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FXUS25 KWNC 031230
PMDDRO
US DROUGHT MONITOR DISCUSSION
NWS CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER CAMP SPRINGS MD
830 AM EST THU 03 JUL 2008
NATIONAL DROUGHT SUMMARY - JULY 1, 2008
THE NORTHEAST: MODERATE RAINFALL /0.5 TO 2.0 INCHES/ WAS FAIRLY
WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE ABORNMALLY DRY AREAS OF THE NORTHEAST,
ALLEVIATING DRYNESS WHERE THE HEAVIER PRECIPITATION FELL AND
REDUCING THE EXTENT OF D0 CONDITIONS ELSEWHERE. POCKETS OF
ABNORMAL DRYESS PERSISTED IN PARTS OF INTERIOR SOUTHEASTERN
NEW YORK, NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND ADJACENT NEW JERSEY,
AND THE SOUTHERNMOST REACHES OF NEW ENGLAND.
THE SOUTHEAST: ALTHOUGH MODERATE RAINFALL WAS FAIRLY COMMON
ACROSS THE AREA AFFLICTED BY DRYNESS AND DROUGHT, THE SCATTERED
NATURE OF THE PRECIPITATION, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE LONG-TERM
NATURE OF THE PRECIPITATION SHORTAGES ACROSS THE REGION, LED TO
LITTLE DISCERNABLE RELIEF FROM THE PROTRACTED DRY SPELL. IN
FACT, AN INCREASE IN THE COVERAGE WAS NOTED IN THE D1 TO
D3 AREAS THAT RECORDED LESS RAINFALL THAN MOST OTHER PARTS
OF THE REGION. EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT /D4/ CONDITIONS EXPANDED
SOUTHEASTWARD TO COVER A BIT MORE OF CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA,
AND D1 TO D3 CONDITIONS EXPANDED EASTWARD TO COVER INCREASED
AREAS ALONG THE SOUTH ATLANTIC SEABOARD, ESPECIALLY ACROSS
NORTH CAROLINA. FARTHER WEST, D0 TO D2 CONDITIONS EXPANDED TO
COVER MUCH OF MISSISSIPPI, ALL OF WESTERN ALABAMA, AND SOME
OF THE CENTRAL SECTIONS OF TENNESSEE AND KENTUCKY.
FARTHER SOUTH, THE RAINY SEASON SEEMS TO HAVE GOTTEN UNDERWAY IN
EARNEST ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN FLORIDA. DROUGHT CONDITIONS
/D1 TO D2/ ARE NOW CONSTRICTED TO AREAS AROUND AND NEAR LAKE
OKEECHOBEE, AND ABNORMALLY DRY /D0/ CONDITIONS PULLED OUT OF
A SIGNIFICANT SECTION OF CENTRAL FLORIDA.
THE CENTRAL PLAINS AND UPPER MIDWEST: WHILE SEVERE WEATHER
AND FLOODING RAINFALL CONTINUED TO POUND ALREADY-WATER-LOGGED
SECTIONS OF THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY, PRECIPITATION
REMAINED ELUSIVE ACROSS THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS. HOWEVER, ENOUGH
FELL TO REMOVE D0 CONDITIONS FROM NORTHEASTERN NORTH DAKOTA,
AND TO REDUCE THE EXTENT OF D0 TO D2 CONDITIONS FROM EXTREME
EASTERN MONTANA EASTWARD THROUGH THE CENTRAL DAKOTAS. FARTHER
SOUTH, LESS ROBUST PRECIPITATION FELL FROM WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA
SOUTHWARD TO THE NORTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE, KEEPING LAST WEEKS
D0 TO D4 CONDITIONS INTACT, WITH THE MOST SEVERE CONDITIONS
IMPACTING AREAS ACROSS AND ADJACENT TO THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE.
