According to the May 24, 2016, U.S. Drought Monitor, moderate to exceptional drought covers 13.6% of the contiguous United States, a decrease from last week’s 13.9%. The worst drought categories (extreme to exceptional drought) held steady at 2.5% for a second week.

Two strong, upper-level low pressure systems moved across the contiguous United States this U.S. Drought Monitor week, bringing above-normal precipitation to parts of the Northwest to Northern Rockies, Southern Plains to Gulf Coast, and Midwest to Mid-Atlantic Coast. The week was drier than normal across parts of the Southwest and interior Deep South, as well as from the Northern and Central Plains to Northeast. Cooler Canadian air behind cold fronts kept temperatures below normal across much of the contiguous United States.

The full U.S. Drought Monitor weekly update is available from www.drought.gov.

In addition to Drought.gov, you can find further information on the current drought as well as on this week’s Drought Monitor update at the National Drought Mitigation Center. See their recent news releases.

The most recent U.S. Drought Outlook is available from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s World Agriculture Outlook Board provides information about the drought’s influence on crops and livestock.