The American Drought Monitor
The powerful wind system-affected areas in the area were 1 to 3 levels below normal for the week, while those further to the north were 9 to 12 degrees above normal. This week, considerable rain fell over the majority of Oklahoma, Texas, and north Arkansas, improving the drought situation. Over the past week, Lake Waco in north central Texas increased by 112, 000 acre-foot, bringing its historic low of 54.5 % of conservation storage to 114 %. The majority of these regions experienced a whole group improvement in their drought status, with some Texas regions experiencing multiple category improvements. This year, a whole category of improvement was made over much of Arkansas, with both moderate and severe drought conditions being reduced.
The Plains and the Midwest were affected by one of the season’s first major storm techniques. In addition to heavy rain, the area even experienced the first real cold air to arrive from Canada. The north Plains were covered in a lot of snow, and considerable rain fell in Wisconsin as well as parts of Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas. While cold weather dominated parts of Montana and Wyoming over the past year, the Southeast remained dry and warmer than usual.
