Latest news with #DroughtMonitor
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Is Central Texas still in drought? Maps show change before and after last week's floods
Some areas of Texas received up to 20 inches of rain last week as remnants from two tropical systems met over the state, unleashing flash floods that proved both deadly and destructive. The storms delivered a dramatic burst of moisture to a parched landscape, but even with that, much of Texas remains locked in abnormally dry conditions and drought, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor maps. The flooding came on the heels of an early and intense heat wave, with triple-digit temperatures gripping parts of the state as early as mid-May — nearly two months ahead of schedule. Temperatures soared as high as 113 degrees along the Texas-Mexico border, and June ended as the seventh-hottest month on record. While the recent rain did lead to a notable reduction in drought coverage across parts of the state, it wasn't enough to bring widespread or lasting relief. Large swaths of Texas remain in severe to exceptional drought — the three highest categories — including the Texas Hill Country, which saw the greatest devastation from last week's flash flood that came hours ahead of Fourth of July celebrations, killing at least 120 with 170 still missing. No drought: 62.15% Abnormally dry to exceptional drought (D0–D4): 37.85% Moderate to exceptional drought (D1–D4): 29.50% Severe to exceptional drought (D2–D4): 22.20% Extreme to exceptional drought (D3–D4): 13.48% Exceptional drought (D4): 5.75% Drought Severity and Coverage Index (DSCI): 109 The Drought Severity and Coverage Index describes the overall intensity and geographic extent of drought conditions in a given area. No drought: 68.71% of Texas Abnormally dry to exceptional drought (D0–D4): 31.29% Moderate to exceptional drought (D1–D4): 23.04% Severe to exceptional drought (D2–D4): 16.29% Extreme to exceptional drought (D3–D4): 10.21% Exceptional drought (D4): 4.38% Drought Severity and Coverage Index (DSCI): 85 This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Is Central Texas still in drought? See maps after last week's floods
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Iowa Drought Monitor map shows continued improvement after heavy rainfall in Iowa.
Consistent rainfall and thunderstormsacross Iowa the week of June 23 have continued to lift some parts of the state out of drought conditions. As of Thursday, June 26, parts of central and southern Iowa have reported nearly five inches of rain over the previous three days. The latest Drought Monitor report, released on June 26, indicated that 45% of Iowa had no dryness or drought conditions. This is a double-digit improvement from the last report on June 19, when 31% of Iowa reported no abnormal dryness or drought. The portion of the state experiencing abnormal and moderate drought decreased compared to the previous week, with southern Iowa specifically receiving some relief from drought conditions. Moderate drought conditions decreased from 11.6% of the state to 8.8%. Although drought conditions have continued to improve, Iowa remains drier than it was at this time last year. The Drought Monitor reported on June 25, 2024, that 80% of the state was not experiencing any drought conditions. This was partly due to Iowa experiencing an unusually wet spring and early summer last year, which ended a four-year drought in the state. The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions nationwide. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday. The intensity levels range from abnormally dry, or D0, to exceptional drought, or D4. Typically under D0 conditions, corn can show drought stress. Pond levels start to decline under moderate drought conditions and soybeans abort pods, according to the Drought Monitor. The Drought Monitor also has a look-back chart that compares drought conditions from 3 months ago up to 1 year ago. Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@ or follow him on X @CooperAWorth. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Drought Monitor map: Rainfall leads to continued improvement
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Drought monitor map shows an increase in dry conditions across Iowa. Why?
