More Active Weather Pattern This Week

In the Midwest, a clipper went through over the weekend with very little precipitation. Another system moves through on Monday and Tuesday with widespread precipitation and some snow on the northern edge from eastern South Dakota through lower Michigan that may produce a few inches. Another system will move through Thursday and Friday with more widespread showers. That should help to reduce some of the drought in the region, but not all areas will be hit by significant rainfall.

In the Northern Plains, a few showers moved through on Friday, but most areas stayed dry over the weekend. A few systems will pass around the region this week, but with limited precipitation and most of that falling through Wednesday. A more significant system may move through next week, though.

In the Central and Southern Plains, it was dry over the weekend. But several systems will move through this week and next, with more widespread precipitation. One will move through on Monday but showers with this one will be limited mostly to northern areas. A bigger system will move in on Wednesday night with more widespread showers and thunderstorms into Friday. Yet another system will move in on Sunday night and continue early next week. That may add up to some heavy amounts that would help with the drought situation that is especially concerning over Texas and southern Oklahoma.

In the Delta, it was dry over the weekend. A system will largely miss off to the north Monday and Tuesday, but another system should bring through some more significant showers and thunderstorms Thursday and especially Friday. That could help with the drought and the water levels on the Mississippi River.

In the Southeast, it was dry over the weekend. A system will bring showers to only northern areas on Tuesday into early Wednesday, but most areas that are in drought will remain dry. There will be a more significant system that brings widespread precipitation Friday and Saturday. While amounts may be better across the north, what rain falls in the south will be more important for reducing drought.

In the Western U.S., a system brought widespread heavy precipitation to California over the weekend and to other parts of the region as well. That system exits on Monday, but another system is spinning around off the California coast through Wednesday before pushing eastward as well. Yet one more system will move into the West and particularly across the Southwest for late this week and weekend. Heavy precipitation will surely reduce or eliminate drought around California while reducing it for other areas of the Southwest. Northern areas that have drought will see less precipitation this week.

John Baranick can be reached at john.baranick@dtn.com