9% of U.S. Cattle are in Drought Areas... Down 3% from Last Week

Following a stormy pattern with frequent periods of heavy precipitation and severe weather outbreaks, major drought improvement occurred this spring across the Great Plains and Mississippi Valley. Recent heavy precipitation from May 28 to June 3 resulted in additional improvements to parts of the central and southern Great Plains.

A dry start to the thunderstorm season and above-normal temperatures continued to result in drought expansion and intensification across the southern half of the Florida Peninsula. Anomalously heavy precipitation for late May into the beginning of June led to drought improvement across parts of Washington, northern Idaho, and western Montana. Alaska and Puerto Rico remain drought-free, while drought of varying intensity persists for parts of Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii.

Looking Ahead...

During the next five days (June 6-10, 2024), multiple cold fronts are forecast to progress across the eastern and central contiguous U.S. The heaviest precipitation (more than 1 inch) is forecast for the Northeast, Tennessee Valley, and Ozarks region. Locally heavy rainfall may accompany thunderstorms across the central to southern Great Plains. Dry weather, typical for this time of year, is forecast for the Southwest, California, and the Pacific Northwest. A heat wave will affect the Southwest and Central Valley of California during early June.

The Climate Prediction Center’s 6-10 day outlook (valid June 11-15, 2024) favors above-normal temperatures across most of the West, Great Plains, New England, and Florida. Below-normal temperatures are most likely for the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys and central to southern Appalachians. Below-normal precipitation probabilities are slightly elevated for much of the Corn Belt, Mississippi Valley, and Pacific Northwest. Above-normal precipitation is favored for the central to southern Rockies and high Plains along with the coastal Southeast and Florida