NOAA Spring Outlook Sees Drought Improvement in the West, Flooding Risk in the East

Wet conditions appear to be in store for much of the U.S. in the months ahead. According to the Spring Outlook released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today, there will be continued drought improvement in the western U.S. as the snowpack melts, and there is a risk for flooding in most of the eastern half of the continental U.S., including most of the Mississippi River Basin.

The abnormally wet winter will further improve drought across much of the western U.S. in the coming months, according to the Spring Outlook. Already, winter precipitation, combined with recent storms, wiped out exceptional and extreme drought in California for the first time since 2020. Across much of the state and in the Great Basis, drought conditions are likely to continue improving, or end entirely. Drought conditions are also expected to improve across parts of the northern and central Plains. In Florida, drought may go away during the next three months. Across the U.S., moderate to exceptional drought coverage is at its lowest since August 2020. But drought will continue or expand in other areas, including parts of the southern High Plains, New Mexico, the Northwest, and northern Rockies. There is a risk for flooding in most of the eastern half of the continental United States, including most of the Mississippi River Basin. Forecasters with the National Water Center predict moderate to major flooding along the Mississippi River from Minneapolis to St. Louis. Read the Outlook at NOAA.