Drought Climate Summary August 2022

August brings record-setting weather and a mix of improvements and degradations in drought conditions

Banner image: Forest River Conservation Area and Salem Woods in Essex County, Massachusetts, August 11, 2022. Photo submitted via  CMOR .

Drought Overview

August 30 U.S. Drought Monitor map and U.S. Drought Monitor 1-month class change from August 2 to August 30. Maps and more available from  droughtmonitor.unl.edu .

The U.S. experienced a mix of improvements and degradations in drought conditions during August. Though the overall extent of drought decreased from the start to the end of the month, over 54% of the U.S. and Puerto Rico was at least abnormally dry on Aug. 30, and moderate-or-worse drought still covered over 38% of the land area. The North American Monsoon continued to alleviate drought conditions in the Southwest, with large swaths of the Four Corners states and adjacent areas seeing improved short-term conditions. From June through August, some parts of southeast California, southern Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico saw at least twice their normal rainfall amount for the summer months. According to the National Weather Service, Aug. 5 was the wettest day on record in California’s Death Valley, which received three-quarters of its annual average rainfall in the span of several hours. Some of the south-central region most impacted by flash drought earlier this summer also improved, with beneficial rains falling in eastern Texas, southern Missouri, western Tennessee and nearby areas. That rain, however, brought devastating flooding to places like Dallas-Fort Worth, which experienced its second-wettest 24-hour period on record on Aug. 23. Meanwhile, drought intensified and expanded in portions of the Central Great Plains, especially Kansas and Nebraska, as dry weather and generally near- or warmer-than-normal temperatures persisted through August. Drought also quickly intensified in parts of the Northeast, especially in New Jersey and New York City, northward through western Massachusetts and Vermont. Drought conditions mostly remained the same or worsened in Hawaii, while parts of Puerto Rico saw improvements in August.

Drought Forecast

Courtesy of NOAA's Climate Prediction Center

For September, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting drought improvement or removal in parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, southeast Oklahoma, Arkansas and small portions of Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi. The early-to-mid summer flash drought that gripped Oklahoma and Arkansas should ease further going into the fall. Drought improvement or removal is also likely in Puerto Rico. Drought development, though, is forecast over the rest of the Big Island of Hawaii, a small portion of the mid-Atlantic Coast and the Carolinas and in localized areas of the Central and Northern Great Plains. The Great Plains, in particular, is expected to have a warmer- and drier-than-normal fall. Elsewhere, existing drought conditions are forecast to persist.

Temperatures

Courtesy of High Plains Regional Climate Center

During August, near- or above-normal temperatures covered most of the contiguous U.S. According to the National Weather Service, this summer (June-August) was the third warmest on record. The Pacific Coast states and the Northwest saw many readings from 2 to 4 degrees above normal for the month, with some spots coming in 4 to 8 degrees warmer than normal. Some of the anomalous warmth also extended into northwest portions of the Great Plains. Another warm pocket was centered over the Northeast, where temperatures were mostly 2 to 6 degrees above normal. A few areas of below-normal temperatures occurred in southeast Arizona and localized parts of New Mexico.

Precipitation

Courtesy of High Plains Regional Climate Center

Compared to normal for August, the most notable widespread wet weather occurred from southern Mississippi (which had its wettest August on record) through most of the eastern half of Texas, and in parts of the West affected by the North American Monsoon. In contrast, notable widespread dryness occurred in several areas, including the Central Great Plains, southern New England and parts of the Northwest, particularly northern California and western Washington. Mostly drier-than-normal weather also occurred in Hawaii.

Regional Overviews

Northeast

U.S. Drought Monitor, Northeast, August 30, 2022

Warm and dry weather was once again the story across much of the Northeast, where temperatures in many areas were 3 to 5 degrees above normal for the month. Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and New Jersey all experienced their hottest Augusts in at least 128 years. Meanwhile, average temperatures this month in New York, Vermont and Maine were all in the top 10 on record. Apart from Maine and West Virginia, which both had a relatively wet month, rainfall was sparse across most of the region, and drought conditions developed or worsened during August in many areas. In the middle of the month, for example, drought covered 100% of Massachusetts for the first time since May 2015. Warmer- and drier-than-normal weather also occurred in parts of Delaware and eastern Maryland, leading to some short-term drought and abnormal dryness. Above-normal precipitation in parts of Maine and northern New Hampshire improved drought and abnormal dryness there.


Southeast

U.S. Drought Monitor, Southeast, August 30, 2022

A mix of drier- and wetter-than-normal weather occurred in the Southeast during August, and drought coverage remained low but nonzero. Below-normal precipitation occurred in southeast Florida, leading to some short-term moderate drought and abnormal dryness developing by the end of August. A few other patches of abnormal dryness or moderate drought existed in the Carolinas, far southern Virginia and northwest Alabama. Above-normal temperatures occurred in the eastern Florida Panhandle and in most of the Florida Peninsula. Though most warm temperature anomalies were not more than 3 degrees above normal, Florida experienced its eighth warmest August on record.


South

U.S. Drought Monitor, South, August 30, 2022

Wetter-than-normal weather enveloped much of central and southern Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas during August. Mississippi had its wettest August on record, while Louisiana had its third. August in Texas was only the 12th wettest on record statewide, but some parts experienced record-setting rainfall and flooding, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Western Tennessee and northern Arkansas also saw mostly above normal precipitation for the month. As a result, drought and abnormal dryness improved there, as well as in Mississippi, most of eastern Texas and the western two-thirds of Louisiana. Meanwhile, northern portions of Oklahoma were drier than normal during August, with some locations recording less than a half inch of rainfall for the month. Temperatures were above normal in most of Oklahoma and Texas (excluding southwest Texas and the Gulf Coast), while other parts of the region were mostly within a degree or two of normal. Drought conditions also improved in southwest Texas, while Oklahoma and central Texas saw a mix of degradations and improvements.


