An active weather pattern has brought significant positive changes to the ongoing drought across the Northwest while the Plains haven`t been so lucky.
Slow-moving heavy storm systems brought appreciable rain and mountain snow over the last week to the Northwest. Even parts of the California coast south to Los Angeles County benefited from the rain. This brought major drought relief in the Northwest and two-thirds of California. Eastern Colorado remained dry, however, with some increase in the extreme and exceptional drought.
Meanwhile, the Plains could use an increase in precipitation. Moderate to severe drought expanded from southeastern Texas to central Louisiana where precipitation deficits are up to a foot in spots. Texas is in worse shape than most of the Plains. Exceptional drought expanded in the Texas Panhandle with Dalhart at more than 2 inches below the driest year on record for the last 62 years.
The week was status quo for the Northeast, Southeast and Great Lakes. Little change was noted in the abnormally dry area across Upstate New York into northern Vermont and New Hampshire with only light precipitation falling last week. In the Southeast, dry and warm weather has been persistent under high pressure. Precipitation deficits are 2 to 8 inches below average in most areas away from the coast.
Moderate drought expanded south of Chicago due to the lack of rainfall. Only 1 to 2 inches in across the central Lower Peninsula did not help with the ongoing drought.
Looking ahead, large stretches of the Ohio and Tennessee valleys will get much needed rainfall to help combat mounting precipitation departures. A few weather systems will bring rain and even some snow to the northern Plains and Upper Mississippi Valley while lighter rain moves across parched eastern Texas.
No comments:
Post a Comment