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Articles by Richard Tinker
Additional rain benefits High Plains
Drought, Drought Monitor, Water, Weather The trend of the past few weeks toward generally increased precipitation across the Contiguous 48 states continued this week, with several sizeable swaths of heavy precipitation recorded, and broad coverage of near or above normal amounts.
High Plains moisture brought relief to drought conditions
Drought, Drought Monitor, Weather Storm systems brought significant precipitation and drought relief to broad areas in the central Rockies, central and southern Plains, Lower and Middle Mississippi Valley, Lower and Middle Ohio Valley, and the South Atlantic Region.
Helene was the No. 1 weather story
Drought, Drought Monitor, Weather After the intense rains from Hurricane Helene tapered off, this past week was extremely dry over a large majority of the contiguous 48 states. Rainfall totals exceeding 2 inches were limited to much of the Florida Peninsula, the immediate central Gulf Coast, the Louisiana Bayou, and Deep South Texas. Several small, isolated locations across these areas reported as much as 5 inches of rain. Significant rainfall was hard to find in other areas.
Remnants of Helene miss the High Plains
Hurricane Helene dropped heavy to excessive amounts of rain on a large area from the Ohio Valley, central Appalachians, and mid-Atlantic Piedmont southward to the eastern Gulf Coast region. The storm moved inland across the Florida Panhandle and northward into the South Atlantic States, then slowed down and drifted westward as it interacted with an upper-level low pressure system, becoming quasi-stationary as it slowly dissipated.
Drought map continues to note dry patches
There were big changes in the Drought Monitor depiction of dryness and drought this week compared to last, primarily across the contiguous U.S. east of the Mississippi River. Inundating tropical rains literally washed away the entrenched moderate to severe drought that had covered southern Florida. The opposite was the case farther north across most of the eastern states.
Another round of rains hit Plains states
A highly variable precipitation pattern was noted across the contiguous 48 states this past week, resulting in a significant number of changes in the Drought Monitor depiction. Another week of heavy rain June 4 to 11 continued to ease drought and abnormal dryness in parts of the central and southern Plains, with excessive amounts resulting in 2-category improvements in portions of central Kansas.
Drought continues to have hold in country’s midsection
In the past week over 3 inches of rain fell on broad areas including the central Great Plains. Between 5 and 7 inches soaked some areas in the southern tier of Arkansas, areas near the central Alabama/Mississippi border, the Florida Panhandle, and southwestern Virginia.
Recents rains have reduced drought’s footprint
Heavy to excessive rainfall significantly improved or removed drought from parts of the Northeast and south-central Great Plains. The heaviest amounts fell in a broken pattern from lower New York through Vermont, and in a swath from central Oklahoma through the fringes of the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. Many of these areas recorded over 6 inches of rain, with totals approaching 9 inches in a few isolated spots.
Some moisture, but drought hangs on
Heavy precipitation fell on areas of dryness in the Northeast, the southern and northern Plains, the northern Rockies, northern Intermountain West, and Pacific Northwest, and more-scattered areas in the mid-Atlantic Region and Florida. Enough rain fell on some areas of dryness to improve drought designations, including parts of the D3 and D4 areas in central to southern Texas.
Drought continues mean streak in High Plains
While most of the country received light precipitation at best last week, large totals fell on a few areas. A few swaths in the Upper Midwest recorded 1.5 to 3 inches, specifically from central to northeastern Minnesota, across much of Wisconsin and the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and from northeast Kansas and southeast Nebraska into southwest Iowa. Beneficial moderate to heavy precipitation also fell on parts of the Northern Rockies, northern Intermountain West, and Pacific Northwest.
More drought improvement than deterioration across US last week
A series of atmospheric rivers led to heavy rain and high-elevation snow across parts of the West, especially across California. Precipitation totals exceeding 4 inches (liquid-equivalent) were widespread, and several areas in and near the Sierra Nevada, Cascades, and coastal ranges recorded over one foot of precipitation.
Precipitation varies widely across US
Precipitation again varied widely across the Lower 48 this week, which is not unusual during the summer. Across the interior West, monsoon rains were not as intense as last week, but remained heavier than normal. Several times the normal amount soaked most areas in the western half of the Four Corners Region, much of Nevada, southeastern California, reaching as far north as southeastern Oregon and Wyoming.