Midwest

U.S. Drought Monitor, Midwest, August 30, 2022

Like the Southeast, both wetter-than-normal and drier-than-normal weather occurred in spots across the Midwest. Above-normal precipitation fell in several areas including southwest of St. Louis, which continues to recover from record-setting flooding back in July. The above-normal rainfall in southern Missouri and adjacent areas allowed for improvement of flash drought conditions that had developed in the previous months. Meanwhile, drier-than-normal weather occurred in northeast Missouri and adjacent parts of west-central Illinois and southeast Iowa, as well as in a small area of northwest Minnesota. Temperatures across the region were also mixed, but, generally speaking, above-normal temperatures were experienced in Michigan, northern Minnesota and Iowa. A few locations in each state reached temperatures at least 3 degrees above normal for the month. As a result, drought conditions worsened in southeast Iowa and adjacent northeast Missouri. A mix of improvements and degradations occurred elsewhere, with mostly improvements in the upper Midwest.


High Plains

U.S. Drought Monitor, High Plains, August 30, 2022

Much-drier-than-normal weather enveloped much of Nebraska, Kansas and far northeast Colorado during August. Nebraska had its second driest August on record, while Kansas had its seventh. The dry weather, combined with mostly above normal temperatures there, led to widespread drought degradation and expansion. Rainfall deficits in the Dakotas were comparatively less severe and widespread, but some locations also saw degrading drought and abnormal dryness conditions amid above-normal temperatures in the western halves of both states. Some improvements also took place in the southern half of South Dakota in pockets of higher-than-normal rainfall. While temperatures were mostly above normal in northern Colorado and Wyoming (which had its sixth warmest August on record), rainfall was mostly near or above normal in both areas (excluding far northeast Colorado), which led to widespread improvements to ongoing drought and abnormal dryness in both states.


West

U.S. Drought Monitor, West, August 30, 2022

Precipitation was above normal in much of the Southwest as the North American Monsoon continued to bring record-breaking rainfall. Nevada had its third wettest August in at least 128 years, according to the National Weather Service, while Arizona had its 11th. In these areas, temperatures were mostly within a couple degrees of normal, and a small area of southeast Arizona saw temperatures from 2 to 4 degrees below normal. As a result, drought and abnormal dryness improved across swaths of the Southwest, leaving mostly long-term drought and abnormal dryness in the Four Corners area. Much of the Northwest, though, was warmer than normal in August, with some spots reaching 6 to 8 degrees above normal for the month. Oregon, Washington and Idaho all had their warmest August periods, in terms of average temperature, on record. Below-normal precipitation also plagued western and eastern Washington, northwest Oregon and southwest Montana. Combined with the hot temperatures, this led to degrading conditions in much of western Montana and parts of adjacent Idaho.


Alaska

U.S. Drought Monitor, Alaska, August 30, 2022

During August, temperatures in the eastern half of Alaska were generally 1 to 4 degrees above normal, while a few spots in western Alaska were 1 to 4 degrees cooler than normal. Above-normal precipitation fell in south-central Alaska, while some areas of east-central Alaska saw below-normal precipitation. Still, east-central Alaska saw improvements in drought conditions at the beginning of the month, and except for a small patch of abnormal dryness there, August ended with no drought in Alaska.


Hawaii

U.S. Drought Monitor, Hawaii, August 30, 2022

Short-term drought continued to envelop much of Hawaii, with conditions degrading in many locations during August. While a few locations saw above-normal precipitation, many locations saw less than half of their normal August rainfall. Exceptional drought conditions this month have been the most widespread since 2010.


U.S. Drought Monitor, Puerto Rico, August 30, 2022

Puerto Rico

Northern portions of Puerto Rico generally had above-normal rainfall during August, while the southern coast and southeast areas were a bit drier than normal. Drought and abnormally dry conditions mostly improved or remained the same, though degradation also took place in a few small areas. Conditions have been improving in Puerto Rico since peaking at 68% in June, the largest extent of drought there since the Drought Monitor began in 2000.


Movers and Shakers

National Drought Mitigation Center

National Drought Mitigation Center

The National Drought Mitigation Center’s mission is to reduce the effects of drought on people, the environment and the economy by researching the science of  drought monitoring  and the practice of  drought planning . We collaborate with and learn from decision-makers at all levels – individual ranchers, communities, regions, watersheds, tribes, states, countries – across the US and around the world. We organize and present workshops, writeshops and other capacity-building activities, in close cooperation with local partners.

Drought Summary August 2022

Edited by Leah Campbell and Deb Wood, designed by Brendon Orr

Courtesy of NOAA's Climate Prediction Center

U.S. Drought Monitor, Northeast, August 30, 2022

U.S. Drought Monitor, Southeast, August 30, 2022

U.S. Drought Monitor, South, August 30, 2022

U.S. Drought Monitor, Midwest, August 30, 2022

U.S. Drought Monitor, High Plains, August 30, 2022

U.S. Drought Monitor, West, August 30, 2022

U.S. Drought Monitor, Alaska, August 30, 2022

U.S. Drought Monitor, Hawaii, August 30, 2022

U.S. Drought Monitor, Puerto Rico, August 30, 2022