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 decreased to 13..60 percent, down from 14.10 percent last week.
Moderate drought or worse conditions decreased to 39.93 percent, down from 47.52 percent last week.
Abnormally dry or worse conditions have decreased to 53.11 percent, down from 75.46 percent last week.
According to the 6-to-10-day precipitation outlook map, the entire state of Oklahoma is leaning above a 33-40% chance of precipitation through April 19.
To view the United States Drought Map, CLICK HERE.
This U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) week saw widespread improvement in drought-related conditions across areas of the South, Southeast, and Midwest, where a series of strong storms delivered heavy rainfall, damaging winds, and severe flooding. The multi-day storm event saturated soils leading to inundation of rivers, and severe flooding in low-lying areas from Arkansas to Ohio. Storm totals from the multi-day event ranged from 4 to 18+ inches, with the highest accumulations observed across central Arkansas, southeastern Missouri, and western portions of both Tennessee and Kentucky. In addition to heavy rainfall, the storm system sparked dozens of tornadoes as well as strong gusty winds in other areas, causing widespread power outages. Elsewhere, improving conditions over the past 30 to 60 days, led to reduction in areas of drought in the Northeast, from New York to Maine, as well as in areas further south including New Jersey and Virginia. In the Midwest, this week’s rainfall event pushed rainfall totals well above normal levels for the past 30-day period, leading to improvements across the Midwest in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. In the Upper Midwest and portions of the Plains, drought-related conditions improved on the map across areas of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and South Dakota, where precipitation has been above normal for the past 30-90-day period and soil moisture monitoring products are showing normal to above-normal levels. In the West, above-normal springtime temperatures are causing a rapid melting of high-elevation snowpacks across the entire region. Looking at the current snowpack conditions out West, deep seasonal snowpack deficits remain across the ranges of southwestern Colorado, New Mexico, northern Arizona, and southwestern Utah. Elsewhere in the region, areas of the Great Basin and Intermountain West saw improvements on the map including parts of northeastern Nevada, Wyoming, and northwestern Colorado. In terms of reservoir storage in the West, California’s reservoirs continue to be at or above historical averages for the date (April 8), with the state’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville, at 116% and 120% of average, respectively. In the Southwest, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is reporting (April 6) Lake Powell at 33% full, Lake Mead at 34% full, and the total Colorado system at 41% full (compared to 42% full at the same time last year).
In the Southern Plains, widespread improvements were made in response to very heavy rainfall accumulations observed across parts of the region, with the highest totals (ranging from 5 to 15+ inches) observed in northeastern Texas, eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, western Tennessee, and southern Mississippi. The multi-day storm event led to catastrophic flooding in parts of the region as well as tornadic activity, widespread power outages, and loss of life. However, the deluge of rains also led to significant improvements in drought-related conditions, with multiple category improvements made on the map. For the week, average temperatures were above normal in eastern areas, with anomalies ranging from 3 to 12 degrees F. Conversely, the western extent of the region, including much of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, experienced temperatures ranging from 3 to 12 degrees F below normal. Looking at Texas reservoir conditions, statewide reservoirs are reported to be 75.7% full, with many reservoirs in the eastern part of the state in good condition (over 90% full), while numerous reservoirs in the western portion of the state continue to experience below-normal levels, according to Water Data for Texas (April 9). In terms of streamflow activity (April 9), the U.S. Geological Survey is reporting well above normals streamflows (>90th percentile) across northeastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, and western Tennessee, while areas of central and southern Texas are experiencing below normal levels (1st to 24th percentile range).
In the High Plains, improvements were made in the region, namely in northern Kansas, northern Nebraska, and South Dakota, where shorter-term precipitation (past 30-60 days) is normal to above normal. Additionally, these areas were showing improvements in other drought indicators including soil moisture, streamflow activity, and satellite-based vegetation health. In western North Dakota, areas of Extreme (D3), Severe (D2), and Moderate (D1) drought expanded on the map in response to a combination of factors, including numerous recent impact reports from the agricultural sector, below-normal precipitation (past 30 days), and low streamflow and soil moisture levels. For the week, generally dry conditions prevailed across western portions of the region, while eastern portions received modest accumulations of <1.5 inches (liquid). In terms of temperatures, below-normal average temperatures (ranging from 2 to 10+ degrees F) were logged across the entire region.
In the West, generally dry conditions prevailed over much of the region, including areas of California, the Great Basin, the Intermountain West, and the Desert Southwest (southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico). However, some mountain locations in the Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountains received light-to-moderate precipitation accumulations. On the map, areas of Extreme (D3) drought were introduced in southeastern Arizona, where precipitation deficits existed at both short- and longer-term time scales. Similarly, ongoing below-normal snowpack conditions (snow water equivalent at NRCS SNOTEL stations ranging from 6 to 55% of median) in the Nacimiento, San Juan, and Sangre de Cristo ranges of New Mexico, led to the introduction of areas of Extreme (D3) drought. Elsewhere, some improvements were made on the map in drought-affected areas of northeastern Nevada, northeastern Utah, northwestern Colorado, and Wyoming. Looking at the regional snowpack, the NRCS SNOTEL network is reporting (April 8) the following region-level (2-digit HUC) SWE levels: Pacific Northwest 102%, Missouri 97%, Upper Colorado 89%, Great Basin 104%, Lower Colorado 69%, and Rio Grande 46%.
Looking ahead, the NWS Weather Prediction Center (WPC) 7-Day Quantitative Precipitation Forecast (QPF) calls for relatively dry conditions across the conterminous U.S., except for light-to-moderate accumulations across areas of the Pacific Northwest, northern Plains, Lower Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and the Northeast. 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., Plains, and areas of the South, while below-normal temperatures are expected across eastern portions of the Midwest and portions of the Northeast. Elsewhere, near-normal temperatures are favored. In terms of precipitation, there is a low-to-moderate probability of above-normal precipitation across New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma as well as areas of the Upper Midwest. Elsewhere, below-normal precipitation is expected across most of the West, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic.
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.
