Widespread drought expansion continued across the Midwest, Southeast and Northeast last week as another period of minimal rainfall exacerbated dry conditions, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report. The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Extreme drought was introduced near the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, as well as in eastern Ohio and portions of West Virginia. Abnormal dryness and moderate to severe drought expanded across much of the eastern United States, particularly affecting the Great Lakes region and Ohio Valley.
"Due to the rapid nature of this drought onset and temperatures ranging near to below normal, impacts have mostly been observed through meteorological indices, including 30 to 90-day SPI values, and drying soil conditions," the report stated regarding the Southeast.
In contrast, portions of the western United States saw improvements. Above-average precipitation along the Rockies yielded widespread one-category improvements, while enhanced monsoonal moisture across New Mexico and southeastern Arizona resulted in reductions of exceptional drought conditions.
"While much above normal for the time of year, accumulations were fairly modest compared to amounts that can occur during the core weeks of the wet season during the winter," the report noted about precipitation in the Northwest.
Temperature anomalies were above-normal across the Northern Tier and Midwest, accelerating drought impacts, while below-normal temperatures across the East helped slow deterioration.
Hawaii continues to struggle with widespread drought, with conditions worsening to extreme drought on the southern Big Island due to degrading field conditions for cattle grazing across the Ka'u region. Alaska and Puerto Rico remain drought-free.
Looking ahead, a frontal system is forecast to bring widespread precipitation to the Plains states and portions of the Midwest west of the Mississippi River, potentially providing much-needed relief. However, lighter rainfall and warmer temperatures are expected for the Ohio Valley and East, which may further worsen conditions in areas experiencing rapid drought onset.
The Climate Prediction Center's 6-10 day outlook favors above-normal temperatures across the entire contiguous United States and below-normal precipitation across much of the Great Plains, upper-Midwest, and western Great Lakes region.
