DROUGHT WATCH:USA's drought begins to ease

Heavy rainfall in the Southeast and record snowpack in the Rockies have eased dramatically the nation's worst drought in more than a century. Drought conditions are the least severe since January 2006. A quarter of the USA is suffering some form of drought today, down from 65% last summer, federal agencies said.In the Southeast, where drought has been most severe, the area in drought has plummeted from 86% in August to 40% today."We've had some big improvements because of heavy rainfall over the region" of the Southeast, Ed O'Lenic, senior meteorologist at the federal Climate Prediction Center, said Tuesday. "Going forward, if things are pretty normal or close to that through the growing season, we'll be OK."Much of the Southeast has received 10-20 inches of rain in the past three months, prompting Georgia's governor to permit the filling of swimming pools and hand watering of plants.The U.S. Drought Monitor, run by the federal departments of Agriculture and Commerce, reports only 8% of the region is now classified as in "extreme" drought and none in "exceptional" drought, the worst category."There has been really dramatic improvement in the interior Southeast," said Brad Rippey, agriculture meteorologist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He cautioned that there remains a "very big risk" of crop failure if it turns hot and dry this summer.In Florida, where growers depend on irrigation, rain has permitted easing of emergency water restrictions though conservation measures are still in place, said Alan Peirce of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association in Tallahassee. "The rainfalls have helped, and they've lowered irrigation demand," he said.Dry conditions remain a concern in South Florida. The vast and shallow Lake Okeechobee, the reservoir for most the region, is below normal levels, Peirce said. Some citrus crops are smaller because of dry conditions "but people have been able to get by thus far," he said.Lake Okeechobee's average water level is at 9.84 feet, which is well below the average of 13.31 feet, and "getting close to its all-time low of 8.8 feet," said David Miskus, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Meanwhile, in much of the Rockies, this spring has seen a longer run of cold temperatures that has resulted in a late snowmelt and heavy amount of water content in the remaining snow, said Tom Perkins of the National Water and Climate Center in Portland, Ore. A late snowmelt helps give water time to saturate the ground, he said.In the upper headwaters of the Colorado River, a cold late season has put the snowpack at 155% of average, Perkins said. Runoff prognostications for the Colorado River and Lake Powell are at 120%. "In some places, we have almost three times as much snow as usual," he said.While that is bringing an end to drought in some parts of the West, dry conditions remain in California, Nevada, Southern Utah, Arizona and New Mexico, Perkins said.Mark Svoboda, climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center, warns drought is taking hold in northern and southern plains."It's still here. I wouldn't want to relay a false sense of security," Svoboda said.
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/drought/2008-05-20-drought_N.htm

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