National Current Conditions... May 7th thru 13th
For the 18th week in a row, drought worsened across the Southwest, but some areas did see improvement. Drought and dryness improved along the East Coast this week, including much of Florida. Parts of the Southern Plains also saw improvements. However, conditions worsened in parts of the Northwest, Midwest, and Nebraska.
As of May 13, 2025, 27.92% of the U.S. and Puerto Rico and 33.24% of the lower 48 states are in drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
This Week's Drought Summary…
Precipitation fell across much of the U.S. this week, with heavier amounts (> 1 inch) falling from portions of the central and southern Plains eastward to the East Coast, and also in parts of the West, Hawaii, and southern Alaska. Much of the Southeastern U.S., from eastern Texas to North Carolina, reported weekly rainfall totals between 2 to 10 inches, while similar amounts (2 to 6 inches) were reported in parts of the Northeast. Above-normal precipitation supported drought improvements across large portions of the South, Southeast and Northeast, and in parts of the Southwest and High Plains. Conversely, weekly precipitation totals were below normal across much of the West to the Midwest. Drought and abnormal dryness were expanded or intensified in northern portions of the West and Midwest, as well as parts of the Southwest and High Plains. Temperatures were above normal across much of the U.S. this week, with areas of the north-central U.S., from central Montana to Minnesota, reported temperatures 9 to 20 degrees above normal. Below-normal temperatures were observed from the southern Plains to parts of the eastern Midwest, where departures were up to 10 degrees F below normal, with the largest departures being reported in parts of Texas.