Click here to go to the US Drought Monitor website. Here’s an excerpt:
Summary
A strong upper-level low pressure system moved through the central and eastern United States during the week. In the Rocky Mountains, wet snow was recorded; on the Plains and eastward, many areas had rain. The greatest amounts were over east Texas, eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas and into the Ohio River Valley, where up to 5 inches of rain was measured at several locations. As the system tracked east, areas of the Mid-Atlantic to southern New England recorded 2-3 inches of rain, with locally greater amounts. During this time, much of the West, the northern Plains, much of the Southeast, the upper Midwest, and northern New England remained dry. Those areas that received the precipitation were also cooler than normal for the week, with departures of up to 12 degrees below normal over the High Plains and Rocky Mountains. Warmer than normal temperatures were recorded over much of the Pacific Northwest and the Southeast…
High Plains and South
Dryness continued over much of North Dakota, but no additional degradations were made this week. It was a wet week over much of South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and the Texas Panhandle. Cooler than normal conditions and slow-moving rain events allowed for improvements in the region. A full category improvement was made to the moderate drought and abnormally dry conditions for much of Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and central Arkansas. Improvements were made in Oklahoma, where most areas saw a full category improvement and severe drought was eliminated. Much of the Texas Panhandle also had a full category improvement. Abnormally dry conditions were expanded slightly in west Texas and several areas of Texas were identified as areas to watch in the next several weeks for degradation if rains don’t materialize…
West
As the storm that impacted much of the eastern half of the United States formed in the Four Corners region, it brought widespread precipitation over much of eastern Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. Abnormally dry conditions were improved over eastern Nevada and Utah this week. A reanalysis of the data available in northwest Utah allowed for an improvement to the conditions there by a full category as well. Abnormally dry conditions were improved upon in southern Wyoming as well as northeastern New Mexico. Dryness returned to portions of the Pacific Northwest over the last several weeks, and this allowed for abnormally dry conditions to be introduced over central and northeast Oregon. In California, some moderate drought was removed in the northern portion of the state…
Looking Ahead
Over the next 5-7 days, temperatures are expected to be above normal over the eastern half of the United States with departures of 6-9 degrees above normal over the Southeast. The Pacific Northwest and northern Rocky Mountains also should see above-normal temperatures with departures of up to 12 degrees above normal. Cooler than normal temperatures are projected over the central Rocky Mountains into the Southwest with departures of 3-6 degrees below normal. Another active week appears likely as several storm systems develop over the West and eject out onto the Plains and move into the Northeast. Precipitation amounts are forecast to be greatest over the northern Rocky Mountains with amounts up to 5 inches over Wyoming. On the Plains, up to 3 inches are projected in portions of Missouri and east Texas while amounts of over 3 inches are expected in portions of the Mid-Atlantic. Most of the Great Basin, New England, and the Florida peninsula are forecast to receive widespread precipitation as well.
The 6-10 day outlooks show that the chances for above-normal temperatures are greatest over the East Coast, West Coast, and Great Basin as well as Alaska, while the best chances for below-normal temperatures will be over the northern and southern Plains. Forecasts show that the best chances for above-normal precipitation will be from the central and southern Plains to the East Coast. Chances for below-normal precipitation are best over the upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest.