To view the latest Oklahoma drought map, CLICK HERE.
According to the latest Oklahoma drought monitor report, exceptional drought remains at zero percent, unchanged from the start of the calendar year.
Extreme drought or worse conditions remain at zero percent, unchanged since the week of October 29, 2024.
Severe drought or worse conditions remain at 14.10 percent, unchanged from last week.
Moderate drought or worse conditions remain at 47.52 percent, unchanged from last week.
Abnormally dry or worse conditions have decreased to 75.46 percent, down from 76.95 percent last week.
According to the 6-to-10-day precipitation outlook map, Oklahoma is likely below a 50-60% chance of precipitation through April 12.
To view the United States Drought Map, CLICK HERE.
This U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) week saw improvement in drought-related conditions across areas of the Intermountain West, High Plains, South, Upper Midwest, and Southeast. Meanwhile, conditions degraded on the map in the Southwest, Lower Midwest, and the Mid-Atlantic. Out West, a series of Pacific storms delivered significant rainfall to the lower elevation coastal areas and heavy mountain snow in the Klamath Mountains, Cascades, and Sierra Nevada ranges, as well as to the higher elevations of the Great Basin and the central and northern Rocky Mountains. In the coast ranges of Northern California, 7-day rainfall totals exceeded 10+ inches in some areas, according to preliminary data from the National Weather Service (NWS) California-Nevada River Forecast Center. The series of storms provided a late-season boost to mountain snowpack levels including in California, where the statewide snowpack (April 1) was 96% of normal, according to the California Department of Water Resources. In the Southwest, drought expanded and intensified across areas of southeastern and northeastern Arizona, northeastern New Mexico, and southwestern Colorado, where snowpack levels are below normal in the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo ranges. In the South, southern Texas received record-breaking rainfall (12+ inches) leading to widespread improvements in drought-related conditions. In the Upper Midwest, an ice storm impacted northeastern Wisconsin and northern Michigan, leading to widespread power outages. Precipitation from the storm event led to improvements on the map in those areas. In parts of the Northeast, some improvements occurred in response to a combination of factors, including normal to above-normal precipitation (past 30-60 days), increased streamflows, and some recovery in groundwater levels. In the Southeast, short-term dryness expanded areas of drought from North Carolina to Georgia, while Florida saw some minor improvement in drought conditions in response to recent rainfall events.
In terms of reservoir storage in areas of the West, California’s reservoirs continue to be at or above historical averages for the date (April 1), with the state’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville, at 113% and 121% of average, respectively. In the Southwest, as of March 31, Lake Powell is 32% full (55% of typical storage level), Lake Mead is 34% full (54% of average), and the total Lower Colorado system is 41% full (compared to 42% full at the same time last year), according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. In Arizona, the Salt River Project is reporting the Salt River system reservoirs 72% full, the Verde River system 53% full, and the total reservoir system 70% full (compared to 89% full one year ago). In New Mexico, the state’s largest reservoir along the Rio Grande is currently 14% full (30% of average). In the Pacific Northwest, Washington’s Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake is 81% full (148% of average for the date), Idaho’s American Falls Reservoir on the Snake River is 96% full (108% of average), and Hungry Horse Reservoir in northwestern Montana is 72% full (108% of average).
In the Southern Plains, generally dry conditions prevailed across areas of the region including Oklahoma, western Texas, Arkansas, and southern Mississippi. Conversely, the Gulf Coast regions of Texas and Louisiana received very heavy rainfall in some areas (5 to 15 inches based on radar estimates), with the highest accumulations observed along the southern Gulf Coast region of Texas and the South Texas Plains. The deluge of rainfall led to life-threatening flooding and loss of lives. The rains also led to significant improvements in drought-related conditions, with multiple category improvements made on the map. In contrast, short-term dry conditions continued in Arkansas, although heavy rains are expected to impact the state over the next week. For the week, average temperatures were well above normal, with anomalies ranging from 4 to 10+ degrees F. Looking at reservoir conditions in Texas, statewide reservoirs are reported to be 75.3% full, with many reservoirs in the eastern part of the state in good condition, while numerous reservoirs in the western portion of the state continue to experience below-normal levels, according to Water for Texas (April 2)..
In the High Plains, on this week’s map, only minor changes were made in the region, namely in western Nebraska and areas of Kansas. In the Sand Hills of Nebraska, precipitation during the past 7-day period (1 to 2 inches) led to 1-category improvements in areas of Severe (D2) and Extreme (D3) drought. In Kansas, short-term dry conditions (past 30-60 days) led to the expansion of isolated areas of drought in the southwestern and northeastern parts of the state. Generally dry conditions prevailed across much of the region for the week, with some small accumulations (0.5 to 1 inch liquid) observed in southern and eastern South Dakota, northern Nebraska, and southeastern Kansas. In terms of temperatures, near-normal average temperatures were logged across the region.
In the West, a series of Pacific storms delivered heavy rain to the lower elevations and snow to the higher elevations of the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. In the Lake Tahoe area, 7-day snowfall totals ranged from 1 to 2+ feet, while areas of the Klamath Mountains of northwestern California received totals up to 3 feet. Other mountain regions, including the Cascades of Oregon, the Wasatch and Uintas of Utah, and the northern Rockies, received accumulations ranging from 6 to 24 inches. Looking at the regional snowpack, the NRCS SNOTEL network is reporting (April 1) the following region-level (2-digit HUC) SWE levels: Pacific Northwest 104%, Missouri 98%, Upper Colorado 89%, Great Basin 103%, Lower Colorado 49%, and Rio Grande 49%. In the Desert Southwest, areas of Extreme Drought (D3) expanded in northeastern and southeastern Arizona in response to very low streamflows and below-normal precipitation since the beginning of the Water Year (Oct 1). In areas of southwestern and south-central Colorado, degradations were made on the map where snowpack conditions at numerous NRCS SNOTEL stations are reporting well below-normal SWE levels. Likewise, poor snowpack conditions have been observed in the mountain ranges of southern Utah, northern Arizona, and northern New Mexico.
Looking ahead, The NWS Weather Prediction Center (WPC) 7-Day Quantitative Precipitation Forecast (QPF) calls for moderate-to-heavy precipitation accumulations ranging from 3 to 10+ inches (liquid) across areas of the South, Lower Midwest, and the Pacific Northwest (Washington), with the heaviest accumulations expected in the Middle Mississippi Valley and Ohio River Valley regions. Light-to-moderate accumulations are expected in areas of the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Upper Midwest, and central and southern Plains. In the central and southern Rocky Mountains, mountain snowfall is expected. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) 6-10-day Outlook calls for a moderate-to-high probability of above-normal temperatures across the Western U.S. and Plains, while below-normal temperatures are expected across the Midwest and Eastern Tier. In terms of precipitation, there is a moderate-to-high probability of below-normal precipitation across most of the West, Plains, South, and the Midwest. Elsewhere, above-normal precipitation is expected across the Eastern Seaboard and in the Pacific Northwest (Washington).
To view the 6-10 Day Precipitation Outlook Map, click here.
To view the 6-10 Day Temperature Outlook Map, click here.
To view the Monthly Drought Outlook Map, click here.
