The latest U.S. Drought Monitor summary reveals a strong temperature gradient across the U.S., with below-normal temperatures in the East and above-normal temperatures in the West. Precipitation was scarce nationwide, with many areas receiving less than 25% of normal rainfall. Localized precipitation occurred in the Pacific Northwest, northern Rockies, and Great Lakes, while a winter storm brought snow to parts of the Tennessee Valley and Carolinas. 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.
In the West, snowpack remains well below seasonal averages, contributing to drought intensification across the Intermountain West and West Coast. Oregon, southern Washington, and northwest California saw expanding dry and drought conditions. Southern New Mexico was a rare spot of improvement due to recent storms.
The South and Southeast experienced mostly dry and cold conditions, with extreme drought expanding in parts of Florida, including the southern Everglades. The central Gulf Coast region saw worsening drought, driven by growing precipitation deficits, low streamflows, and increased fire danger.
The Midwest and Northeast remained largely dry, with frozen soils limiting moisture absorption. Southwest Missouri saw the introduction of extreme drought conditions. The High Plains faced deteriorating conditions, especially in Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska, with snowpack well below average.
In the Caribbean, heavy rains improved conditions in northern Puerto Rico, while parts of St. Croix and St. John saw mixed dryness and recovery. Alaska’s western regions worsened, with moderate drought introduced east of Kotzebue.
Looking ahead, an active weather pattern is expected across much of the continental U.S., bringing significant precipitation to the lower Mississippi Valley, Ohio and Tennessee valleys, and parts of the central Plains and Midwest. The West will see widespread precipitation in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies, though much of California, the northern Great Plains, Texas, and Florida are expected to remain dry.
Temperature forecasts indicate above-normal readings across much of the central and southern Plains, northern Plains, Intermountain West, and parts of the Northeast, with near-normal conditions along the West Coast and Southeast.
