The East, South, and Midwest: Last week, heavy rains from Hurricane Floyd overwhelmed any remaining short-term drought in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. From the Appalachians eastward, more than 4 inches fell on all but some immediate coastal sites, and 8 to 14 inches inundated large sections of the interior coastal plains. Streamflows, which were low much of the summer, briefly swelled to all-time record levels at some locations. Precipitation deficits since July 1998 were between 8 and 19 inches from Boston, MA to Washington, DC at the end of July 1999, but by September 17, 1999, deficits from July 1998 ranged from only 3 to 10 inches. Ground water and reservoir stores are still unfavorably low, particularly in the Susquehanna, Hudson, and Delaware Valleys, but Floyd eliminated most drought concerns for the near future. Only parts of the coastal Northeast, where rainfall totals were smaller, remain in drought watch (D0) status. Farther south, Floyd brought significant rains only to parts of the immediate south Atlantic coast. In the severe drought areas from the Appalachians westward through the Mississippi Valley and southern Plains, most locations recorded less than 1 inch of rain last week. Scattered moderate rains (1 or 2 inches in spots) fell on many locations September 20/21, but much of the lower Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, middle Mississippi Valley, upper Southeast, and northeastern Gulf Coast remain in extreme (D3) drought, with less-severe drought affecting adjacent areas.

Outlook: September 23 - 27 should be cool but dry across most of the drought regions detailed above. A return to above-normal temperatures and normal precipitation are forecast September 28 - October 2, with above-normal totals likely along the northern and western tiers of the dry area.

The West: Scattered light rains dampened northern Nevada, parts of interior California, and sections of the lower northwestern Rockies during the last 7 days, but abnormally warm and seasonably dry conditions prevailed elsewhere, allowing the formidable wildfire season to continue. Through September 21, fires had scorched nearly 4.8 million acres nationally since the year began, 70% above the average of the previous 10 such periods. Of the 1999 national acreage consumed to date, over 53% was in California or the Great Basin.

Outlook: Above-normal temperatures and seasonably dry conditions are anticipated during September 23 - 27, though some measurable rains should fall on southeast California and adjacent Nevada. The next 5 days are expected to be cool and wet in the Pacific Northwest and northern Intermountain West, but seasonably warm and dry elsewhere.

Non-contiguous U.S.: September 12 – 20 featured scattered light to moderate rain across Hawaii. A smattering of locations on Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island recorded 1.1 to 2.9 inches, but most sites received less. As a result, the drought situation was essentially unchanged. Currently, no widespread drought exists in Alaska, Puerto Rico, or Guam.

Outlook: No significant changes anticipated in the next 10 days.