U.S. Drought Expands Slightly

Extreme Drought, Abnormally Dry Levels in Lower 48 Expand Marginally

Areas covered by various drought levels in contiguous United States expanded marginally in the week ending August 6, 2013. D0 – D4 Drought levels covered 57.40 percent of the lower 48, up from 57.23 percent previous period.

The region worst affected by the drought was the South, where Exceptional Drought expanded to 3.75 percent, up from 3.04 percent earlier. The region’s D0 – D4 drought levels also expanded to 74.44 percent, up from 73.81 percent a week earlier.

US Drought Map as of August 6, 2013, released by US Drought Monitor on  August 8, 2013.

Related Links

• Agricultural Disaster Declared for Dozens of U.S. Counties August 8, 2013
• U-S Drought 2013: Fueled by Heat from Hell? January 31, 2013 [FIRE-EARTH Forecast]
• US: Drought Disaster 2013 [Index Page]

Drought Worsens in the U.S. West

Drought intensifies in Nevada, Oregon, Utah and the Dakotas

Drought intensified in the U.S. West over the past week.

D0-D4 drought levels generally persisted in California, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii, but eased slightly in Texas and New Mexico.

Drought conditions improved more significantly in Oklahoma, covering 52.77 percent of the state, down from 75.08 percent previously. In Arkansas, D0 – D2 drought areas were 71.01 percent, down from 90.94 percent last period. Kansas down to 87.80 percent, compared with 100 percent a week ago.

As of July 30, 2013, drought levels in the lower 48 improved slightly covering 57.23 percent of contiguous U.S., down from 58.30 percent previously.

Dry conditions in Iowa covered 70.18 percent of the land, up from 62.92 percent earlier.

As of July 31, 2013 some 1,295 U.S. counties across 28 states were designated as drought disaster areas by USDA. [The figure includes both primary and contiguous disaster designations.]

Related Links

• Disaster Declared for 98 Counties in 9 States August 1, 2013
• 2013 U.S. Drought Disaster Map August 1, 2013
• U.S. Drought Expands for 6th Consecutive Week July 26, 2013
• Drought Disaster 2013 [Index Page]

U.S. Drought Expands for 6th Consecutive Week

Drought and dry conditions expand in the U.S. South, West, Midwest and High Plains

The areas in contiguous U.S.  that are covered by ‘Abnormally Dry’ thru ‘Exceptional Drought’ (D0 – D4 on the Drought Monitor scale) have expanded to 58.30 percent for the week ending July 23, 2013, up from 54.39 percent a week earlier.

Abnormally dry areas in the U.S. Midwest, including the top crop state of Iowa, reached 18.94 percent, up from 7.16 percent.

Iowa has experienced a triple fold increase in the areas covered by abnormally dry condition, reaching 62.9 percent, compared to 19.8 percent earlier.

Dry conditions have also expanded in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota and Missouri.

Five additional Montana counties have been designated as agricultural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the expanding drought.

US Drought Map as of July 23, 2013, released by US Drought Monitor on  July 25, 2013.

About 64 percent of the topsoil in Arkansas was rated short or very short of moisture, with 24 percent of the state’s pasture and rangeland in poor or very poor condition.

California had 95 percent of its pasture and rangeland in poor or very poor condition. Colorado 64 percent, Kansas 55 percent, Texas 44 percent and Arizona had 79 percent so rated, according to July 22 U.S. Department of Agriculture crop progress report.

“Missouri had 60 percent of the topsoil short or very short of moisture, and Iowa had 57 percent so rated, which was a jump of 22 percent since last week.”

Related Links

• Drought Disaster Declared for Montana Counties July 25, 2013
• U.S. Drought Expands for 5th Straight Week July 18, 2013

• U.S. Drought Expands for 4th Week July 11, 2013
• Agricultural Disaster Declared in 3 States July 18, 2013
• U-S Drought 2013: Fueled by Heat from Hell? January 31, 2013 [FIRE-EARTH Forecast]
• US: Drought Disaster 2013 [Index Page]