Precipitation Impact Commentary

Precipitation Impact Commentary

In the Midwest, a few showers got into western areas over the long holiday weekend, but most of the region stayed unfavorably dry. A pair of fronts will sweep through the region this week, bringing scattered showers. Rain is not forecast to be all that heavy for many areas, which is unfavorable for developing drought across the south and east.

In the Northern Plains, isolated showers moved through over the long holiday weekend, though a batch of heavy rain fell in South Dakota. A pair of fronts will move through this week, but with limited rainfall. Many areas are forecast to remain dry.

In the Central and Southern Plains, a small system meandered throughout the region over the long holiday weekend, bringing widespread showers and thunderstorms and some areas of heavy rain. A couple of fronts will move through the region with scattered showers this week. The second one will likely stall across the south this weekend, with showers continuing into next week, aided by the remnants of a tropical depression off the Pacific coast of Mexico that will move through the region early next week.

In the Delta, it was largely dry over the weekend. A weakened system and a pair of fronts will bring some limited showers through the region this week. Some spotty heavy rain may be possible early this week. Otherwise, drought continues to build across the north while some improvement was noted late last week across the south.

In the Southeast, scattered showers fell in some areas over the weekend, but much of the region stayed dry. A pair of fronts moving through this week could bring some additional showers, but rainfall amounts are forecast to generally be light. Drought could start to pop up in more areas on this week’s Drought Monitor if the rainfall is too spotty.

In the Western U.S., monsoon showers were limited over the weekend, occurring only in a few spots in the Four Corners area. Showers should perk up across the Southwest this week, aided by a decaying tropical system that should bring in some moisture from northwest Mexico. That may help to decrease drought in some areas. Showers may spread up into the Pacific Northwest as well. Though much of the region dries out next week, showers may continue across the Northwest.

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