From Aug. 27 to Sep. 3, above-normal temperatures dominated the eastern United States, with areas along the Ohio River seeing temperatures upwards of 6 degrees above normal.
The West and High Plains were a patchwork of above-, near- and below-normal temperatures. Isolated areas of southern New Mexico experienced temperatures of 5 degrees below normal. Overall, precipitation for most of the United States was within 1 inch of above- or below-normal conditions. This combination of hot and dry conditions led to continued drying in the Ohio River Basin, where conditions are dire. Drought conditions expanded from Lake Superior southward to Alabama, with top and mid-soil moisture and streamflow struggling. Texas and the western Gulf Coast saw over 8-10 inches of rain in some areas, quickly improving recent drying trends. In the West, there were dry conditions in the south and improving conditions in the Northwest.
The West
The West was a mixture of improvements in the northwest and Four Corners areas, degradations in the desert areas of Nevada, Arizona, and California, and isolated areas of the northern Rockies.
South and central New Mexico received moisture, slightly improving some of the longer-term impacts. Utah saw some improvements on the eastern border with Colorado but saw abnormally dry conditions expand in Juab County and Millard County. In the Southwest, along with southern Nevada, western Arizona and southern California, abnormally dry and moderate drought conditions expanded. Moisture deficits continued in these areas, with not enough precipitation to aid in current dry conditions. Conditions from northwestern Washington southward along the Pacific Coast into northern California have seen improvements in short-term dryness, with streamflows and soil moisture improving. In central and northern Washington, there is still some lingering long-term drought, but these, similar to areas of short-term drought, are showing improvement.
The High Plains
Parts of the eastern High Plains received precipitation. The areas of North Dakota and South Dakota that needed precipitation missed the 1-3 inches that fell in the central and eastern parts of the states.
Abnormal dryness spread towards central Nebraska as the precipitation this week was very spotty. Southeast Nebraska into north-central and northeast Kansas saw both abnormally dry and moderate drought conditions expand despite precipitation this week due to longer-term dryness. Southwestern Kansas has been seeing conditions continue to improve, leading to the trimming of abnormally dry, moderate and severe drought. The eastern foothills and plains of Colorado experienced little to no rain this week, leading to the expansion of moderate drought. Along the western Colorado border with Utah, abnormal dryness was removed with increased streamflows aiding conditions.
The South
Massive amounts of precipitation fell over Texas and along the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana. Parts of central Texas saw 8-12 inches of rain.
This moisture reversed much of the abnormally dry conditions introduced last week in central and southeastern Texas and western Louisiana. Northern Texas and Oklahoma missed out on meaningful precipitation and, with persistent dry conditions, saw the expansion of moderate and severe drought along the Texas-Oklahoma border. Precipitation deficits and drying soil moisture led Tennessee to see an eastward expansion of abnormal dryness and moderate drought. — UNL Drought Monitor
