Nationwide
Precipitation fell across much of the U.S. this week, with heavier amounts (> 1 inch) falling across large portions of the Northwest U.S. and from south-central U.S. to the Ohio Valley. Coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest, from Washington to northern California, reported weekly rainfall totals between 2-15 inches, while precipitation totals of 2-10 inches were reported in areas from eastern Texas to Alabama, as well as parts of the Ohio Valley and the Southeast. Above-normal precipitation supported drought improvements across large portions of the South and Midwest and in parts of the Pacific Northwest, Midwest and Southeast.
Conversely, weekly precipitation totals were below normal in areas of the southwestern U.S., Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Drought and abnormal dryness were expanded or intensified in portions of the Southwest and small pockets of the High Plains. Temperatures were above normal across much of the U.S. this week. Areas along the Northern Tier, from northern portions of the West to the Midwest, observed temperatures 10-25 degrees above normal. Below-normal temperatures were reported across northern portions of the Northeast, from northern New Jersey to Maine, where departures were up to 5 F below normal this past week. Below-normal temperatures were also observed in small pockets of the Southeast this week.
The West
Average temperatures were above normal across nearly the entire region this week. In contrast, small pockets of below-normal temperatures were observed in northern California and along the southern coast of California, where temperatures were between 1-3 F below normal. Conversely, Montana observed temperatures ranging between 6-15 F above normal this week.
Precipitation varied across the region this week, with heavy amounts falling in northern portions, while some areas in the southern portions of the region observed no precipitation. In the north, precipitation amounts of 1 inch or greater fell across much of the Pacific Northwest and northern California, with some areas receiving up to 8 inches above normal for the week. Moderate to severe drought were improved in western Montana and eastern Idaho, while moderate drought was removed in southeast Oregon and trimmed in the northeastern part of the state.
Abnormal dryness was improved in northeast Oregon and small parts of eastern Washington and southern Idaho. In the southern part of the region, above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation resulted in an expansion of drought in Arizona, California and Nevada. Extreme drought was expanded in southern Arizona, while severe drought was expanded in southern and northwestern parts of the state. Moderate drought was expanded in western and eastern Nevada, southern California and across parts of Arizona, while abnormal dryness was expanded in parts of California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico this week.
The High Plains
Warm temperature dominated the High Plains this week, with departures ranging up to 20 F above normal, especially along the northern portions of the region.
Precipitation fell across much of the region this week, but amounts were not large enough to justify large improvement across much of the High Plains. Extreme drought was expanded in northern Nebraska, while moderate drought was expanded in southeast Kansas. Abnormal dryness was expanded in southwest Colorado, where weekly rainfall totals are 5-20% or normal for the week. Small areas of the region did observe heavy rainfall, where rainfall totals were more than an inch above normal. This above-normal precipitation allowed for improvements to be made in South Dakota and along the Wyoming-Colorado border. Moderate to extreme drought was improved in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming, while severe drought was improved in western South Dakota. Abnormal dryness was also improved in areas along the Wyoming-Colorado border this week.
The South
Heavy rainfall was observed across much of the South this week, with precipitation totals ranging between 1-8 inches above normal. Above-normal rainfall, with amounts up to 600% above normal, along with improvements in short-term SPI/SPEI, streamflow and soil moisture data, supported widespread improvements to drought from eastern Texas to Mississippi this week.
Severe drought was removed along the Oklahoma-Texas and Louisiana-Arkansas borders, as well as from southern Mississippi, and improved in central Texas. Moderate drought was improved over large portions of Arkansas, eastern Texas, and parts of Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi. Conversely, western portions of Oklahoma and Texas observed below-normal precipitation this week. Moderate drought and abnormal dryness were expanded in small parts of western Texas. Temperatures were above normal across the entire region this week, with departures ranging between 1-15 F above normal. — UNL Drought Monitor
