Weekly temperatures averaged below normal in the northern Rockies, northern and central Plains, Midwest, mid-Atlantic, and Carolinas, and above-normal in the Far West, Southwest, southern Plains, along the Gulf Coast, and in northern New England.
In Alaska, readings were much-above normal in western and northern sections and near to below normal in southern and eastern portions.
Southeast Precipitation amounts were greatest (0.5-1.5 inches) in western and southern sections, while little or no precipitation fell on southeastern Virginia, the Carolinas, eastern Georgia, and most of Florida.
Although the winter and spring months are normally dry in most of Florida, an early cessation to the 2017 rainy season and subnormal winter and spring precipitation has promoted recent drought conditions.
Elsewhere in Alabama and western Georgia, not enough rain fell to improve conditions, but did keep the area at status-quo.
From south-central Texas northeastward into western Louisiana, a swath of 3-8” of rain provided 1-2 categories of drought improvement, while more scattered bands of moderate to heavy rain allowed limited 1-category improvement in parts of southern and central Texas.
Elsewhere in the Midwest, there was no prior dryness or drought, and 2018’s wet pattern continued this week.
Looking Ahead During April 5-9, 2018, unseasonably heavy precipitation (2-6 inches) is expected in western sections of Washington, Oregon, and the northern half of California, plus the Cascades and Sierra Nevada, with lesser amounts in the remainder of the Northwest and northern and central Rockies.
Light precipitation (less than half an inch) is predicted across the northern half of the Plains, Midwest, and southern Great Plains, with greater totals (1-3 inches) in the lower Mississippi Valley, Southeast, mid-Atlantic, and New England.
For the ensuing 5 days (April 10-14), odds favor above-median precipitation for much of the Far West, northern thirds of the Rockies and Plains, Midwest, lower Mississippi Valley, New England, and southern Florida, with sub-median totals in the Southwest and south-central High Plains, Southeast, and northern Alaska.