According to the Drought Monitor a winter storm hit areas in the northern Plains and Midwest, then into the Southeast, then up the East coast, during the period of January 13-20 2022.
“For many areas, this was the first time that heavy snow occurred in these regions as many have brought up “snow drought” in areas of the country where snow has been minimal. The week saw very little precipitation from the Missouri River west. The northern Rocky Mountains and Plains had the warmest temperatures, with departures of 10-15 degrees above average. According to officials from the Drought Monitor, the East was dominated by cooler temperatures. The East’s departures were 5-10 degrees lower than normal.”
Midwest
The western Corn Belt received most precipitation, while other parts of the region were dry. According to Drought Monitor data, the southern Minnesota and Iowa regions received the most precipitation. This was because more than 200% of normal precipitation occurred during a winter storm.
“Except for Michigan, most other parts of the region were warmer than normal with temperatures that were 3-6 degrees higher than normal. Michigan saw temperatures that were 3-6° below normal. Even with the moisture that was brought to some areas by the winter storm, it brought snow to Michigan and ended the trend of dryness. “Only a few changes were made to the overall drought status this week. There was some expansion of dry conditions in northern Illinois, southwest Missouri, and some improvement along the Missouri-Illinois border,” Drought Monitor officials reported in their weekly report.
High Plains
The region was dominated by warmer than normal conditions, with some areas in the Dakotas experiencing temperatures that were 10-15 degrees higher than normal for the week according to Drought Monitor data.
“The same winter storm that affected parts of the Midwest also brought snow in large parts of North Dakota, Eastern South Dakota, and Nebraska. The majority of the rest of the region experienced below-average precipitation during the week. With an ongoing “snow drought” in portions of the western Dakotas, degradation was shown this week in the Black Hills of South Dakota where moderate drought was expanded and in western North Dakota where severe drought was expanded. This week, some improvements were made in areas of extreme drought in central Colorado, western Nebraska, southeast Wyoming. Many of these improvements were based upon a reassessment in the region after the last few week brought several precipitation events.
Looking ahead
According to the Drought Monitor forecast it is expected that the eastern half of the U.S. will see cooler than usual conditions in the next 5-7 day. The most extreme departures will be along the Canadian border in Great Lakes, where departures of 12-15° Celsius below normal are predicted.
The 6-10-day outlooks indicate that there is a high chance of colder temperatures than usual in the eastern half. This includes the Great Lakes, the Mid-Atlantic and New England. The Drought Monitor outlook indicates that it is likely that the Great Basin and Midwest will be affected by below-normal precipitation.
Source: Successful Farming
