U.S. Weather/Crop Progress
U.S. Drought Monitor Weather Forecast: During the period of February 7-10, very heavy precipitation (as much as 7-9 inches, liquid equivalent) is predicted in northern California, and 3-4 inches in western Oregon. This will go a long way in helping to mitigate some of the drought conditions in these areas, though reassessment of conditions next week will be needed to determine the extent of any potential improvements in the Drought Monitor depiction. Along the Southeast coast including northern Florida, 1.0-1.5 inches of rain is expected during the period which will be beneficial to the small areas of abnormal dryness (D0) in that region. With the exception of 3-4 inches of precipitation anticipated over the central Rockies and Wasatch Range, most other areas of the CONUS can expect a half-inch or less of precipitation within the next five days.
For the period of February 11-15, there are elevated odds of above-median precipitation for most of the northern and eastern Lower 48 states. Probabilities for above-median precipitation rise up to 60 percent in the Pacific Northwest, and 50 percent over the Gulf and Atlantic Coast states. Below-median precipitation is favored for southern California, much of the Southwest and southern Rockies, the central and southern High Plains. Follow this link to view current U.S. and international weather patterns and the future outlook:Weather and Crop Bulletin.