U.S. Drought Monitor Update for January 18, 2022

According to January 18, 2022, U.S. Drought Monitor, moderate to exceptional drought covers 46.0% of the United States including Puerto Rico, about the same as last week. The worst drought categories (extreme to exceptional drought) decreased from 9.6% last week to 9.4%. 

The upper-level circulation pattern during this USDM week consisted of an amplified ridge/trough pattern across the contiguous United States. Aside from the Washington coast, little to no precipitation fell beneath the strong ridge over the West. A powerful winter storm moved along the periphery of the trough over the East. The storm’s surface low and front dropped a swath of above-normal precipitation that extended from North Dakota to Missouri, across the Southeast, then north along the Appalachians and East Coast. The storm path avoided the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley, which were drier than normal this week. 

Temperatures for the week were above normal across the northern to central Plains, near to above normal from there to the West Coast, southern Plains, and Mississippi Valley, and cooler than normal along the Gulf of Mexico coast and in the East Coast states. 

Drought expansion and intensification occurred in the northern and southern Plains to Lower Mississippi Valley. Drought contracted or was reduced in intensity across parts of the northern Rockies and Mid-Atlantic Coast. Overall, expansion essentially balanced contraction, with the nationwide moderate to exceptional drought area changing very little this week.

Abnormal dryness and drought are currently affecting over 143 million people across the United States including Puerto Rico—about 46.0% of the population