Nationwide
This U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) week saw very hot and dry conditions across parts of the Western U.S. and the Plains states, where average temperatures soared well above normal—significantly increasing evaporation demand, especially across the Upper Midwest, Northern Plains, Colorado, and the Texas Panhandle, where conditions deteriorated rapidly.
Elsewhere, heavy rains across parts of the Mid-Atlantic states, Southeast, and the South led to widespread improvements in drought-affected areas. In North Carolina, rainfall totals for the week ranged from 3 to 8+ inches across the state, leading to a significant improvement in drought-related conditions statewide. In the Northeast, recent isolated shower activity helped to improve drought conditions; however, the impacts of the longer-term drought continue to affect groundwater conditions in areas of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. In the Upper Midwest, drought expanded and intensified on the map, especially across Minnesota and Wisconsin, where composite flash drought indicators were showing severe to extreme flash drought conditions during the past week.
Out West, the Four Corners states continued to receive beneficial monsoonal rainfall, with isolated areas receiving 2-4 inches. In portions of Arizona and western New Mexico, precipitation during the past 30-day period has been above normal, boosting streamflow and soil moisture levels while improving vegetation health. In the Pacific Northwest, short-term dryness has led to a dip in soil moisture and streamflow levels in areas of western Oregon and Washington. In the Great Basin, recent monsoonal rains have provided some minor relief to drought-affected areas of eastern Nevada.
The West
On the map, drought-related conditions deteriorated in areas of eastern Colorado, eastern New Mexico, southeastern California, and western Washington.
Conversely, beneficial monsoonal rainfall led to improvements across Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, southeastern Utah, and northeastern Nevada. In the Southwest, an active monsoonal pattern (June 15 to present) has led to above-normal precipitation, especially in Arizona where percentages of normal have ranged from 150-250% above normal across southeastern, central, and northern portions of the state. According to the NWS Forecast Office in Tucson, AZ, monsoon statistics, the following Arizona locations have received above-normal rainfall for the monsoon season: Nogales, Sierra Vista, Wilcox, Ajo, Globe, Apache Junction, Flagstaff, Kingman, Page, Prescott, Show Low, and Winslow. In Colorado, drought expanded and intensified on the map in response to anomalously warm temperatures, decreased soil moisture levels, and elevated evaporative demand.
The High Plains
For the week, drought-related conditions deteriorated across the region, including in the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Kansas, where temperatures were well above normal, especially in western portions of the region where anomalies ranged from 3-9 F above normal.
NDMC’s flash drought composite map (July 27) also showed flash drought conditions developing with numerous drought impact reports coming into the NDMC’s Condition Monitoring Observer Report reporting system during the past 7-day period—especially in the Dakotas in relation to crop and rangeland conditions.
The South
On this week’s map, widespread improvements were made in drought-affected areas of Tennessee where rainfall has been well above normal during the past 30-to-60-day period across much of the state.
In southern Texas, areas of drought expanded where hot and dry conditions have prevailed during the past 30 days. In the Texas Panhandle, short- and longer-term dryness led to intensification of drought with year-to-date precipitation deficits ranging from 3-8+ inches. Looking at the reservoir situation, Water Data for Texas (July 29) reports statewide reservoirs at 78% full, with eastern reservoirs in good condition while numerous western, northern (Panhandle), and southern reservoirs remain below normal. — UNL Drought Monitor
