The May 12 drought monitor shows 76.3% of the U.S. is experiencing abnormal dryness or drought, up 1% from the previous week, with 61.5% in D1 level drought or higher, up 0.6%. Currently 26% (up 1%) of corn acres are in D1-D4 drought with 28% (up 1%) of soybean acres, and 71% (up 1%) of winter wheat acres also impacted. For livestock, 62% (up 1%) of the U.S.cattle herd is in D1-D4 drought conditions, with 33% (up 1%) of dairy cattle also in drought.
Precipitation the past week saw a significant divide, highlighted by a major deluge across parts of the South and Gulf Coast. Persistent storm systems funneled heavy moisture into Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, where total rainfall reached 4 to 6 inches—and in some coastal pockets even higher—representing departures of 3 to 5 inches above seasonal norms. While an active frontal corridor brought a secondary band of moderate rain (1 to 3 inches) from Texas through the Ohio Valley and into the Northeast, the Western U.S. remained exceptionally dry, with most areas west of the Rockies receiving less than 0.1 inch of rain. This lack of moisture, paired with blustery winds, triggered extreme fire danger across the Upper Mississippi Valley, though the period concluded with a pattern shift as a significant Pacific low-pressure system finally moved onshore to deliver moisture to the Northwest. Temperature patterns showed an equally sharp geographical split, with unseasonable warmth gripping the West and parts of the South while a late-spring chill lingered over the North.
The Drought Monitor said the next five days will see a stark contrast between record-challenging heat in the West and unsettled, cooler conditions in the East. A building atmospheric ridge will maintain well-above-normal temperatures across the western U.S., with several high-temperature records likely to be tied or broken as this warmth spreads into the central Plains by mid-week. Conversely, the eastern half of the country can expect near to below-normal temperatures as a series of frontal systems bring frequent rounds of showers and thunderstorms from the Midwest to the Atlantic Coast.
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