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Latest Drought Update: A Mix of Improvements and Degradations Throughout the U.S.
March 28, 2024
By WeatherBug Meteorologist, Alyssa Robinette
An active weather pattern was seen throughout the nation this week. Major improvements occurred in the Midwest, with a mix of improvements and degradations elsewhere.
A major winter-like storm impacted the nation’s midsection this week, which led to a variety of weather hazards - everything from heavy snow, blizzard conditions and high winds, to heavy rain and locally severe thunderstorms. That storm was preceded by a weaker system that produced a stripe of snow across the north-central U.S. The two storms combined to produce 40- to 50-percent of the season-to-date snowfall.
While this system eventually weakened as it moved eastward, there were still some weather impacts, including the wettest day in March for some areas in the Mid-Atlantic. Meanwhile, the West received widespread but generally light precipitation.
Heavy rain and snow brought some dramatic changes to the Midwest this week. The highest totals covered portions of Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, where 2 to 3 inches or more of liquid precipitation occurred. Where heavier precipitation fell but long-term issues remained, the drought designation was changed from “short- and long-term drought” to just “long-term drought.” Several areas also saw a reduction in coverage of abnormal dryness and drought, including portions of Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin and Illinois.
However, precipitation did bypass a few Midwestern areas, with some slight expansion of abnormally dry conditions and moderate drought. This occurred in Kentucky and Indiana.
Despite much of the region experiencing precipitation, the High Plains did see some a few areas of expansion of abnormal dryness and moderate drought, especially in southern Kansas. Conversely, there were general reductions in the coverage of dryness and moderate to severe drought for most of the region. This includes eastern portions of Montana, the Dakotas, southeastern Nebraska, northern Kansas and south-central Colorado.
Some heavy rain occurred in the mid-South and western Gulf Coast region this week. At the same time, fairly dry weather was seen farther west in parts of Oklahoma and Texas. Severe drought was eliminated from Mississippi, while moderate drought was eradicated from Louisiana. Coverage of abnormally dry and drought conditions was reduced in portions of eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. There was a modest expansion of dryness and drought in northern and western sections of Oklahoma and Texas.
In the Southeast, there were generally chilly temperatures and showery weather throughout the week. There was, however, a brief period of dry, windy weather was seen in western Virginia and surrounding areas. Wildfires did flare here as a result. Overall, there were not many changes to the drought depiction this week and the region remains drought free. Though, eastern North Carolina did see a slight reduction in abnormal dryness, thanks to some heavier rain.
No changes occurred in the Northeast this week. This region is almost entirely free of drought, with only two small areas of moderate drought - one is between Buffalo and Rochester in western New York, and the other is the island of Nantucket. A few fast-moving wildfires did occur in West Virginia but were unrelated to drought and instead fueled by high winds, low humidity and ample fuel for fires.
On the opposite side of the country, drought changes were mostly minor this week across the West. There was a reassessment of season-to-date precipitation and conditions, which led to drought improvement being depicted on New Mexico. An area of extreme drought was removed in northern New Mexico, while moderate to severe drought was reduced in coverage. However, over three-quarters of New Mexico remains in some level of drought.
Looking ahead to next week’s drought update, a slow-moving low pressure system and cold front will impact the eastern half of the nation early on. It will bring beneficial snowfall to parts of the High Plains and Upper Midwest. Rain will soak the rest of the eastern half, with the potential for heavy rain and localized flooding in the South, Southeast and parts of the Northeast. However, a generally drier period is then anticipated for the middle and end of the forecast period. Some localized improvements in drought are possible, though there could also be some expansion of dryness and drought.
Meanwhile, the western half of the U.S. will experience two weather systems during the forecast period. One system will zip across the Northwest and northern half of the Rockies, while the second storm has more of a southern track and will move across California, the Great Basin and southern half of the Rockies. Flooding rain is a possibility along the coast and some lower elevations, while heavy snow is expected for the Sierra Nevada. Lighter snowfall amounts are likely for the rest of the mountains and higher elevations. Some drought improvement could occur from the Northwest into the Sierra Nevada as well as the Southwest. Drought depiction will likely remain the same or even worsen for the northern and central Rockies.