1/11/2024

In the past week, the southern region experienced a week of widespread precipitation leading to drought improvements across the region. Flurries in the Texas panhandle and Oklahoma led to one-class improvements there. Sea breeze initiated thunderstorms along the coast and an advancing cold front/storm system led to widespread one-class improvements in Southeast Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Many flash flood warnings occurred in Louisiana and Mississippi with the advancing cold front leading to daily precipitation totals as high as 6 inches in Southwestern Louisiana this past Tuesday. Despite this more rainfall is still needed to combat long-term precipitation deficits and to rejuvenate groundwater supplies. But, these widespread improvements across the region in the past week led to drought improvements at all levels of severity and contracted the area experiencing drought in the southern region, from 52% of the region last week, to 46% now.

Looking into the future, as outlined by the Monthly Drought Outlook, for January, drought improvements follow what one would expect with a strong El Niño. Drought removal is likely in the Lower Brazos Valley, Houston area, areas of Southern Louisiana, and Mississippi. Drought is expected to remain, yet improve in Central Louisiana, Southeastern Arkansas, and Central Mississippi. Finally, drought is expected to persist in West Texas, Central Texas, Southern Oklahoma, and Tennessee.