8/10/2023

With increased precipitation in the northern part of the climate region, drought conditions were able to improve in some areas. Unfortunately, this was not the case for the entire region. Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi were experiencing record-setting heat and lacked significant amounts of precipitation. Due to these conditions, much of Texas and Louisiana experienced class one degradation, as well as some areas in southern Mississippi. The extensive expansion of drought conditions in Texas and Louisiana led to an enlargement of D2 (Severe Drought) and D3 (Extreme Drought) drought conditions in parts of these states. However, more typical amounts of rainfall in northern Oklahoma, Arkansas, and the state of Tennessee allowed for some one-class improvements in certain areas across those states.

With more days of temperatures well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and a lack of precipitation expected, it is no surprise that the Climate Prediction Center has highlighted in the 8-14 Probabilistic Hazards Outlook that large portions of Texas and central Louisiana are at a "rapid onset drought risk."