Areas of Heavy Rain Hitting Drought Areas This Week

In the Midwest, a front moved through with scattered showers late last week and another system moved into the west late Sunday and Monday. That system is bringing through widespread showers and thunderstorms going into Tuesday, including areas of severe weather and heavy rain. Additional showers will move across the south on Tuesday and Wednesday with another system passing by. Additional showers may develop for the rest of the week and weekend, but would be isolated. Drier areas near the Ohio River will get some much-needed rainfall, helping to keep soil moisture relatively high across most of the region.

In the Northern Plains, some showers moved through the region this weekend, especially across the Dakotas as a system moved by to the south. Showers will move out on Monday, but spotty showers will be possible the rest of the week. Overall, conditions are mostly favorable and have improved across the drier areas in the far south.

In the Central and Southern Plains, periods of showers and thunderstorms moved through this weekend, especially across the north and east. Some drier areas in Nebraska and Kansas found some heavy rain, as did areas in the Red River Valley. Multiple systems and disturbances moving through this week will bring through rounds of showers and thunderstorms. A system moving across Texas on Thursday and Friday is forecast to bring widespread moderate to heavy rain to the southwest, which is in dire need of precipitation. Some of the drought will ease, but rainfall deficits are larger than the rainfall forecast for many.

In the Delta, heavy thunderstorms moved through on Friday and Saturday, spreading needed rainfall to a large portion of the region and easing drought somewhat. Multiple fronts and systems will move through this week offering up more widespread rain and thunderstorms. Though some severe weather will be possible, so will heavy rain, which will help to ease drought. Rainfall deficits are extremely large, however, and only some improvement to drought will be noted.

In the Southeast U.S., a front moved through on Saturday and brought areas of showers, but most areas saw light rain or none at all. The region will get multiple chances for showers and thunderstorms throughout the week, especially with a system moving through the south on Saturday. These are some of the driest areas in the country and will certainly take the rainfall. However, deficits are extremely large and will take a lot more rain to undo. This should be a good step forward, though.

In the Western U.S., a system moved from California through the central Rockies this weekend, bringing some areas of moderate to heavy precipitation. Showers linger in this zone on Monday. Spotty showers will be possible for the rest of the week, but the forecast has shifted any significant precipitation for a late week system into New Mexico and farther east, leaving a lot of the region still very dry. Drought continues to be a major concern for a lot of the region with many area mountains seeing extremely low snowpack and area rivers, lakes, and reservoirs running at very low capacity.

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