Source: droughtmonitor.unl.edu | Map released 4-6-20 | Data valid 6-14-20
This week’s drought summary: An active pattern brought snow, rain, thunderstorms and severe weather over much of the United States. Most of the precipitation was east of the Missouri River valley and the greatest amounts were centered over Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, western Virginia and the northern portions of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, where more than three inches of rain was widespread. Southern California also had record-breaking rains continue, while snow was recorded in portions of the northern Plains and Midwest. Temperatures were generally warmer than normal over the country with just the Southwest and northern Plains being below normal. The greatest departures were in Florida where temperatures were six to eight degrees above normal for the week and in Montana and southern California where temperatures were more than 10 degrees below normal.
South: Warmer than normal temperatures were widespread throughout the region with departures of six to eight degrees above normal along the Gulf Coast. Precipitation was mixed over the area with portions of Southeast Oklahoma, Central to South Texas, Arkansas and northern Louisiana and Mississippi all recording well above normal precipitation with readings of 150-400% of normal. Conditions remained dry over the Gulf Coast as well as West Texas. In West Texas, moderate drought was introduced and abnormally dry conditions were expanded this week. In Central and South Texas, there was a mix of degradations and improvements as some areas were still realizing the impact of previous rains that allowed for some areas of extreme and severe drought to improve. A new area of severe drought was introduced in far Southeast Louisiana and some improvements were made to the abnormally dry conditions in Mississippi. There is a very tight gradient setting up going inland from the Gulf Coast as these coastal areas continue to miss out on any precipitation and have had above-normal temperatures too.
Looking ahead: Over the next five to seven days, it is anticipated that the eastern half of the United States will stay quite wet, with the Southeast projected to record the most precipitation. Some relief may come to the Gulf Coast region as well. The Northern Plains and upper Midwest look to be dry while the central and southern Plains will see up to an inch of precipitation. Precipitation looks to be scattered through the West with some upper elevations seeing the most precipitation. Temperatures during this time are expected to be cooler than normal over most of the United States with departures of 9-12 degrees below normal over the Midwest to New England.
The 6-10 day outlooks show much of the central U.S., West, Southeast, and Alaska having a greater than normal probability of above-normal temperatures while the Midwest and Northeast show a higher than normal probability of below-normal temperatures. The greatest probabilities of recording above-normal precipitation are over the Four Corners into the south to the Southeast and interior Alaska.