Another fairly quiet week across the U.S. has lead to little change in drought conditions across the U.S. But there were a few exceptions. The strong nor`easter that crawled up the Atlantic Coast brought improvements to the Carolinas, while Idaho and Montana saw some slight improvement due to the waves of storms that have rolled through the Interior Northwest.

Although the Atlantic nor`easter that climbed the East Coast last week threw copious amounts of rain and flooded portions of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, it also increased topsoil moisture and improved drought conditions in the Carolinas.

Elsewhere, a series of storms hammered the Pacific Northwest with snow and rain. The snow that fell in the mountains of Montana and Idaho, as well as rain in the valleys, was an improvement to the drought stricken area. Meanwhile, drought conditions are continuing to gradually deteriorate across Arizona and western New Mexico, southern Utah, and the Lake Tahoe area.

Looking ahead, a low pressure system pushing in from the Gulf of Mexico will dump heavy rain on eastern Texas. It could improve the drought somewhat, as 6 or more inches of rain is not out of the question. However, with the heavy rain that is forecast, much of the rain could run off and not help the drought situation as much as needed. Another system coming onshore in the Pacific Northwest will continue to bring a good chance of precipitation once again for the Northwest and Rockies, while the Southwest misses out once again.

Source: U.S. Drought Monitor

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