Nationwide
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An active early springtime pattern continued through late March and into the beginning of April. A pair of low-pressure systems and trailing cold fronts tracked across the east-central contiguous U.S. (CONUS). A swath of 1 to 3 inches of precipitation supported improvements extending from parts of the Midwest to southeastern Kansa and northeastern Oklahoma. However, moderate drought (D1) was introduced to the lower Ohio Valley, which missed precipitation during the late winter and early spring. Increasing short-term dryness and periods of enhanced winds led to an expansion of abnormal dryness (D0) and moderate drought (D1) in southwestern Kansas, northwestern Oklahoma, and western Texas.
March was relatively wet across Arizona, where additional improvements were warranted before a drier time of year sets in later this spring. Below-normal snowpack supported an increase in D1 across the northern Cascades of Washington. 7-day (March 26 to April 1) temperatures averaged below (above) normal across the western and north-central (eastern) CONUS.
The West
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Multiple low-pressure systems and enhanced onshore flow resulted in above-average precipitation for much of Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California from March 26 to April 1. According to the California Department of Water Resources, on April 2, snow water equivalent (SWE) averaged at or slightly above normal for the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
A relatively wet March and widespread precipitation amounts of 0.5 to 1 inch, liquid equivalent, this past week supported improvements for Arizona. Given the recent precipitation, the drought impact was modified to reflect only long-term drought for most of Arizona. This region will be reevaluated next week and additional revisions may be warranted. Eastern and southern New Mexico have remained mostly dry during the past 30 days.
According to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, 81 percent of New Mexico topsoil moisture is short to very short. Washington, northern Idaho, and western Montana have below-normal SWE heading into early April. Due to this low snowpack, abnormal dryness (D0) and moderate drought (D1) expanded across the northern Cascade Mountains of Washington.
The High Plains
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The northern to central Great Plains, along with the central Rockies, remained either status quo this week or had a 1-category improvement. Locally heavy precipitation (more than 1 inch) led to targeted improvements across southeastern Kansas.
Lighter precipitation (0.25 to 1 inch) supported minor improvements to South Dakota. Based on SPIs at various time scales along with snow water equivalent close to average, improvements were necessary for parts of northern Colorado and southern Wyoming. 30-day SPEI and GRACE-based soil moisture supported a large increase in abnormal dryness (D0) across southwestern Kansas, along with a slight expansion of moderate drought (D1) to the west of Wichita.
The South
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Major drought relief, associated with El Nino, occurred this past winter across the lower Mississippi Valley. However, a lingering long-term drought remains across parts of western Tennessee and northern Mississippi.
On April 1, locally heavy rainfall (more than 1.5 inches) resulted in small improvements to northeastern Oklahoma. Farther to the west, across the southern high Plains, short-term dryness is increasing. Enhanced winds, elevated wildfire risk, and blowing dust have been quite frequent the past few weeks due to low-pressure systems forming to the lee of the Rockies. Based on 30 to 60-day SPI, an expansion of abnormal dryness (D0) and moderate drought (D1) was warranted for parts of northwestern Oklahoma and western Texas. — UNL Drought Monitor
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