Although northwest Harris County is considered to be in a moderate to severe drought, recent rainfall has helped alleviate some drought conditions in recent weeks.

"We had a drier year last year, especially in the late summer and fall, but over the next three months we're expecting conditions to most likely improve and impacts to ease," said Paul Lewis, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Houston. "When you have a drought you have impacts like lower reservoir levels and the ground drying out. Since the drought is improving, you don't have a problem with dry ground anymore."

Rainfall totals in 2012 varied widely in northwest Harris County, according to the NWS.

"For most of the year we weren't in a severe drought," Lewis said. "We didn't get into one until the last month or two [of 2012]."

However, by the end of December, the county began getting out of a dry pattern, Lewis said.

"Another front came through Jan. 5, and rainfall from Jan. 8 and 9 together was 1.6 inches," he said. "That's not to say the drought has gone away, but we are seeing improving conditions."