Big Storm Moving Through This Weekend, Next Week

In the Midwest, a system went through with scattered, but light showers this week. A front moving in on Thursday will settle in through Saturday with periods of showers and thunderstorms as well. That is ahead of a system that will move through early next week. It will come through in a couple of pieces, producing widespread areas of heavy rain and severe thunderstorms. That should help to maintain or increase soil moisture for much of the region.

In the Northern Plains, some isolated showers went through this week, but most areas have been dry as drought increased on the edges again this week. A system moving into the Canadian Prairies did bring some decent showers to Montana, however. Another system will move through Sunday and Monday with heavier precipitation, particularly in the east where it is drier. And showers will continue in the cold air that follows next week. This should bring up soil moisture a bit and could reduce drought.

In the Central and Southern Plains, decent precipitation amounts last week caused drought to fall across Colorado, but is still in place due to large deficits. Central Texas saw good reduction again as well. But drier weather elsewhere has led to an increase in drought, especially after some drier weather this week. However, the pattern is changing with a system moving through this weekend. The cold front to the system will slowly push south through the region and multiple days of scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected, helping to increase soil moisture and reduce drought.

In the Delta, though some showers fell across the far south, it has been drier this week. Recent rainfall has reduced drought, particularly in those southern areas. But long-term deficits remain large across a lot of the region. Drier conditions are likely through the weekend, but a slow-moving cold front will bring through multiple days of rainfall next week. That should help to increase soil moisture and reduce drought.

In the Southeast U.S., heavy rain fell over the south earlier this week, helping to reduce drought. Pockets of drought reduction were noted on the update to the Drought Monitor this week, but long-term deficits are large and coverage of heavy rain has been spotty. Dry weather continues into next week as the region awaits the push of a slow-moving cold front next week that should bring through more rounds of showers and thunderstorms for later next week and weekend.

In the Western U.S., it was dry in most areas this week, but a system moved through the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday and brought scattered showers. Some severe storms moved over Utah and into Montana as well, but produced only limited precipitation there. Some showers will move across the far north over the next couple of days, with a system moving through the middle of the region on Sunday and Monday. That is likely to bring heavier precipitation to parts of the Interior West, again around Utah. Drier weather is likely to follow. The precipitation should have some impact on soil moisture and drought areas, but drought is likely to grow over California and the adjacent areas of the region.

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