USA Drought Improves in Southeast and Plains

[Hum]

Heavy rainfall in the Southeast and a pair of heavy snow events in the Plains have made dents in the long-term drought in each region.

According to the latest Drought Monitor report released Thursday from the National Drought Mitigation Center, "extreme" drought, the second worst category of drought in this weekly analysis, has been erased from the Southeast region (from Alabama and Florida to Virginia) for the first time since August 2010.

The following cities have already broken their wettest Februaries:

Macon, Ga. (12.87")

Columbus, Ga. (12.47")

Charleston, S.C. (10.47")

In fact, river flood warnings continue as of this writing in parts of north Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, as well as parts of soouthern Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

The latest Drought Monitor report also illustrated some small improvements in the drought-suffering Plains states.

Snowfall from Winter Storm Q and Winter Storm Rocky eased the current drought status from "exceptional", the worst category, to "extreme", the second worst category, in parts of central Kansas, as well as northern and western Oklahoma.

Wichita, Kan. picked up over 21" of snow from both storms, setting a new monthly snowfall record. The official observing station in Amarillo, Texas measured 19" of snow from Winter Storm Rocky.

Other parts of Oklahoma were backed down a category from "extreme" to "severe" drought, the third worst category.

According to an analysis from NOAA's National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center suggests 1-2" of snow water equivalent (i.e., the liquid melted from the existing snowpack) exists from northwest Oklahoma into much of central/eastern Kansas, northern Missouri and parts of southern Iowa.

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[Growled Member]

It's freaking rained nearly every day for the past two months. If I wanted this much rain I would move to England. :p

We needed the rain, so seriously no complaints from me.

[Hum]

^ Maybe now Georgia will leave the Tennessee rivers alone. ;)

[Growled Member]

^ Maybe now Georgia will leave the Tennessee rivers alone. ;)

For now, but I doubt the issue is going away unless Georgia suddenly turns into a rain forest.