California and National Drought Summary for April 7, 2015
Summary
This week saw warmer than normal temperatures impacting roughly two-thirds of the nation. A significant storm brought abundant rain to the Ohio Valley and severe weather through that region and the Central Plains. The storm brought tornados, hail, and strong winds to over 15 states. Most of the rest of the country experienced continued dryness. Strong winds and warmer than average temperatures added short-term insult to the long-term drought impacting the Southern Plains.Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico
Some much needed moisture came to the Hawaiian Islands this week promoting improvement in Moderate Drought (D1) and Abnormal Dryness (D0) across many of the islands. Puerto Rico and Alaska remain unchanged this week.The Midwest
From southern Missouri into West Virginia abundant rain fell. This prompted removing some areas of Abnormal Dryness (D0) in Missouri. The northern part of the Midwest remained dry and Abnormal Dryness (D0) expanded in southern Michigan, through northern Indiana and into west-central Illinois.The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
Another dry week in New England led to a slight expansion of Abnormal Dryness (D0) in New Hampshire and into northern Massachusetts. Some of this area is still recovering from a long, cold, snowy winter with some areas still maintaining snow cover at the end of this week.The Plains
Rain came to the Plains associated with severe weather this Drought Monitor week. The rain was mostly limited to areas of eastern Oklahoma and Kansas and extended into the southern Midwest. Other parts of the Southern Plains experienced degradation in the drought conditions largely associated with the warm temperatures and very strong winds. Severe (D2), Extreme (D3), and Exceptional Drought (D4) expanded around the Texas panhandle and adjacent areas, extending into central Oklahoma. Severe (D2) and Extreme Drought (D3) expanded in southern Kansas as the state saw dust clouds roll through at least one western county on April 2.The Southeast
While the area around northern Alabama and Tennessee received precipitation, most of the rest of the Southeast remained dry again this week. In Georgia and southern Alabama, this lingering dryness led to the expansion of Abnormal Dryness (D0) and Moderate Drought (D1) and the introduction of Severe Drought (D2) in south-central Alabama. Likewise, areas of Mississippi that missed the beneficial rains that fell to their north experienced an expansion of Abnormal Dryness (D0) in the southern part of the state.The West
Some much needed precipitation fell in northwestern California this week. The rain did not penetrate very far from the coast. Continued dryness resulted in an expansion of Exceptional Drought (D4) in northwest California. Statewide snowpack remains at 5% as of April 6, 2015. Northern Nevada and Utah saw an expansion of Severe Drought (D2) in the north as did southern Idaho. In northern Colorado and southern Wyoming, Abnormal Dryness (D0) expanded.Looking Ahead
Precipitation is expected to migrate from the Gulf Coast into the Midwest in the coming days. The Pacific Northwest is likely to see precipitation each day. The rest of the country is expected to remain dry. Warmer than normal temperatures are expected over most of the contiguous U.S. during the same time. The Pacific Northwest is the only exception to this with below-normal temperatures expected throughout the period.The NWS 6-10 day outlooks call for normal to warm conditions over the U.S. with the exception of the northern West and western Alaska which should experience below-normal temperatures. Precipitation during that timeframe is expected to be normal to above-normal across the country with the exception of the far West and extreme northern Alaska which are expected to be below-normal.
Author(s):
Michael Brewer, NOAA/NCDC
Dryness Categories
D0 ... Abnormally Dry ... used for areas showing dryness but not yet in drought, or for areas recovering from drought.Drought Intensity Categories
D1 ... Moderate DroughtD2 ... Severe Drought
D3 ... Extreme Drought
D4 ... Exceptional Drought
Drought or Dryness Types
S ... Short-Term, typically <6 months (e.g. agricultural, grasslands)L ... Long-Term, typically >6 months (e.g. hydrology, ecology)
