974
FXUS25 KWNC 051330
PMDDRO
US DROUGHT MONITOR DISCUSSION
NWS CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER CAMP SPRINGS MD
830 AM EST THU 05 NOV 2009
NATIONAL DROUGHT SUMMARY NOVEMBER 3, 2009 NORTHEAST AND
MID-ATLANTIC, AND CAROLINAS: ANOTHER WET WEEK OVER MUCH
OF THE REGION, CONTINUING THE TREND OF A WET FALL FOR MOST
LOCATIONS. IMPROVEMENTS WERE MADE TO THE D0 IN NEW YORK AND
INTO PENNSYLVANIA. IMPROVEMENTS WERE ALSO MADE TO THE NORTHWEST
AREA OF THE D0 AND D1 IN NORTH CAROLINA WHILE THE D0 WAS REMOVED
COMPLETELY FROM VIRGINIA, PUSHING THE DO BOUNDARY INTO NORTH
CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. BECAUSE OF LINGERING DRYNESS ALONG
THE COAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA, AN EXPANSION OF DO WAS CONSIDERED,
BUT WAS NOT MADE AT THIS TIME.
FLORIDA: THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAVE BEEN DRY OVER MUCH OF THE
FLORIDA PENINSULA. THERE WAS AN EXPANSION OF D0 ALONG THE
EASTERN COAST AND A NEW AREA OF D0 IN EXTREME SOUTH FLORIDA.
THE LACK OF ANY SERIOUS IMPACTS AT THIS TIME HAS PREVENTED
THE INTRODUCTION OF D1. MANY AREAS OF FLORIDA ARE STILL
SHOWING A WET SIGNAL OUT TO 6 MONTHS WITH THE INFLUENCE OF
WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINS THAT TOOK PLACE IN LATE MAY, HELPING
TO EASE CONCERNS ABOUT THE RECENT DRY STRETCH AS FLORIDA
TRANSITIONS INTO THEIR DRY SEASON.
MIDWEST: A WET WEEK OVER MUCH OF THE MIDWEST HAS MANY
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS EAGER TO HARVEST THEIR CROPS. WET FIELDS
AND STANDING WATER, ALONG WITH A LATE-MATURING CORN CROP,
HAVE DELAYED THE GRAIN HARVEST FOR MANY. IMPROVEMENTS TO
THE D0/D1 OVER MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN WERE MADE, WITH ALL
OF WESTERN MINNESOTA CONSIDERED DROUGHT FREE AT THIS TIME.
THE RECENT RAINS HAVE REPLENISHED SOIL MOISTURE AND HELPED WITH
RIVER AND STREAM LEVELS, BUT THERE ARE CONTINUING LONG-TERM
HYDROLOGICAL ISSUES THAT ARE NOT SHOWING MUCH RESPONSE YET
TO THE WET WEATHER. THE SOUTHERN PLAINS: MOSTLY STATUS QUO
FOR THE REGION THIS WEEK. IMPROVEMENTS WERE MADE IN SOUTHEAST
TEXAS TO THE D0/D1 CONDITIONS AS THIS AREA HAS SHOWN ENOUGH
IMPROVEMENT FROM RECENT RAINS TO PULL BACK SOME OF THE DROUGHT.
THE AREA AROUND LUBBOCK IS STARTING TO SHOW MORE DRYNESS, BUT
THE INTRODUCTION OF D1 WAS HELD OFF THIS WEEK AS THE DRYNESS
HAS NOT PERSISTED LONG ENOUGH TO IMPACT THE WHEAT CROP AND THERE
ARE NO OTHER IMPACTS BEING REPORTED AT THIS TIME. THE WEST: A
QUIET WEEK IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES ALLOWED FOR JUST A FEW
CHANGES ON THE DROUGHT DEPICTION. D0 WAS EXPANDED SOUTHWARD
IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BECAUSE OF CONTINUING WATER ISSUES IN
THE AREA. D1 WAS EXPANDED OUT OF ARIZONA AND CONNECTED TO
THE D1 IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. THE D1 EXPANSION ALSO INCLUDED
THE SOUTHERN TIP OF NEVADA. IMPROVEMENTS WERE MADE TO THE D0
IN MONTANA, IDAHO AND WASHINGTON AS GOOD PRECIPITATION SINCE
THE START OF THE WATER YEAR HAS ALLOWED FOR CONDITIONS TO
IMPROVE. ALASKA AND HAWAII: NO CHANGES FOR ALASKA THIS WEEK.
FOR HAWAII, KAUAI AND OAHU SAW IMPROVEMENTS TO THE D0 OVER
THE NORTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF THOSE ISLANDS AS THE ONSET OF
THE WET SEASON HAS PRODUCED NORMAL TO ABOVE-NORMAL RAINFALL.
ON THE BIG ISLAND, THE POHAKULOA AREA IS STILL HAVING POOR
PASTURE AND VEGETATION CONDITIONS, LEADING TO AN EXPANSION OF
THE D3 THERE. ON THE SOUTHERN END OF THE BIG ISLAND, UPSLOPE
RAINFALL HAS ALLOWED FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO PASTURES IN THE UPPER
ELEVATIONS, BUT THE LOWER ELEVATIONS ARE STILL POOR, ALLOWING
D3 TO BE IMPROVED SLIGHTLY THIS WEEK FOR THE UPPER ELEVATION
LOCATIONS. LOOKING AHEAD: DURING THE NEXT 5 DAYS /NOVEMBER
4-8/, A WARMING TREND WILL OCCUR OVER MUCH OF THE UNITED STATES,
CENTERED OVER THE HIGH PLAINS. TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE 6-12
DEGREES FAHRENHEIT ABOVE NORMAL, WITH THE GREATEST DEPARTURES
OVER NEBRASKA AND SOUTH DAKOTA. PRECIPITATION CHANCES LOOK TO
BE GREATEST OVER THE GREAT LAKES AND UPPER MIDWEST AND ALONG
THE COAST OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. PRECIPITATION CHANCES
ALSO LOOK GOOD OVER PORTIONS OF THE GULF COAST AND PORTIONS
OF SOUTH FLORIDA. THE CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER 6-10 DAY
FORECAST /NOVEMBER 9-13/ TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO BE WELL
ABOVE NORMAL OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE UNITED STATES,
WITH THE WARMEST TEMPERATURES CENTERED OVER THE GREAT LAKES.
BELOW-NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE ANTICIPATED OVER CALIFORNIA,
NEVADA AND ALASKA DURING THIS TIME. PRECIPITATION CHANCES
ARE PROJECTED TO BE GREATEST OVER THE PLAINS AND MISSISSIPPI
VALLEY AND PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF ALASKA
SHOULD HAVE ABOVE-NORMAL PRECIPITATION AS WELL.
AUTHOR: BRIAN FUCHS, NATIONAL DROUGHT MITIGATION CENTER
DROUGHT INTENSITY CATEGORIES...
D0 ABNORMALLY DRY...
D1 MODERATE DROUGHT...
D2 SEVERE DROUGHT...
D3 EXTREME DROUGHT...
D4 EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT
DROUGHT TYPES...
USED ONLY WHEN IMPACTS DIFFER...
A AGRICULTURAL...
H HYDROLOGIC.
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