Weekly Weather Event -Week of March 7
March 11, 2022A new report released by the U.S. Drought Monitor this week shows that more than 61% of the Continental United States is covered by drought. This is the highest it has been since 2012, where approximately 65% of the country was experiencing drought in September. The West and Southwest are currently the hardest hit regions of drought, with many regions experiencing extreme and exceptional drought conditions in Montana, Northern Texas, and Southern Nevada. Justin Mankin, assistant professor of geography at Dartmouth College and co-lead of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Drought Task force, says will take several years of above average precipitation to recover for large parts of the West.
The Midwest and South are also seeing a lack of rain and exceptionally dry conditions. The Bertha Swamp Road fire is currently burning in the Florida Panhandle, burning debris and dead plant life left in the wake of Hurricane Michael. Wisconsin saw some much-needed rain within the past two weeks, but long-term drought conditions persist.