Nationwide
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A series of slow-moving fronts drifted across the lower 48 States, generating Mesoscale Convective Complexes (MCCs) with swaths of decent rain across parts of the central Plains, Midwest, and Southeast. Several fronts produced scattered but heavy thunderstorms across the upper Midwest.
Unfortunately, many areas received little or no precipitation this week, including much of the West (from the Rockies to the Pacific Coast), the southern Plains, lower and middle Mississippi River Valleys, and most of the Appalachians and Piedmont.
The dryness was accompanied by excessive heat (weekly temperatures averaged more than 4 degrees F above normal) in the southwestern and northeastern quarters of the nation. For example, Borger, TX, set a record high of 116 degrees F on July 11.
The combination of heat and minimal rainfall was a concern for many agricultural areas as crops are at critical stages of growth and reproduction, and with high evapotranspiration rates during the summer heat, topsoil moisture can become rapidly depleted and stress the crops.
In contrast, the Northwest recorded subnormal temperatures (2-6 degrees F below normal), along with some light precipitation in northernmost regions.
The West
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Dry weather prevailed across much of the West, with the southwest monsoon yet to arrive in the Southwest. While temperatures averaged near or below normal in the northern half of the region, above to much above normal readings baked parts of the Southwest, southern Rockies, and southern High Plains.
With the late start to the summer monsoon and oppressive heat, deteriorations were made in New Mexico, Colorado, southern Nevada, southwest Utah, parts of central coastal California, and portions of Oregon.
In New Mexico, the combination of extreme heat stress and high evapotranspiration on what rain that had fallen over the past few weeks included coverage of D0 in southwestern sections, D1 expansion in central and southeastern portions, and some D3 increase in the northwest, northeast, and southeast.
Field reports indicated ranchers selling cattle, cutting yearlings off due to no grass, and feeding cake cubes and buying hay. In California, D1 was extended across Santa Clara County and Santa Cruz Mountains due to significant drying of fuels, while southern Nevada went to D1 from D0 due to short-term impacts, lack of water year precipitation, and recent wildfire activity.
In Oregon, water year to date and the Standard Precipitation Index suggested expanding D3 areas as well as field reports for stream flows and soil moisture drying out. In Klamath County, widespread ag, livestock, and surface water impacts necessitated a downgrade to D2.
The High Plains
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Northern and western states had seen an improvement trend the past several weeks as wetter and cooler conditions have gradually eased drought and dryness from Montana and the Dakotas.
However, southern states have seen a gradual deterioration this summer, with some or most of Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas in drought (D1 or drier).
Fortunately, several MCCs formed in the north-central and central Plains this week, bringing welcome rainfall (1-3 inches, locally 5 inches) to southern South Dakota, central Nebraska, and central Kansas. As a result, some D0 was removed from northern and eastern Montana, southwestern South Dakota, and parts of central Nebraska and Kansas.
D1 was improved to D0 in northern and western North Dakota, southwestern South Dakota, northeastern Nebraska (but expanded into eastern Nebraska and western Iowa), and southeastern Kansas.
Lighter amounts (an inch or less) also fell on northern and eastern Montana, most of the Dakotas and Nebraska, northeastern Colorado, and most of Kansas. However, high heat negated the effects of the rain in the southern and central High Plains, causing expansion of D0 and drought (D1-D3) in much of Colorado, southern Wyoming, western Nebraska, and western Kansas.
According to USDA/National Agricultural Statistics Service on July 12, topsoil moisture rated short to very short was at 74 percent (WY), 60 percent (CO), 47 percent (NE), 45 percent (KS), and under 25 percent in the Dakotas and Montana.
Similarly, pasture and range conditions rated poor to very poor was 44 percent in Colorado, 36 percent in Wyoming, 22 percent in Kansas, and 18 percent in Nebraska. Montana and the Dakotas were also in the teens, but these numbers have fallen (improved) the past few weeks in response to the favorable weather. — U.S. Drought Monitor
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