Click on a thumbnail graphic to view a gallery of drought data from the US Drought Monitor website.
Click the link to go to the US Drought Monitor website. Here’s an excerpt:
This Week’s Drought Summary
The last seven days was highlighted by dryness over much of the West, a continued active pattern bringing substantial rains to the southern Plains, and a wet week over much of the Mid-Atlantic and portions of the Midwest. Texas again stood out with several rain events that brought with them localized flooding. The long-term drought signal is still holding on in portions of southern Texas as recharge to depleted water systems has been slow, even with the rain in the region. Above-normal precipitation was recorded from eastern Nebraska through Illinois, bringing some much-needed rain to parts of northern Illinois. With the active rain pattern, temperatures over the southern Plains were 2-4 degrees below normal from Texas to Kansas and Nebraska while much of the West was 4-6 degrees above normal, with the greatest departures in Arizona and the Pacific Northwest. Warmer-than-normal temperatures dominated much of the eastern portions of the Midwest and the Northeast, where temperatures were 6-8 degrees above normal…
High Plains
Temperatures were mixed over the region with the northern and western areas 2-4 degrees above normal while the southern and eastern areas were 2-4 degrees below normal for the week. The wettest areas this week were in southwest Kansas, northeast Nebraska and portions of northeast Colorado, where over 200% of normal rain was recorded. Dryness continued in eastern Wyoming and in areas of the Dakotas as well as in northeastern Kansas. The wetter pattern over Nebraska over the past several weeks has allowed continued improvement to drought in the state. A full category improvement was made over most of central and northeast Nebraska and into portions of southern South Dakota. Moderate drought and abnormally dry conditions were improved over northeast Colorado while abnormally dry conditions expanded over northeast Kansas…
West
Temperatures for the week were warmer than normal over the region with departures of 4-6 degrees above normal. The only areas that were at or below normal were coastal areas of California and eastern New Mexico. Much of the area remained dry and there was only some spotty monsoonal moisture over the Southwest. Some areas of Montana did receive some needed rain, but conditions have been dry overall in that region. Degradation dominated the region for changes this week with no areas seeing improvements on the map. Severe and extreme drought were expanded over western Colorado while moderate drought and abnormally dry conditions were expanded over much of central Wyoming. In northern Utah, severe drought expanded while a new area of extreme drought was introduced. Much of the panhandle of Idaho and into central portions of the state had a full category degradation while severe and extreme drought expanded over western portions of Montana. Moderate and severe drought expanded over much of Washington and Oregon and severe drought expanded over northeast Nevada…
South
The wettest areas of the region were over central and eastern Texas as well as into portions of eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas. Dry conditions were mostly over west and southern Texas and along the Oklahoma border in northern Texas. With the rain, temperatures were cooler than normal over much of Texas, with some areas of central Texas 3-5 degrees below normal for the week. Only eastern Arkansas and south Texas were at or above normal for the week. Abnormally dry conditions were improved over southwest Arkansas while much of central Texas had the drought intensities reduced due to the ongoing rains. Some areas of Texas recorded enough rain where a multiple category improvement was made…
Looking Ahead
Over the next five to seven days, it is anticipated that the southern Plains and the West will be dry with only a burst in monsoonal moisture over the Four Corners region. The greatest amount of precipitation is projected over the Midwest and into the Mid-Atlantic as well as the central and northern Plains. A tropical disturbance forming over the Gulf is likely to come ashore in and around Louisiana, bringing significant moisture to the coastal and inland areas. Temperatures are anticipated to be below normal over the coastal areas of the West and into the northern Rocky Mountains with departures of 3-5 degrees. Temperatures will be warmest over the central Plains and into the Midwest with anticipated departures of 6-8 degrees above normal.
The 6-10 day outlooks show the greatest likelihood of above-normal temperatures is over the Midwest and into the Ozark Plateau. Outside of the coastal areas of the West, most of the rest of the country is projected to have the best chances of above-normal temperatures. The greatest chances of below-normal precipitation is over the Great Basin as well as in the southern Plains. It is anticipated that the best chances for above-normal precipitation will be along the Gulf Coast into Florida and along the northern tier of the country from Washington to the Great Lakes.
