Summary

March 29, 2018 - Early in the drought week, moderate precipitation fell in an area covering southern Minnesota stretching southeastward through central Iowa and Illinois, southern Indiana, Kentucky, southwestern Virginia, and much of North Carolina. Heavier precipitation fell in coastal California and the Sierra range. Coastal Oregon and Washington also saw moderate to heavy precipitation amounts during the first half of the drought week. The Northeast experienced its fourth Nor’easter in as many weeks. Near the end of the drought week, a swath of precipitation fell from Texas, eastern Oklahoma, into Missouri and Indiana. The dry pattern continued for the drought stricken areas of the southern Rockies and Plains and parts of the Southeast.

Northeast

The Northeast endured another nor’easter this week – its fourth in as many weeks. Based on preliminary reports, as much as 20 inches of snow fell in parts of the region. Dryness was confined to the inland areas of Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont where 30-day precipitation deficits are 1-2 inch below normal in places. Recent precipitation allowed D0 to be contracted in northern Maryland and D1 to be contracted around Washington D.C.

Southeast

Precipitation was above normal (1-2 inch surplus) across much of Virginia and North Carolina during the USDM period. Precipitation was near to slightly above normal for western Virginia, much of North Carolina and northern Alabama during the past 30 days. Elsewhere in the region, 30-day precipitation deficits of 1-3 inches are widespread. Long-term deficits in the region remain steady; however, short-term deficits have increased due to the recent lack of precipitation. Streamflows have also decreased at many sites. Despite the recent dryness, the drought depiction this week remained mostly unchanged. There was an expansion of D0 in southwest Georgia and the D0 in northwest Alabama was extended eastward. In Florida, recent dryness has continued, prompting the expansion of D0 in the central part of the state where the 180-day precipitation deficits are 7-10 inches. The Keetch-Byram Drought Index, an index used to determining forest fire potential, continues to worsen. The values are especially high in the Miami-Dade county area.

South

Precipitation was generally above normal (0.5-2.0 inch surpluses) across north central Texas, eastern Oklahoma and extreme northwestern Arkansas during the USDM period. During the last 30 days, much of Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana were running 1-3 inches below normal while Arkansas was as much as 5 inches above normal. According to the USDA, 65 percent of wheat in Texas was in poor to very poor condition while 72 percent of topsoil moisture across the state was short to very short. Moderate and Extreme drought was expanded in central and parts of southern Texas. Precipitation continues to miss western Oklahoma where 28-day streamflows are running below the fifth percentile and precipitation for the last 6-months is around 20 percent of normal. Extreme drought was expanded to cover more of the Panhandle of Oklahoma, reaching into Kansas and Texas. Drought and dryness is not currently affecting the majority of the other states of the region.

Midwest

Precipitation was generally above normal across the region during the USDM week. Totals were in the 2-4 inch range for much of southern Indiana where 2 separate systems, one early and another later in the week, converged. Precipitation during the last 30 days was above normal (2-5 inches) for parts of Indiana and Missouri. Abnormally dry conditions continued for much of Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where D0 was expanded. D0 was contracted in central Missouri due to the recent precipitation.