According to the National Drought Monitor, 33.29% of the contiguous U.S. is drought-free, which is a minor change from 34.96% last week and compares to 43.56% a year-ago. The monitor notes that rains exceeded one inch from northeast Texas northward through southwest Missouri, improving drought classifications in the area. But across the Central and Northern Plains, little to no precip resulted in some areas of degradation.
For the Midwest, the monitor notes that only a few tenths of an inch of precipitation were reported in a few areas from Illinois and Iowa northward through the Great Lakes region and Minnesota, keeping dryness and drought unchanged from last week. “Most of central and northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, central and northern Iowa and southwestern Minnesota received no measurable precipitation. Only a few tenths of an inch of precipitation were reported in a few areas from Illinois and Iowa northward through the Great Lakes region and Minnesota, keeping dryness and drought unchanged from last week. Most of central and northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, central and northern Iowa, and southwestern Minnesota received no measurable precipitation,” it notes.
In its outlook for April 4 through 8, the monitor notes the desert Southwest, southern sections of the Rockies and High Plains, as well as the central and southern parts of Texas are expected to remain dry. “Most of the contiguous 48 states, however, should receive at least light precipitation, with 0.25 to 1.5 inches forecast for much of the country. Higher totals, generally 1.5 to 3.5 inches, are anticipated in the Pacific Northwest and in the Southeast from the lower Delmarva Peninsula southwestward through northern Florida,” it states.
