Article Summary
Heavy rains this week brought significant drought relief across much of the United States from northeast Texas through the Mid-Atlantic, lessening precipitation deficits and improving conditions in the Midwest and Southeast, though western regions like Montana experienced record heat and some areas saw worsening drought conditions.
- Regional improvements: Southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, Kentucky, and parts of Virginia and the Carolinas saw moderate to heavy rains of 2-5 inches that reduced or eliminated drought deficits.
- Midwest gains: North-central Iowa received 2-4 inches of rain improving moderate drought, while northern Minnesota and Wisconsin experienced worsening conditions with declining soil moisture.
- Western challenges: Montana cities set all-time record highs (115°F in Miles City, 111°F in Billings), and central Colorado saw severe to extreme drought expansion.
- Virgin Islands crisis: US Virgin Islands degraded from severe to extreme drought with reported water shortages, cistern filling problems, and increased grass fires.
- Data source: Information from the U.S. Drought Monitor, produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA, NOAA, and NASA.
Heavy rain fell across parts of the United States this week, bringing widespread relief from ongoing drought and abnormal dryness from northeast Texas northeast through the Mid-Atlantic, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor. The U.S. Drought Monitor is 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.
Recent precipitation shifted drought impacts toward longer-term conditions in some areas, while warm and dry weather in the western Great Lakes and abysmal streamflow in Washington led to widespread degradation.
Midwest sees dramatic improvements
Flash flooding hit areas south of St. Louis after more than 5 inches of rain drenched southeast Missouri and southern Illinois. Despite the flooding, the precipitation lessened or eliminated deficits across southeast Missouri, southern Illinois and Kentucky, leading to widespread improvements.
Heavier rains of 2 to 4 inches in north-central Iowa improved moderate drought and abnormal dryness. However, northern Minnesota and Wisconsin saw conditions worsen as short-term precipitation deficits grew and soil moisture and streamflow declined. Fires occurred in northeast Minnesota amid hot and dry weather.
Record heat grips Montana
Several Montana cities set all-time record highs on July 12, including 115 degrees in Miles City and 111 degrees in Billings. Hot temperatures occurred from Arizona and western New Mexico northward to Montana and Wyoming, with temperatures 3 to 6 degrees above normal across most areas.
Northeast Wyoming and south-central and eastern Montana were 6 to 12 degrees warmer than normal.
South and Southeast benefit from rainfall
Widespread moderate to heavy rain fell across Virginia and the Carolinas. The locally heavy rains mostly resulted in improvements or halted further degradation of ongoing drought, despite temperatures running 3 to 6 degrees above normal in eastern Carolinas and southeast Georgia.
The heaviest rains exceeded 5 inches in parts of Texas and Louisiana, while 2 to 5 inches were common in Tennessee. From eastern Texas across southern Louisiana and in Tennessee, the rains lessened or locally eliminated precipitation deficits.
Virgin Islands face worsening conditions
The three U.S. Virgin Islands were degraded from severe drought to extreme drought to keep pace with worsening rainfall deficits, declining well-water levels and near-record-high temperatures. Observed impacts include lack of water to fill cisterns, vegetation stress, increased grass fires and likely water shortages for agriculture.
Light rainfall accumulations remained below 0.50 inches for the week. Wells running low and water rationing have been reported in southern Puerto Rico, where severe drought also expanded.
Western regions see mixed results
Widespread severe and extreme drought expanded in central Colorado. In eastern Washington, short-term and mid-term precipitation deficits, warm temperatures and poor soil moisture led to expansion of moderate drought.
Small improvements occurred in northwest Alaska and north-central Puerto Rico after heavy rains alleviated some short-term deficits.