TEXAS AND NEW MEXICO: THIS WAS ONE OF THE FEW AREAS OF
DRYNESS AND DROUGHT THAT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL, DROUGHT-EASING
PRECIPITATION LAST WEEK, THOUGH THERE WERE A FEW NOTABLE
EXCEPTIONS. ANYWHERE FROM 1 TO SEVERAL INCHES OF PRECIPITATION
INDUCED 1-CLASSIFICATION IMPROVEMENTS FOR SIZEABLE PORTIONS
OF TEXAS AND EASTERN NEW MEXICO. AMOUNTS WERE QUITE HEAVY IN
A FEW ISOLATED AREAS, MOST NOTABLY ACROSS INLAND AREAS NEAR
THE FAR SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS COAST, AND AT A FEW SITES ALONG THE
RIO GRANDE RIVER IN AND NEAR VAL VERDE COUNTY. IN MOST AREAS,
HOWEVER, PRECIPITATION TOTALS WERE LESS IMPRESSIVE /BETWEEN
0.5 AND 2.0 INCHES/, AND MOST OF SOUTH-CENTRAL AND FAR SOUTHERN
TEXAS RECORDED LITTLE OR NO RAINFALL.
THE RESULTING IMPROVEMENT FROM LAST WEEKS DROUGHT MONITOR
DEPICTION WAS SUBSTANTIAL AND QUITE WIDESPREAD, BUT THE WERE NO
LARGE-SCALE AREAS OF DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT. TWO-CLASSIFICATION
IMPROVEMENTS WERE RESTRICTED TO FAIRLY SMALL AREAS IN EASTERN
PECOS, CROCKETT, AND THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF SCHLEICHER AND
SUTTON COUNTIES.
IN STARK CONTRAST, ANOTHER DRY WEEK ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL AND
FAR SOUTHERN TEXAS CONTINUED THE TREND OBSERVED IN THIS REGION
FOR APPROXIMATELY THE LAST HALF OF THE YEAR. THOUGH DRYNESS
HAS NOT BEEN EXCEPTIONALLY LONG-LIVED, THE EXCEPTIONAL LACK OF
PRECIPITATION DURING THIS PERIOD LED TO WIDESPREAD D3 CONDITIONS
THROUGHOUT THE AREA, WITH A NEW AREA OF EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT
/D4/ INTRODUCED IN UPPER SOUTHERN TEXAS, COVERING MOST OR ALL
OF THE COUNTIES OF BEXAR, WILSON, GUADALUPE, COMAL, HAYES,
CALDWELL, GONZALES, NORTHERN SECTIONS OF KARNES AND DEWITT,
BASTROP, THE SOUTHERN REACHES OF LEE AND TRAVIS, FAYETTE,
LAVOCA, AND COLORADO
THE WEST: SEASONABLY DRY CONDITIONS DOMINATED THE WESTERN
STATES, RESULTING IN LITTLE CHANGE IN THE DROUGHT STATUS.
HAWAII, ALASKA AND PUERTO RICO: BOTH HAWAII AND PUERTO RICO
RECEIVED AT LEAST LIGHT RAIN LAST WEEK, ENOUGH TO KEEP DRYNESS
AND DROUGHT ESSENTIALLY INTACT. ONE EXCEPTION CAME ON THE
BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII, WHERE D2 CONDITIONS WERE ASSESSED THIS
WEEK IN THE NORTHERN REACHES, WITH D1 EXTENDING SOUTHWARD INTO
THE INTERIOR SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF THE ISLAND. LOOKING AHEAD:
DURING JULY 3 - 8, HEAVY PRECIPITATION IS FORECAST TO BRING
SOME DEGREE OF DROUGHT RELIEF TO SOUTHERN TEXAS AND MUCH OF
PENINSULAR FLORIDA. MEANWHILE, MODERATE RAIN SHOULD BRING MORE
LIMITED RELIEF TO MUCH OF THE SOUTHEASTERN DROUGHT REGION, AND
TO PARTS OF THE WEST-CENTRAL PLAINS. ONLY LIGHT PRECIPITATION,
IF ANY, IS ANTICIPATED IN OTHER AREA OF DRYNESS AND DROUGHT
ACROSS THE CONTIGUOUS 48 STATES. THE ENSUING FIVE DAYS LOOK TO
BE WARMER THAN NORMAL ACROSS ALMOST THE ENTIRE 48 CONTIGUOUS
STATES. THE ODDS FAVOR WETNESS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN HALF OF
TEXAS, THE GULF COAST STATES, MUCH OF NEW ENGLAND, AND NEW
MEXICO AND ADJACENT LOCALES. FARTHER WEST, SEASONABLY DRY
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL. AUTHOR: RICH TINKER,
CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER, NOAA
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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