Monsoon rains set records in some parts of the West, but little to no rain fell in High Plains
Precipitation varied widely across the Lower 48 this week. Across the interior West, heavy monsoon rains set records in some locales, with tropical moisture streaming much farther north and west than normal (through southern Montana, the Great Basin, and parts of the Sonoran Desert). Death Valley, California, set an all-time record for 24-hour rainfall, being doused with 1.46 inches during Aug. 5 and 6.
Substantial precipitation improves conditions in the Midwest; drought continues in High Plains region
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Drought Monitor Weekly: Generally Widespread Improvements
Summary Heavy precipitation pelted the northern half of the West Coast again this week. The largest amounts were reported in westernmost Washington and adjacent Oregon, where 6 to 10 inches of precipitation fell. Similar totals – though less widespread – were recorded across the northern half of the Cascades. Amounts decreased moving southward, with coastal areas and higher elevations from central Oregon to northwestern California receiving 2 to locally near 6 inches.
More improvement than deterioration in drought conditions across the US
Heavy precipitation pelted the northern half of the West Coast again this week. The largest amounts were reported in westernmost Washington and adjacent Oregon, where 6 to 10 inches of precipitation fell. Similar totals, though less widespread, were recorded across the northern half of the Cascades. Amounts decreased moving southward, with coastal areas and higher elevations from central Oregon to northwestern California receiving 2 to locally near 6 inches.
Heavy precipitation received in some areas
In what has become a familiar pattern, heavy precipitation continued to improve drought and dryness across the northern half of the West Coast States, though it created its own set of significant impacts. Farther south, similar totals fell on a relatively small area in southwest California. Heavy precipitation, some falling as heavy snow, also covered areas from the Ohio Valley and Middle Atlantic States southward through the Tennessee Valley, the interior Southeast, and the Carolinas.
NOAA Seasonal Drought Outlook - Dec., Jan., Feb.
La Niña conditions continued to evolve over the last four weeks, and are very likely to persist through the winter (December 2021 – February 2022). This Drought Outlook is largely driven by the La Niña and its typical effects on conditions across the United States. Since mid-October 2021, improvement finally arrived in parts of the West, with strong storms bringing heavy precipitation from the Pacific Northwest southward through the Sacramento Valley.
Exceptional drought noted in Minnesota for the first time, as Extreme and Exceptional drought cover large portions of Dakotas
Monsoonal moisture was squelched this week, in contrast to the heavy rainfall that had been pelting the southern Rockies and, to a lesser extent, much of the interior West. Totals between 1 and 2 inches were limited to a few patches in southeastern Arizona, central and south-central New Mexico, and scattered higher elevations in central Colorado and central Montana.
Conditions deteriorate in northern Plains, central Kansas
Abundant monsoonal precipitation again spread from the Southwest as far as eastern Nevada, southern Idaho, southern and western Wyoming, and western Colorado. Totals exceeding an inch were common, and 2 to 4 inches doused some of the higher elevations, especially across the central Rockies and Intermountain West. Most other areas of dryness and drought recorded at least light precipitation, but totals were not enough to significantly improve dryness and drought from the Plains eastward.
Heavy snow received in parts of Kansas and Nebraska
Moderate to heavy amounts of 1.5 to locally 4.0 inches pelted Kentucky, southern Missouri, northeastern Arkansas, just north of the central Gulf Coast, and patchy areas across southern Virginia and the interior Southeast. Similar amounts dotted southern California and the higher elevations of the southern Sierra Nevada and the Four Corners region, especially across Arizona.
Dry week in High Plains, but Midwest receives light to moderate precipitation
In contrast to the prior week, most of the country had a relatively dry week, with the significant exception of the Pacific Northwest and northern Intermountain West. Amounts over 1.5 inches were common, with parts of the Cascades and the coastline recording 4 to as much as 8 inches of precipitation. Given the time of year, the dry week did not lead to widespread deterioration. Most areas did not change, and significant improvement was limited to the Pacific Northwest.
Drought Monitor Weekly: Generally Wet and Warm
The heaviest precipitation fell on northwestern and southeastern parts of the country. The higher elevations of Washington and Oregon recorded 1.5 to locally 8.0 inches, with 2 to 4 inch totals reported in northwest Montana, north Idaho, and parts of eastern Washington and Oregon. On the other side of the country, Tropical Storm Eta dropped heavy rains on southern Florida. Amounts between 5 and 10 inches soaked parts of the greater Miami area.
