Nationwide
It was a challenging period for drought monitoring, with a broad mix of improvement and deterioration. Additionally, a significant rainfall event was underway in parts of the central, eastern, and southern U.S. when the drought-monitoring period ended early Tuesday.
Any precipitation that fell after the Tuesday cutoff will be considered for next week’s map. Broadly, precipitation fell across the Plains, Midwest, and mid-South, mainly from the central Rockies to the western slopes of the Appalachians. Locally significant showers also dotted the Southwest, providing limited drought relief but triggering flash flooding. In contrast, mostly dry weather prevailed in the Northwest, Intermountain West, Deep South, and along much of the Atlantic Coast.
The West
Worsening drought in parts of the Northwest contrasted with locally heavy showers farther south. In the Southwest, those showers led to targeted drought improvement, but also resulted in spotty flash flooding in some of the nation’s driest locations, including Death Valley, California.
Farther north, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that statewide topsoil moisture (on September 21) was rated 92% very short to short in Washington, along with 80% in Oregon. Winter wheat planting has advanced quickly in Washington and was 58% complete as of September 21. Any fall-sown Northwestern crops will soon need moisture for proper autumn establishment. Currently, at least 45% of the rangeland and pastures in all Northwestern States were rated very poor to poor, led by Montana (61%).
The High Plains
Most of the region is free of drought or has received drought-easing precipitation, including some high-elevation snow in the central Rockies. Although rain slowed fieldwork, including summer crop harvesting and winter wheat planting, moisture should benefit rangeland, pastures, and fall-sown crops.
The South
Rain arrived late in the drought-monitoring period across the northern tier of the region. Elsewhere, hot, mostly dry weather dominated.
On September 21, prior to the rain’s arrival, topsoil moisture—as reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture—was rated 78% very short to short in Tennessee, along with 71% in Arkansas. By September 23, a core area of severe to extreme drought (D2 to D3) existed across the mid-South, including parts of Arkansas and Tennessee. Statewide, 40% of the pastures in Arkansas were rated very poor to poor on that date. — UNL Drought Monitor
