U.S. Drought Monitor (Jan. 14): Drought-Impacted Areas Recede After Winter Precipitation

The percentage of area in the Contiguous 48 States experiencing moderate drought or worse shrank for the week ending Jan. 12, dropping from 47.76% the week before to 44.85%.

Dryness continued to deteriorate conditions in Southern California, south-central Oregon, north-central Kansas, and south Texas, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Jan. 14 Drought Monitor report.

Storms continued to take aim at the Pacific Northwest, bringing multiple rounds of heavy rain along the coast and lower elevations, and snow to the mountains.

While the heaviest rains fell outside of most of the region’s current drought areas, parts of western Oregon have received 125% to 300% of normal precipitation since Jan. 1, helping to chip away at long-term drought conditions.

A winter storm brought snow to Rockies and eastern New Mexico before moving eastward.

Several locations from far southeastern New Mexico into western, central and eastern Texas, northern Louisiana and Mississippi were blanketed by at least 6 inches of snow.

Grainnet

Tags: USDA weather report