Record low drought since monitoring began 17 years ago.
Thursday, May 4, 2017, 3:30 – Since drought monitoring began back in January of 2000, current values as of May 2, 2017 are the lowest in these 17 years and 5 months of recorded data.
One year ago, 33.89 percent of the contiguous US was experiencing some type of drought, with 14.56 percent in the moderate to exceptional drought category and 2.33 in an extreme drought alone.
Today extreme drought affects only 0.13 percent of the countries surface and there is no exceptional drought in sight.
The most remarkable changes in the drought monitor values are those recorded in the west.
There are no longer signs of extreme or exceptional drought conditions, and only 2.72 percent exhibits a moderate to severe drought situation.
A favorable weather pattern with a record breaking number of Atmospheric Rivers during the 2016-17 winter months also delivered plenty of moisture into the western third of the US helping erase a large swath of drought values across many areas.
An active jet stream has been driving storms across portions of the Central Plains and the Tennessee River Valley, areas which have been affected by moderate to extreme drought conditions throughout much of the Winter and Spring months.
Two weeks ago 44.63 percent of the southeast region was experiencing drought, today that value has been cut down to 34.35.
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