Multiple Fronts, But Little Precipitation Next Week

In the Midwest, a big winter system left the region early this week but produced heavy snow in the Great Lakes as well as lake-effect showers. Some additional showers moved through on the leading edge of some warmer air midweek as well. Some spotty showers will be possible in the east through Friday as systems move into the Northeast. A stronger front will move through this weekend. Limited showers are forecast with the front and will skip around much of the drought areas. Those drought areas have been significantly reduced due to widespread heavy precipitation for the first half of March.

In the Northern Plains, some light snow moved through the Dakotas on the leading edge of some warmer air earlier this week. A front will move through this weekend and may bring a few showers. The same goes with a couple of fronts next week. But most areas will stay dry and precipitation is likely to be light. Drought is slowly growing in the region, especially across the south.

In the Central and Southern Plains, drier weather this week has led to an overall increase in drought coverage and intensity, especially across the north and west, where previous storm systems have largely missed. Though we will see a front come through this weekend and at least one more next week, precipitation chances are very low and any spotty showers that do develop will be light. Drought is firmly entrenched across the south and growing elsewhere, an ominous sign getting deeper into spring.

In the Delta, some limited drought reduction was noted on this week’s update to the Drought Monitor, but deficits remain large and drought fully entrenched in the region. The pattern is much drier now through next week, despite a couple of fronts moving through. That puts additional stress on the drought situation heading into spring planting.

In the Southeast, a system left early this week after providing widespread precipitation, which was heavy in some places as well. Despite that, there was very little improvement on the Drought Monitor on this week’s update. Widespread D3 drought across southern Georgia and most of Florida is still firm despite some good rainfall over the last week. Though a couple of fronts will move through, and could produce some showers in the Carolinas, very little is forecast across the rest of the region, which should maintain drought status.

In the Western U.S., showers moved across far northern areas this week but mostly fell in the mountains. Southwestern areas are getting extremely hot, which combined with the dryness that will continue through next week is expanding drought across much of the region. To go along with that, the early heat is melting mountain snow at a faster clip than normal, a situation that may prove damaging later this spring and especially summer.

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