Stormy, Soggy Summertime Leads to Widespread Drought Improvements

An active, summertime weather pattern delivered heavy rain and severe thunderstorms to most areas along and east of the Rockies this week, resulting in drought improvements. Still, a few places missed out on the beneficial moisture, leading to drought degradations. At the same time, mixed results were seen across the West due to hit-or-miss precipitation.

West

The drought monitoring period got off to a hot, dry start. However, a pattern change soon delivered cooler weather throughout the Western U.S. There was also widespread rain and even some mountain snow across the Northwest, but the Southwest remained largely dry.

During the transition from hot weather to cooler temperatures, gusty winds fanned recently ignited wildfires across parts of the eastern Great Basin and the Four Corner states. Fire ignition and spread were also abetted by dry thunderstorms, low humidity and near-record or record-setting dry fuels.

Pockets of worsening drought were observed in the Four Corners states, including a notable expansion of extreme drought (D3) across the northern half of New Mexico. Severe drought (D2) increased in southern Utah, while extreme drought (D3) worsened in east-central Utah.

In the Northwest, however, heavy rain and higher-elevation snow eased drought from central Idaho into Montana. Extreme drought (D3) contracted across eastern Montana and a small portion of southwestern Montana. Otherwise, there were improvements made to moderate to severe drought (D1-D2).

Western States reporting rangeland and pastures rated at least one-half very poor to poor including Arizona (70%), while states with topsoil moisture more than one-half very short to short were Utah (69%), New Mexico (68%), Nevada (65%), and Oregon (62%).

High Plains

Rain and thunderstorms occurred in all six states in the High Plains over the drought monitoring period. Heavy rain fell in all six states in the region, which was occasionally accompanied by thunderstorm-driven high winds and large hail. In fact, an unofficial wind gust of 131 mph was recorded in Hyde County, S.D., while a gust of 112 mph was recorded at a mesonet state near Ree Heights in Hand County, S.D. However, southeastern Nebraska was one area that missed all of the rain.

Widespread improvements were made throughout much of the High Plains given the rain and thunderstorms. Some parts of western Kansas even saw a 2-category change. Most notably, exceptional drought (D4) contracted significantly across western Nebraska. Extreme drought (D3) was removed from southeastern South Dakota and northwestern Kansas, with improvements made to southwestern South Dakota, western and northern Nebraska, southeastern Wyoming and northeastern Colorado. Improvements were also made to moderate to severe drought (D1-D2) for the rest of southern South Dakota, central Nebraska, parts of eastern Colorado and western Kansas. Abnormal dryness and moderate drought (D0-D1) was reduced in the western half of North Dakota.

There were local degradations to the drought depiction where beneficial rain missed. An area of moderate drought (D1) was added to north-central South Dakota. West-central and southern Colorado saw extreme drought (D3) increase in coverage across west-central and southern Colorado.

Despite all the rain, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that rangeland and pastures continued to struggle. On June 28, statewide rangeland and pastures were rated 66% very poor in Nebraska, along with 63% in Colorado.

Midwest

Torrential rainfall struck the Lower Midwest, which eased or eradicated drought. Parts of Kentucky were hit especially hard by flash flooding. Some of the heaviest rain fell on June 27, when daily record totals at official airport observations sites included 3.06 inches in Evansville, Ind., and 2.34 inches in Bowling Green, Ky. Parts of central Kentucky even saw a 2-category change. The Upper Midwest, however, largely missed out on the beneficial moisture.

Given this rainfall, most of the region saw improvements in abnormally dry and drought conditions. Extreme drought (D3) was removed from southern Kentucky. Abnormal dryness to severe drought (D0-D2) improved across the rest of Kentucky, southern Illinois, southeastern Missouri and southern Minnesota. Abnormal dryness (D0) contracted across central Minnesota, far northern and southern Wisconsin and far northern Illinois.

Meanwhile, abnormal dryness (D0) expanded across western Iowa, with a new area of moderate also added to west-central Iowa.

South

The South experienced a second consecutive week of widespread reductions in drought coverage. In fact, flash flooding and lowland flooding plagued some of the hardest hit areas, including the Ark-La-Tex region and the southeastern corner of Oklahoma. Here, two-week rainfall totals locally exceed 10 inches! Much of the northern tier of the region, from Oklahoma to Tennessee, also received multiple rounds of heavy rain.

Although mostly dry weather prevailed in south-central Texas, some additional improvements were made to moderate to severe drought (D1-D2) as impacts of recent downpours on long-term drought became more apparent.

Given another week of beneficial rain, an area of exceptional drought (D4) was removed from northeastern Arkansas, while improvements were made to extreme and exceptional drought (D3-D4) in western Oklahoma, the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles, and southeastern Arkansas. An area of extreme drought was also removed from eastern Tennessee. Additional improvements to abnormal dryness and moderate to severe drought (D0-D2) occurred across central/eastern Oklahoma, much of Arkansas, western/central Tennessee, northern Louisiana and northeastern/southern Texas.

No degradations were made to abnormally dry or drought conditions this week.

Southeast

Precipitation was hit-or-miss throughout the Southeast over the last drought monitoring period. Some areas, such as northern Alabama and northwestern Georgia, were completely dry. At the same time, heavy rain and thunderstorms soaked northeastern North Carolina and neighboring areas.

Worsening drought was largely limited to the coastal plain of South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina. This includes severe to extreme drought (D2-D3). A small area of severe to extreme drought (D2-D3) worsened in south Florida.

Pockets of drought improvement were noted in several areas. This includes improvements to severe and extreme drought (D2-D3) in southern Virginia, far northeastern and western North Carolina and northern Florida. Abnormal dryness was reduced in coverage in southeastern Alabama.

Florida’s Peninsula continued to await more regular seasonal rainfall, with lingering long-term drought impacts on hydrology. Florida’s two largest current wildfires—the Atlantic 06 and Rookery Fires—have collectively burned more than 10,000 acres of vegetation, with the former having scorched nearly 5,800 acres a few miles west of Pompano Beach. 

Northeast

There was a mix of weather conditions throughout the Northeast during the last drought monitoring period, with streaks of heavy rain affecting some areas while other places remained mostly dry.

Generally, wet weather continued to trim abnormal dryness (D0) and moderate to severe drought (D1-D2) across southern Vermont, southern New Hampshire and southern Maine into southeastern New York, northern New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. Moderate drought (D1) was almost completely removed from southern West Virginia, and a small area of extreme drought (D3) improved in southern Delaware.

Meanwhile, some degradations were made to moderate drought (D1) in central Massachusetts and northern Connecticut. Severe drought (D2) worsened in western Virginia.

Looking Ahead

Hot, humid weather will continue through the Independence Day weekend across most areas east of the Rocky Mountains. The most intense heat is expected in the Mid-Atlantic region, where some locations could experience several consecutive days of temperatures exceeding 100 degrees. In the Midwest, conditions will remain hot, but temperatures are generally expected to stay near or below the 95-degree threshold that can significantly stress corn and soybeans during their critical reproductive stage. Many crops also benefit from adequate to surplus soil moisture, helping to reduce heat-related impacts.

Over the next five days, the most significant rainfall is forecast for parts of the Florida Peninsula and the Upper Midwest, where 1 to 4 inches of rain, with locally higher amounts, is possible. Elsewhere, across the central and eastern United States, rainfall will be limited to scattered thunderstorms, while much of the West is expected to see warmer temperatures with little to no precipitation.

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Source: U.S. Drought Monitor