Colder weather, rain and snow move across Rockies and Plains
Conditions took a dramatic turn across the Rockies and Plains, with hot and dry conditions suddenly replaced by much colder weather, and snow in some areas. A number of sites from the central Rockies into the northern Plains saw temperatures drop from around 90 degrees F Labor Day to near freezing with light snow the next morning. Denver, CO went from temperatures averaging 15 degrees above normal on Sept. 6 to 30 degrees below normal for Sept. 8, with an inch of snowfall reported.
Moderate to severe drought expands in Oklahoma
Significant rainfall missed most areas of dryness and drought across the contiguous 48 states, with improvements limited to part of the northern Intermountain West, central Kansas, and a few isolated spots in both Oregon and upstate New York. Elsewhere, dry conditions persisted or intensified. In particular, abnormally hot weather, low humidity, and gusty winds have led to rapidly intensifying dryness across the Plains States.
Drought intensifying quickly in southern High Plains; Midwest remains free of drought
Light precipitation at best covered most of the 48 states, so drought deterioration was more common than improvement this past week. Less than half an inch fell on most areas across the Southeast, Great Lakes Region, central and northern Plains, Mississippi Valley, Texas, and from the Rockies to the Pacific Coast.
Drought Monitor Weekly: Patchy Rains Mostly Miss Dry Areas
Drought stressed wheat. Photo: Kay Ledbetter, Texas AgriLife Extension Summary Most areas of dryness and drought received little precipitation this past week. Where there was significant precipitation, some improvement was noted, particularly in the Northwest where surplus precipitation fell during the previous 3 to 4 weeks. Moderate to heavy rains also brought improvement to southern Florida and patches of eastern North Carolina.
Drought Monitor Weekly: Overall Abnormal Dryness Spreads
Summary Rainfall this week was highly variable across the eastern two-thirds of the country, which is not unusual during summer. Heavy rain was common in the High Plains, and from the Texas Panhandle and central Oklahoma northward in the Great Plains.
Drought Monitor Weekly: Dry and Hot for Contiguous 48
Summary Heavy rain fell on large parts of Alaska this past week, bringing significant short-term relief, including an end to large fire development and expansion, at least for the time being. In contrast, dryness and drought expanded across broad sections of the contiguous 48 states, with relief restricted to parts of the Southeast. Most notably, hot and dry weather brought significant D0 expansion in the southern half of the Great Plains and across the Midwest and lower Ohio Valley.
Drought Monitor Weekly: Broken, Highly-Variable Rains
Summary A broken, highly-variable rainfall pattern predominated across the Country. Most areas where conditions are often dry during the summer followed this pattern, with little or no precipitation falling across the Far West and the northern Intermountain West.
Drought Monitor Weekly: Dry Areas Get a Mixed Bag for Rains
Summary It was a mixed picture for the dry areas across the country. Widespread rainfall totals exceeding 2 inches fell from northeast Montana to north-central North Dakota, with a swath of 4 to 6 inches soaking part of northwest North Dakota. Farther east, generally under an inch fell on northeastern North Dakota and northern Minnesota near the Canadian border, with amounts increasing to the south.
Drought Monitor Weekly: West Remains Wet; Southern Plains Dry
Southeast Dryness and drought only exist in southeastern Florida. Several tenths of an inch fell on northern sections of the dry area, and little or none fell on central and southern portions. No substantial changes in conditions and impacts were noted, so the Drought Monitor depiction remained the same as last week.
Precipitation in High Plains above normal for several months
Although only light precipitation fell last week in the High Plains and 30-day totals generally range from 0.5 to 1.5 inches, rainfall for several months now has been generally above normal, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor for Feb. 12 released Feb. 14. Totals so far this water year are considerably above normal, and much of that has fallen as snow in the past few months. Significant dryness now exists only on time scales exceeding one year.
Rains improve conditions in southwest Kansas
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor for Aug. 7 released Aug. 9, moisture deficits have been slowly increasing in northern parts of the High Plains region for the past several weeks. However, significant deficits are patchy and relatively short-term in nature, so only modest D0 and D1 expansion was brought into the drier parts of the Dakotas.
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