Nationwide
Much of the lower 48 states experienced near to below-normal temperatures this week, with the exception of parts of the northern Great Plains, Upper Midwest, southern Texas, and parts of the Lower Mississippi Valley.
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”881e3d92-1106-11ee-bb12-d7c4dfc8d0ad”}}
Large portions of southern Texas experienced excessive heat this week, with daytime high temperatures averaging well above 100 F for several locations. A mean frontal boundary draped across much of the lower 48 states resulted in periods of heavy rainfall across portions of the western Great Plains and Intermountain West. This led to improvements in drought conditions across much of the western half of the lower 48 states.
The only exception was the northern Cascades in Washington, where below-normal precipitation led to worsening drought conditions. Heavy rain also fell across parts of the Southeast, with many locations across the Deep South receiving in excess of 5 inches of rainfall, leading to improvements to abnormally dry and moderate drought conditions from central Mississippi southeastward to Florida.
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”c3410418-1106-11ee-aa5a-abff502b3e77″}}
Toward the end of the weekend, a slow-moving storm system traversing eastward across the Middle Mississippi and Ohio Valleys resulted in additional periods of heavy rainfall across portions of the eastern U.S. However, much of the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys and the Northeast experienced a mix of worsening and improving drought conditions based on antecedent dryness and where the heaviest rain fell, respectively. This week, another round of deterioration was warranted again across much of the Midwest and eastern Great Plains, where below-average precipitation continued to add to precipitation deficits that go back several months.
The West
Another week of above-normal rainfall across many areas of the Intermountain West resulted in widespread, yet targeted improvements to long-term drought conditions, assisted by near and below-normal average high temperatures for the week.
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”871a4f12-1106-11ee-a8d5-93d2523d32bf”}}
The only area that experienced worsening drought conditions was across parts of the northern Cascades in Washington, where year-to-date precipitation deficits have continued to climb (in excess of 12-inch deficits), and this is following a predominantly below average 2022-2023 winter rainy season. Soil moisture, groundwater levels, and stream flows continue to decline.
The High Plains
This week, much of the Northern Plains received below-average rainfall, adding to short-term precipitation deficits.
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”86aeab72-1106-11ee-85c1-6b5c131acd79″}}
In conjunction with the below-average weekly rainfall, above-normal temperatures and high winds (typical for this region) only exacerbated worsening drought conditions by increasing evaporation from soils and vegetation. As a result, widespread degradation of abnormal dryness (D0) and drought was warranted this week across the Dakotas. Degradation was also warranted farther southward, extending across the eastern Great Plains to Kansas, despite more seasonal daytime high temperatures this week.
Conversely, across western portions of the High Plains region, another round of improvements is warranted, as yet another week of above-normal rainfall (with many areas receiving upwards of 2 inches of rainfall, with locally higher amounts) was observed across many areas, leading to improvements to long-term drought conditions.
The South
Several rounds of heavy rainfall associated with clusters of thunderstorms traversed portions of the Southern region from Oklahoma to Mississippi, leading to targeted improvements to abnormal dryness (D0) and drought conditions. Additional improvements to the drought depiction are also warranted across portions of the Texas Panhandle, where drought indicators have continued to improve due to well above average (in some cases record) rainfall over the past 60 days.
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”864ba7ca-1106-11ee-8b1c-f325bd6f6d98″}}
Conversely, targeted degradations are warranted across parts of the Lower Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys, where short-term dryness continues to increase. Excessive heat, especially during the latter portions of the week, helped to exacerbate dryness across portions of southern Louisiana and coastal areas of eastern Texas, where 30-day rainfall deficits continue to increase. — UNL Drought Monitor
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”7eacfac8-1106-11ee-b06e-b34502562581″}}
{{tncms-asset app=”editorial” id=”8331fb98-1106-11ee-965f-bb8b156880ad”}}
