Recent weather patterns have led to contrasting drought conditions across the United States, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The Midwest and Southern states experienced worsening dryness while the West benefits from heavy rain and snow that have improved soil moisture and streamflow. 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.
Dry weather dominated much of the central and eastern U.S. this week, contributing to expanding drought in several areas. In the Southeast, especially southern Georgia and Florida, extreme and exceptional drought conditions have intensified due to ongoing short-term precipitation deficits and low soil moisture. The Florida Peninsula saw an expansion of moderate and severe drought, while parts of North Carolina and Virginia also experienced worsening dryness.
The South faced widespread degradations as dry weather combined with warmer-than-normal temperatures, particularly in Texas and Oklahoma. Extreme drought developed south of Oklahoma City, where ponds dried up amid significant precipitation shortfalls and increased evaporative demand. Southern Texas, northeast Texas, Louisiana, and southern Mississippi also saw deteriorating conditions.
The Midwest experienced scattered precipitation in parts of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Michigan, but much of the region remained dry. Severe and extreme drought expanded around Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, prompting stage one water restrictions in Decatur. Moderate and severe drought also grew in the Wisconsin Northwoods and Kansas City area, where soil moisture remains critically low.
In contrast, the West received widespread heavy precipitation, with some areas in California, Nevada, the Pacific Northwest, and Montana recording over 5 inches of rain or snow. These storms have significantly improved soil moisture and reduced precipitation deficits, leading to one- or two-category drought improvements in parts of California and Washington. However, some areas in central and northeast Montana saw drought worsen due to warmer temperatures and dry conditions.
The Caribbean showed mixed conditions, with localized improvements in southeast Puerto Rico but developing dryness in north-central areas. The Pacific region remained largely drought-free, with recent rains benefiting Hawaii and several island nations.
Looking ahead, forecasts from the National Weather Service predict above-normal precipitation for parts of the northern, central, and eastern U.S. through late November, while drier conditions are expected in the Southwest. Temperatures are expected to be colder than normal in northern Washington and the central Great Plains but warmer than normal along the Pacific Coast and Southeast.
