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The data cutoff for Drought Monitor maps is Tuesday at 7 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. The maps, which are based on analysis of the data, are released each Thursday at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time.

NOTE: To view regional drought conditions, click on map below. State maps can be accessed from regional maps.

To compare current drought conditions with last week’s map, click here.

National Drought Summary -- December 2, 2008

The discussion in the Looking Ahead section is simply a description of what the official national guidance from the National Weather Service (NWS) National Centers for Environmental Prediction is depicting for current areas of dryness and drought. The NWS forecast products utilized include the HPC 5-day QPF and 5-day Mean Temperature progs, the 6-10 Day Outlooks of Temperature and Precipitation Probability, and the 8-14 Day Outlooks of Temperature and Precipitation Probability, valid as of late Wednesday afternoon of the USDM release week. The NWS forecast web page used for this section is: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/forecasts/.

Heavy precipitation fell across much of the Southwest during this U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) period while a dry week was experienced from the Northwest, through the High Plains, and into the Ohio River Valley. Conditions across the East Coast and into the South were dominantly wet, with the notable exception of Florida which continues to experience dry conditions except in the panhandle.  Exceptional drought continues to be experienced in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia and was introduced this week into south-central Texas.

The Northeast:  A series of fronts passed through the Northeast this USDM period resulting in the majority of the region receiving above normal precipitation.  Most of the region received over an inch of rain and areas of northern Maine and north-central New York received 4 – 4.5 inches. Warm temperatures dominated northern New England this week while cool temperatures were experienced across the southern part of this region.

Mid-Atlantic and Southeast: Cool temperatures dominated the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast this week, with much of the area seeing temperatures 2 - 6 degrees Fahrenheit below normal.  Much of the region from Maryland down to northern Florida saw above normal precipitation associated with a November 30 frontal passage.  The heaviest precipitation fell across southern Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia and across much of coastal South Carolina, resulting in some alleviation of drought conditions in these areas.  Long-term deficits and near-record low stream flows are still being felt across western North Carolina, South Carolina, and northern Alabama and Georgia, resulting in no change to the exceptional (D4) drought there.  Improvements in New Jersey, Delaware, and the eastern shore of Maryland resulted in removal of the abnormally dry (D0) categories there.  Portions of central Virginia, which did not receive the heavy precipitation, saw conditions become abnormally dry (D0).

The Plains and Upper Midwest:  Again this week, rainfall largely evaded this region with little to no precipitation falling from the Dakotas down through Texas. This resulted in expansion of drought in Oklahoma and Texas.  Exceptional drought (D4) was introduced into central Texas and extreme (D3) and abnormally dry conditions (D0) expanded in southern Texas.  San Antonio has had the driest January – November period since 1954 and the fourth driest since 1871.  Oklahoma saw expansion of abnormally dry (D0) and moderate drought (D1) across the central portions of the state. 

The West:  A storm swept through the Southwest November 26 – 27 bringing beneficial precipitation to the area.  Portions of southern California and Nevada and western Arizona received over 600% of their normal precipitation.  This had little impact on the long-term dryness in the area though.  Conditions improved slightly in southern Nevada.  Conditions worsened in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming with abnormally dry conditions (D0) expanding there. 

Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico:  Recent rains have led to status quo conditions across most of Hawaii with the exception of the Big Island.  Drought conditions intensified with expansion of severe drought (D2) there. 

Across Alaska, precipitation was mixed with above normal in the southern and northern parts of the state, and near to below normal precipitation in the western and central portions of the state.  Drought conditions remain unchanged.

Little to no rain fell over most of Puerto Rico this week.  Areas of drought remained unchanged.

Looking Ahead:  From December 3 - 7, 2008, normal to cooler than normal temperatures are expected for most of the contiguous U.S. The only exception is the far Southwest which is expected to see above normal conditions. Alaska is expecting above normal temperatures to the south and below normal to the north and west.  Above normal precipitation is expected in the South and across portions of Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas, as well as in southern Alaska. Below normal precipitation is expected from the Northwest down to central California and across the Mid-Atlantic and most of the Plains.

Author: Mike Brewer, NOAA/NCDC

D0 ... Abnormally Dry ... used for areas showing dryness but not yet in drought, or for areas recovering from drought.

Drought Intensity Categories
D1 ... Moderate Drought
D2 ... Severe Drought
D3 ... Extreme Drought
D4 ... Exceptional Drought

Drought or Dryness Types
A ... Agricultural
H ... Hydrological

Updated December 3, 2008