Drought Expanding in South, Southwest

Drought conditions expanded in the South and Southwest over the last week, while the Midwest largely remains drought-free. The weekly Drought Monitor Thursday showed drought and abnormal dryness expanded across parts of Texas and Oklahoma. But, other parts of Texas,  Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee experienced a reduction of drought and abnormal dryness. Meanwhile, 75 percent of the Southeast region of the U.S. remains in classified drought conditions. However, heavy rain, locally over five inches, contracted drought and abnormal dryness across much of the region. Much of the Four Corners states in the west are in a classified moderate to severe drought. Parts of Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky are considered abnormally to moderately dry, while much of the Upper Midwest and High Plains remain mostly drought-free. California, along with the Pacific Northwest, remains mostly drought-free, as well. Meanwhile, more rains are expected in the South and Southeast over the next week, providing potential drought relief for those regions.