11/30/2023

In the past week temperatures in the southern region have been below or near normal with quite moderate precipitation totals. However, many areas such as West-Central Texas and Tennessee saw this moderate rainfall consistently for several days last week. This persistent rainfall led to one-class improvements concentrated in West Texas, Central Texas, and Tennessee. Rainfall last week was relatively widespread with almost the entirety of the region seeing some level of accumulation, therefore, drought degradation was few and far between this past week. This widespread rainfall across the southern region has led to the contraction of areas experiencing drought in the southern region, from 76% of the region on November 21st, down to 72% on November 28th.

Looking into the future, as outlined by the Climate Prediction Center’s One Month Precipitation Outlook, valid for December, above-normal precipitation chances are expected in Louisiana and Mississippi, which can be expected with a strong El Nino. This should help prevent worsening drought conditions in the two states and even improve drought conditions.