Nationwide
A dry week dominated the weather across much of the country, with only portions of southern California and the South along the Gulf Coast recording significant precipitation.
The current week started with a significant, even historical, winter storm event that impacted the coastal areas of the Gulf Coast. Several locations set all-time records for snow amounts, with some locations in Louisiana having 9-10 inches of snow for the event. Some locations in the Florida panhandle also recorded 6-9 inches of snow during this event. Colder-than-normal temperatures dominated the country, with the coldest readings in the Southeast, where departures were 10-15 degrees below normal, and in the northern Rocky Mountains, with similar departures from normal. Portions of the northern Plains were warmer than normal, with temperatures 5-10 degrees above normal in the Dakotas and into portions of eastern Montana and western Minnesota.
The West
Temperatures were colder than normal over almost the entire region, with departures of 9-12 degrees below normal in the northern Rocky Mountains and 3-6 degrees below normal in most other places.
Most of the region was drier than normal this week, with only some areas of southern California, western Arizona and eastern Montana recording above-normal precipitation. The dryness allowed for the expansion of moderate drought into the central valley of California, where the water year has continued to be drier than normal. In Arizona, the winter continues to be on the dry side and allowed for the expansion of moderate, severe and extreme drought conditions over the western, northern and southern portions of the state. In Nevada, moderate and severe droughts were experienced over the eastern part of the state and in the southern portions of Utah.
Abnormally dry and moderate drought conditions expanded over western Washington, and abnormally dry conditions were filled in over northwest Montana. In Colorado, abnormally dry conditions and moderate drought expanded over the west, south, and southwest portions of the state, with a new area of severe drought added to the south.
The High Plains
Northern areas were warmer than normal, with 3-9 degrees above normal departures in the Dakotas and northeastern Montana.
Colder-than-normal temperatures dominated the rest of the region, with some areas of Wyoming 12-15 degrees below normal for the week. Areas of western South Dakota, southwest North Dakota, southeast Montana and northeast Wyoming improved this week as conditions over the last few months were reassessed and the indicators were not aligning with the drought depiction. In many instances the drought is still considered severe or worse, but where the intensity was reduced, it was due to not all the indicators converging to what was being shown. In Wyoming, conditions were improved in the central and southwest where severe and moderate drought as well as abnormally dry conditions were improved. Some extreme drought was extended in the Wind River, where snow and precipitation numbers supported the change.
The Midwest
It was a dry week for the region, outside of the far northern tier along the Canadian border, where some areas had normal to above-normal precipitation.
Temperatures were colder than normal throughout the region, with departures of 6-9 degrees below normal except in northern Iowa and Minnesota, where temperatures were near normal to 3 degrees above. Most of the area stayed the same this week, with only some expansion due to moderate drought and abnormally dry conditions in Missouri. The recent wetter pattern allowed for some improvements over northern Michigan and into the upper peninsula, with a reduction in moderate and severe drought and abnormally dry conditions.
The South
Most of the region was dry for the week outside those areas impacted by the winter storm traversing across the Gulf Coast areas of Texas and into central Louisiana and Mississippi.
Temperatures were cooler than normal over the entire region, with the greatest departures over southern Louisiana into Mississippi, where temperatures were 12-16 degrees below normal. Improvements were made to the abnormally dry conditions in Mississippi and in portions of east Texas. Severe and extreme drought was expanded in southern Texas concerning the long-term drought signals in place, especially on the hydrologic systems in the region. Dryness continues in Tennessee, with degradation in the southern, middle and eastern portions of the state as moderate, severe and extreme drought all expanded this week. — UNL Drought Monitor
