given area, and all opinions regarding bloom quality are subjective. The ratings are assigned as follows:

My fifth trip to the Big Bend region region during bluebonnet season was, once again, a bust...

In Part II of this series we took a look at the rainfall and temperature data from South Texas. In Part III we will look at the weather data from the Texas Hill Country. For the purposes of this article, the Texas Hill Country is defined as Llano County, Mason County, San Saba County, Blanco County, Burnet County, and Gillespie County...

In Part I of this series we took a look at the rainfall data from the Big Bend in West Texas. In Part II we will look at the data from South Texas. For the purposes of this article, South Texas is defined as Atascosa County, DeWitt County, Gonzales County, Guadalupe County, Karnes County, and Wilson County...

With bluebonnet season just a few weeks away, the time has come to look at the available weather data in order to try and forecast what the 2022 season might be like. This annual series of articles began in 2020 as a way to learn more about how to more accurately predict where bluebonnets will be blooming through analysis of weather data prior to the season, and then to chronicle what I had personally seen during the bluebonnet season by reviewing my findings on the ground after the season is over...

Though the 2021 bluebonnet season has long since passed, a brief review of each region's bloom is in order so that the predictions made prior to the season can be evaluated, and so that there is a record of what took place for posterity's sake...

In Part II of this series we took a look at the rainfall and temperature data from South Texas. In Part III we will look at the weather data from the Texas Hill Country. For the purposes of this article, the Texas Hill Country is defined as Llano County, Mason County, San Saba County, Blanco County, Burnet County, and Gillespie County...

In Part I of this series we took a look at the rainfall and temperature data from the Big Bend in West Texas. In Part II we will look at the weather data from South Texas. For the purposes of this article, South Texas is defined as Atascosa County, DeWitt County, Gonzales County, Guadalupe County, Karnes County, and Wilson County...

We are coming into the most wonderful time of year to be a Texan when the bluebonnets finally begin to emerge once again as winter turns to spring. After a disappointing bluebonnet bloom across most of Texas in 2020 and an almost year-long pandemic that won't go away, hopes are higher than ever that this year will hold something spectacular in store...

As the 2020 bluebonnet season draws to a close, a brief review of each region's bloom is in order so that the predictions made prior to the season can be evaluated, and so that there is a record of what took place for posterity's sake...

In Part I of this series we took a look at the rainfall and temperature data from the Big Bend in West Texas. In Part II we looked at the weather data from South Texas. In the final part of this series we will look at the weather data from the Texas Hill Country...

In Part I of this series we took a look at the rainfall and temperature data from the Big Bend in West Texas. In Part II we will look at the weather data from South Texas. For the purposes of this article, South Texas is defined as Atascosa County, DeWitt County, Gonzales County, Guadalupe County, Karnes County, and Wilson County...

The time of has arrived when bluebonnet lovers across the state of Texas have begun wondering what the 2020 bluebonnet season has in store. In a previous article we took a look at the contributing factors for a bluebonnet bloom in an attempt to identify not only how much rainfall is necessary, but when that rainfall is most needed and the temperatures which best promote a successful bloom...

In Part I of this series we discussed the factors which contribute to a successful bluebonnet season. In Part II we looked at weather data from the Big Bend in West Texas and in Part III we looked at weather data from South Texas...

In Part I of this series we discussed the factors which contribute to a successful bluebonnet season. In Part II we looked at weather data from the Big Bend in West Texas. In Part III, we will take a look at weather data for the 2010, 2015, and 2019 bluebonnet seasons in South Texas...

In Part I of this series we discussed the factors which contribute to a successful bluebonnet season. In Part II, we will take a look at the weather data from the Big Bend in West Texas for the 2016 and 2019 bluebonnet seasons...

Each year in the months approaching the bluebonnet season, I find my thoughts turning to what the upcoming bloom holds in store without having to guess about what the wildflowers would look like based on how much rain I can remember falling during the previous fall and winter...