Drought conditions deteriorated significantly across the Midwest and High Plains this week, with exceptional drought expanding in Nebraska and severe conditions spreading across multiple states during a critical period for agriculture, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report.
The report, jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA, shows severe moisture deficits threatening crop development in America’s agricultural heartland.
High Plains drought reaches exceptional levels
The High Plains experienced a stark east-west divide, with eastern portions facing particularly dire conditions. Areas received less than 0.05 inches of rain, resulting in precipitation deficits of 0.6 to 1.2 inches below normal.
Exceptional drought—the most severe category—expanded in Nebraska, while moderate to extreme drought spread across northeastern Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. The eastern High Plains also endured a persistent late-spring chill, with temperatures falling 4 to 10 degrees below seasonal norms.
Western portions of the region fared better, experiencing unseasonable warmth with departures of 2 to 6 degrees above normal. An active moisture corridor brought 0.7 to 1.6 inches of precipitation to parts of Colorado and adjacent areas of Wyoming and Kansas, ranging from 0.3 to 0.9 inches above normal.
These above-normal precipitation amounts led to the removal of exceptional drought and reduction of extreme drought in Wyoming. Colorado saw improvements to severe through exceptional drought conditions, while western Kansas experienced reductions in severe to extreme drought.
Midwest faces widespread temperature drop, sparse moisture
The Midwest region experienced a widespread late-spring chill with temperatures broadly 5 to 10 degrees below normal across the entire area. Average temperatures ranged from 30 to 40 degrees along the northern border of Minnesota and Wisconsin to more seasonable 60 to 70 degrees in southern Missouri and Kentucky.
Precipitation was notably sparse across the northern half of the region. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan received totals under 0.1 inches, resulting in departures of 0.5 to 1.5 inches below normal. This persistent dryness led to the expansion of abnormal dryness in parts of Minnesota, western Iowa, southern Missouri and pockets of Indiana and Ohio.
The southern tier saw more active weather, with parts of Kentucky, southern Missouri and the Ohio Valley recording 1.5 to over 3 inches of precipitation. These totals produced surpluses of 0.5 to 1.5 inches, leading to reductions in severe and extreme drought in western Kentucky.
However, moderate to extreme drought expanded in central and eastern Kentucky where rainfall amounts remained below normal, illustrating the uneven distribution of beneficial moisture across the region.
Gulf Coast sees contrasting conditions
While the central U.S. struggled with dryness, the Gulf Coast experienced torrential rains. Louisiana and southern Mississippi recorded weekly totals of 7 to over 9 inches, representing exceptional departures of 6 to 7.5 inches above normal. This heavy precipitation reduced moderate to exceptional drought across southern and eastern Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and southern Tennessee.
Western drought intensifies
Exceptional drought expanded in southern Idaho, while extreme drought was introduced in Oregon and expanded across Montana, Idaho and Nevada. Most western areas received less than 0.1 inches of rain while experiencing temperature departures of 6 to 12 degrees above normal.
The Climate Prediction Center’s extended outlook favors above-normal temperatures across most of the contiguous United States through May 21.
