A powerful winter storm swept across much of the United States last week, delivering heavy snow, sleet, freezing rain, and significant precipitation totals from the southern Rockies through the Southeast and up the Eastern Seaboard according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Despite the storm’s extensive coverage, drought conditions remain largely unchanged in many areas due to frozen precipitation and lingering dry spells. 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.
The storm system triggered winter storm warnings over roughly one million square miles, with snowfall totals reaching up to 17 inches in parts of Ohio and West Virginia, and 15 inches in Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. Sleet and freezing rain compounded the impact, with some locations in Arkansas, Louisiana, and North Carolina recording sleet accumulations near 7 inches, and ice thicknesses topping one inch in Oklahoma and Louisiana. These conditions caused widespread power outages and tree damage.
Liquid-equivalent precipitation exceeded an inch across a broad swath stretching from eastern Texas through Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, and the mid-Atlantic states. Some southern areas, including central Texas and southwestern Louisiana, saw localized totals surpassing 3 inches, with a patch in southwestern Louisiana receiving up to 10 inches.
However, the storm’s benefits for drought relief are limited. Much of the precipitation fell as snow or ice, locking moisture in frozen form and delaying its absorption into the soil. This effect is most pronounced in northern and eastern states where temperatures remain below freezing. In the South, where warmer conditions prevail, drought improvements were more noticeable, especially in Tennessee and parts of Mississippi and eastern Texas.
The Northeast saw 1 to 3 inches of liquid-equivalent precipitation, but drought relief was minimal due to frozen ground and ongoing moisture deficits. The Southeast experienced moderate to heavy precipitation, yet parts of Florida continued to see worsening dryness, with new moderate and severe drought areas designated on the peninsula.
The Midwest received mixed precipitation, with Kentucky and areas near the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers seeing 1.5 to 3 inches, while northern parts of the region remained dry. The High Plains and much of the West remained largely dry, with only isolated precipitation and some drought intensification in western Colorado and South Dakota.
Looking ahead, a strong coastal low is expected to bring snow and moderate to heavy precipitation to the Carolinas, southern Virginia, and parts of the Atlantic Coast. Meanwhile, abnormally cold temperatures will persist across much of the eastern U.S., with warmer-than-normal conditions forecast for the West. Precipitation chances favor the southern Plains and parts of Alaska and Hawaii, while dryness is expected to continue in the Great Basin and northern Intermountain West.
Despite the storm’s intensity, drought remains a challenge across large parts of the country, underscoring the need for ongoing monitoring and targeted water management strategies.