With the summer kicking off and temperatures rising, will Iowa's drought conditions remain steady or will a drop in rainfall lead to worsening conditions? The U.S. Drought Monitor's weekly map tracks the progress as drought retreats from large portions of Iowa. The newest Drought Monitor report, released on June 5, showed 28% of Iowa with no dryness or drought. That's worse than the last report on May 29, when 44% of Iowa reported no abnormal dryness or drought. The portion of the state in moderate drought also increased to 13% compared to 9% the week prior. Moderate drought conditions are concentrated in northwestern, northeastern and southern counties. Current conditions are worse than this time last year, when for a brief period, none of the state was under moderate drought conditions. All of Polk County is now in abnormally dry conditions, according to the Drought Monitor. In the prior report, only 0.1% was abnormally dry. Drought conditions could worsen if weather patterns play out as expected over the next few months in Iowa. Iowa's long-range forecast has signs that the state could see an elevated warm and dry period, said Justin Glisan, the state's climatologist. "That doesn't mean that we're not going to see rainfall," he said. "It's just looking like the potential is there for less than what we would expect in summertime." Iowa isn't getting as many storm systems coming through as we had last spring through summer, either, Glisan said. Iowa's rainfall is mostly thunderstorm-produced, which can vary in timing. Iowa drought conditions: Des Moines metro residents asked to cut back on lawn watering The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions across the country. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday. The intensity levels range from abnormally dry, or D0, to exceptional drought, or D4. Typically under D0 conditions, corn can show drought stress. Pond levels start to decline under moderate drought conditions and soybeans abort pods, according to the Drought Monitor. The Drought Monitor also has a look-back chart that compares drought conditions from 3 months ago up to one year ago. Glisan also noted that Iowans can submit their own dryness observations to him at the Iowa Climatology Bureau, the National Weather Service or the U.S. Drought Monitor. Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at vreynarodriguez@ or follow her on Twitter @VictoriaReynaR. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Drought Monitor: Will warm weather increase drought?
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Iowa Drought Monitor map shows how much late June rain improved conditions
Drought conditions across Iowa continue to improve, with more than half of the state now experiencing drought-free conditions. Large portions of the state benefited from a week of consistent rains, with some areas getting more than 4 inches of rain from June 21 to June 28. The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions nationwide. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday. What are the current drought conditions in Iowa? The latest Drought Monitor report, released on July 3, showed that 57% of Iowa had no dryness or drought conditions. This is a double-digit improvement from the last report on June 26, when 45% of Iowa reported no abnormal dryness or drought, and 29 percentage points better than the Drought Monitor report on June 5. Central and southwestern Iowa, in particular, saw improved drought conditions compared to the previous week. The portion of the state experiencing abnormal and moderate drought also decreased compared to last week. Moderate drought conditions decreased from 8.8% of the state to 4.6%, and abnormal drought conditions from 54% to 42%. The Drought Monitor report from July 2, 2024, found that 87% of the state was not experiencing any drought conditions. This was partly due to Iowa experiencing an unusually wet spring and early summer last year, which ended a four-year drought in the state. The intensity levels range from abnormally dry, or D0, to exceptional drought, or D4. Typically under D0 conditions, corn can show drought stress. Pond levels start to decline under moderate drought conditions and soybeans abort pods, according to the Drought Monitor. The Drought Monitor also has a look-back chart that compares drought conditions from 3 months ago up to 1 year ago. Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@ or follow him on X @CooperAWorth. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Drought Monitor map: More than half of Iowa is drought free
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Entire county no longer in drought following rain over last several weeks
Frederick County is no longer in a drought as of Thursday, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, following several storms and rain events over the last several weeks. The majority of the county — about 98% — is considered abnormally dry, while a small portion of northern Frederick County is in normal conditions. The current stream flow for multiple streams in the county has also returned to normal or above-normal levels. The Drought Monitor has five drought and dryness categories: abnormally dry, moderate drought, severe drought, extreme drought and exceptional drought. In April, all of Frederick County, as well as most of the state of Maryland, was in a severe drought. Frederick County had been in a drought since Nov. 12, according to Drought Monitor emails, with conditions worsening from moderate drought to severe drought at the end of March. The Maryland Department of the Environment also issued a drought 'warning' — the third level of the department's drought status key — on April 3 for almost the whole state. At that time, the stream flow for multiple streams was much below normal levels. In May, conditions improved in the central, west and north parts of the county from severe to moderate drought. The southern and eastern parts were still in a severe drought. Drought Monitor data released Thursday morning showed the county was entirely out of a drought. In the last 60 days, Frederick County has also gotten above-normal precipitation. The Maryland Department of the Environment's drought status from May 31 still had placed Frederick County under a drought warning. The Department of the Environment's drought status key has four levels: 'normal,' 'watch,' 'warning' and 'emergency.'
