US Drought Monitor and Summary, Oct. 30, 2018

South: Widespread precipitation fell this week across the South as the remnants of Hurricane Willa moved across the southern United States, with the largest totals occurring in parts of Texas and along the Gulf Coast. The recent rainfall led to the removal of moderate drought in northwest Mississippi, where soil moisture conditions improved and short-term rainfall deficits lessened. This week’s rainfall also led to general 1-category improvements in west Texas, including the removal of extreme drought from west Texas and adjacent southeast New Mexico, where long-term precipitation deficits and groundwater conditions were improving. In the Texas Panhandle, severe drought was removed and moderate drought reduced as precipitation deficits have been recovering. Note that the short-term designation of drought was removed from this area as any remaining deficits are only apparent at longer time scales.

Looking Ahead: The greatest chances for precipitation in the coming week are in the Pacific Northwest, Northern and Central Rockies, and across the eastern half of the continental U.S., particularly in a band stretching from east Texas to New England. In the West, this could impact drought-affected areas in western Washington and Oregon, northern Idaho, and parts of Colorado and New Mexico. Much of the rainfall in the eastern half of the country is expected to fall in areas that are currently drought free, with the exception of northeast New York and northern Vermont.
Read more at droughtmonitor.unl.edu.