To view the latest Oklahoma drought map, CLICK HERE.
Drought conditions continue to expand across Oklahoma, with 68.01% of the state now classified from abnormally dry to extreme drought, up from 66.16% last week, while exceptional drought remains absent. Extreme drought persists in southern Oklahoma, unchanged at 3.48% of the state. Looking ahead, most of Oklahoma faces a below-normal chance of precipitation through December 27, raising concerns that dry conditions could continue to worsen.
Abnormally dry to extreme drought conditions currently affect 68.01% of the state. Compared to last week, at 66.16 %, drought has grown. Exceptional drought remains at 0 percent, unchanged from the start of the calendar year.
Extreme Drought (D3) has remained unchanged this week. No new extreme drought has emerged, but the conditions still remain in southern Oklahoma, covering 3.48% of the state, affecting Kiowa, Stephens, Jackson, Greer, Garvin, McClain, Pottawatomie, and Seminole counties. During an extreme drought, people can expect to experience poor air quality, with dust storms and smoke. Cattle having little water and feed, Grasses being dormant, and hay is nonexistent; planting is delayed; fields are spotty; emergency CRP grazing could be authorized.
According to the 6-to-10-day precipitation outlook map, a large majority of Oklahoma is leaning below 33-40% chance of rain through December 27, with the far western tip of the panhandle expecting near normal conditions through that same date.
This week, temperature and precipitation patterns varied sharply across the country. Temperatures were generally warmer in the West and colder in the east, with much of the Cascades and Rocky Mountains running well above normal while the Midwest experienced much colder-than-normal conditions. Multiple Pacific storm systems brought widespread precipitation to the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies, falling as rain at lower elevations and snow in the mountains; however, despite recent snowfall, snowpack remains below normal for mid-December. East of the Rockies, precipitation was more limited and uneven, and where it did occur across the northern Plains and Midwest, it often fell as snow. As a result, drought conditions improved mainly across parts of the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies. Additional localized improvements occurred in parts of the Southeast, where lingering benefits from rainfall in prior weeks continued to support soil moisture and streamflows. In contrast, areas farther south and east that missed meaningful precipitation saw conditions persist or worsen. Across portions of the southern Plains, lower Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast, continued precipitation deficits and declining streamflows led to degradations. In the Midwest, colder temperatures limited precipitation to fall as snow, slowing hydrologic response and resulting in mostly localized changes.
In the Southern Plains: Drought conditions across the South generally worsened this week, as limited precipitation did little to improve the growing moisture deficits. Louisiana and some areas of Mississippi saw some improvements due to precipitation, including the removal of severe drought (D2) in west-central Louisiana. In Texas and Oklahoma, ongoing precipitation deficits led to further expansion of abnormally dry (D0) and moderate drought (D1) conditions. In south-central Texas, longer-term hydrologic stress continued and intensified with the expansion of severe (D2) and extreme drought (D3). Across Arkansas and Tennessee, despite cooler than normal temperatures, dry conditions continued to worsen with growing precipitation deficits, drying soils, and decreasing streamflows leading to the expansion of abnormal dryness (D0) and moderate drought (D1).
In the High Plains: The High Plains remained largely unchanged this week. Areas of less than one inch of precipitation fell across some areas of the Dakotas and northeastern Wyoming. In east-central South Dakota, this precipitation led to minor improvements with the removal of some abnormal dryness (D0). Nebraska, Colorado, and most of Kansas remained unchanged. In southeastern Kansas along the Kansas-Missouri border, hydrologic deficits led to further deterioration and the expansion of moderate drought (D1). In southeastern Wyoming, frequent strong winds and above-normal temperatures combined with continued lack of precipitation contributed to further degradation and the expansion of moderate drought (D1).
In the West: Across the West, drought changes were mainly determined by precipitation. In Washington and northern Oregon, multiple Pacific storm systems, associated with atmospheric river moisture, brought widespread precipitation to the Pacific Northwest. Precipitation fell mainly as rain at lower elevations and snow in the mountains, contributing to ongoing flooding in parts of western Washington and supporting widespread one-class improvements along the coast and nearby interior areas. Since the end of November, snowpack in the Cascades has slightly improved, though snow water equivalent (SWE) values remain below normal for this time of year, particularly where warmer temperatures limited snow accumulation. Across central and southern Oregon and into northern California, conditions show rapid short-term drying. However, last-minute (Dec. 15-16) rainfall of 1 to 2 inches along Oregon’s coast was enough to bring improvements where it fell while the areas that missed out on the precipitation saw abnormal dryness (D0) expanded.
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.
