By Jamie Martin
The latest update from the U.S. Drought Monitor indicates a decrease in the overall drought-affected areas in the United States, including Puerto Rico, with 38.0% coverage compared to last week's 41.7%. Despite this general reduction, extreme drought conditions marginally worsened, rising from 4.1% to 4.2%.
Throughout the week, a notable atmospheric pattern featured a low-pressure trough over the western U.S. and a high-pressure ridge over the eastern regions.
This setup facilitated warmer conditions east of the Rockies and cooler temperatures in the West, influencing varied precipitation across the country.
The Pacific Northwest and eastern Montana received above-normal precipitation, benefiting from Pacific weather systems moving along the jet stream.
Conversely, areas like California, Arizona, and parts of the Northeast experienced drier conditions. Precipitation was more favorable from New Mexico to the western Great Lakes and in regions stretching from the Lower Mississippi Valley to the Mid-Atlantic coast, where moisture from the Gulf of Mexico enhanced rainfall.
Drought conditions showed improvement in regions like the Pacific Northwest and central Appalachians, while worsening in parts of Montana and the Northeast.
Despite the slight increase in extreme drought areas, the national perspective reflects a contraction in drought coverage, benefiting over 228 million people or about 73.3% of the population.
For further details on drought impacts and forecasts, resources such as drought.gov and the National Drought Mitigation Center offer comprehensive information and updates.
Photo Credit: photo-library-igor-stevanovic
Categories: National