Agricultural News
Latest U.S. Drought Map Shows Continued Expansion in Western and Northern U.S. as Heavy Rains Wipe Out Drought in Oklahoma
Thu, 01 Jul 2021 08:15:51 CDT
Record-breaking heat in the Northwest, Great Basin and Northeast lead to expansions of drought conditions according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor update.
Meanwhile, multiple rounds of heavy rain across the Central U.S. dramatically improved drought conditions.
A band of 6-10-plus inches of rain fell from West Texas to northeast Oklahoma, resulting in one and two drought category improvements.
Unfortunately, heavy flooding was also the result of the heavy rains, leading to substantial infrastructure damage in central and eastern Oklahoma.
The beneficial rainfall amounts extended north into North Dakota and Colorado.
However, the long-term drought in the northern High Plains continues to impact the area. The USDA reports that 90 percent of South Dakota and 66 percent of North Dakota's topsoil moisture is short to very short, leading to forage shortages.
In response to the worsening conditions, extreme drought (D3) expanded in South Dakota and parts of Wyoming.
To view the U.S. Drought map, click here.
In Oklahoma, we continue to see reductions in drought coverage this week, as 84.11 percent of the state is drought free. This compares to 75.77 percent last week and 63 percent three months ago.
There are no shades of red (D3 extreme drought) on the Oklahoma map this week and we anticipate additional rainfall amounts this week will lead to a near 100 percent drought free map for Oklahoma next week.
To view the Oklahoma drought map, click here.
Looking ahead to next week, we will continue in this wet, cool weather pattern as below-normal temperatures with above-normal precipitation is expected for Oklahoma.
To view the 6-10-day temperature outlook, click here.
To view the 6-10-day precipitation outlook, click here.
A normal summer, precipitation-wise, is now forecast by NOAA for much of the Oklahoma. To view this outlook, click here.
There is more good news in the latest seasonal drought outlook as NOAA expects drought removal likely in southwest Oklahoma.
Unfortunately, the drought will persist and intensify for much of the western, northern and southwestern U.S.
To view the new seasonal drought outlook map, click here.
The U.S. Drought Monitor Map is developed through a partnership between the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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