12/13/16 Drought Monitor - Marginal Improvement In Level 3-4 Droughts In SE, CA

[hatrack]

In North Carolina, the depiction remains unchanged this week. Recent rainfall (from several weeks ago) and cooler temperatures have provided some relief in overall drought conditions across the western part of the state, but not enough to warrant a one-category improvement at this time. A reassessment of conditions across South Carolina supported a one-category improvement (from extreme drought to severe drought, D3 to D2) across portions of Upstate South Carolina. No changes were rendered in northern Georgia, where drought continues to be entrenched. For example, Lake Lanier is now 9.11 feet below full “winter” pool.

In southern Georgia, a southwest-to-northeast oriented heavy rain band (generally 4-8 inches, locally higher, in the past 14-days) warranted one-category improvements to the area.

In nearby Alabama, targeted one-category improvements were rendered to the depiction where localized swaths of heavy rainfall were observed. This primarily included central and southeastern Alabama, though very minor adjustments were also made in a few far northern counties, from D3 to D2.

The band of heavy rain that recently resulted in significant improvements across southern portions of Alabama and Georgia also resulted in the removal of severe drought (D2) from the western Florida Panhandle. Widespread improvements were also incorporated into the Louisiana and Mississippi depictions, based largely on heavy rains several weeks ago. The impact lines and labels were reassessed this week across these areas, based on departure from normal precipitation (DNPs) out to 180-days, and on the latest drought blends.

EDIT

Water Year to Date (since Oct 1) PNPs are well above-normal (mostly 125-200 percent) in much of Washington, western Oregon, and a large fraction of the northwestern half of California. Across the far southeastern California deserts, practically no rain has fallen since Oct 1, with PNPs ranging within the lowest 25 percent of normal. As this is still fairly early in the Water Year (WY), and reservoirs and groundwater supplies are still being assessed and evaluated, no changes were deemed necessary to the regional depiction this week.

EDIT

http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/