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<br />March 1,2001, Drought Monitor
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<br />Page 2 of3
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<br />National Drought Summary -- February 27, 2001
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<br />The Southeast: During the week ending February 26, more than 2 inches of rain fell at many locations
<br />in an area centered on the southern Appalachians, temporarily boosting streamflows and providing slight
<br />relief from long-term drought. Central Tennessee was removed from abnormally dry (DO) status, while
<br />western Tennessee retained a pocket of abnormal dryness and moderate drought (DO and D I), despite
<br />year-to-date precipitation totals that increased to 10,05 inches (130 percent of normal) in Memphis and
<br />9,25 inches (115 percent) in Jackson, Farther east, serious long-term precipitation deficits persisted in
<br />the southern Appalachians and adjacent piedmont areas, despite recent showers, For example,
<br />Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina, received 5.32 inches (65 percent of normal) during the first 57
<br />days of2001, leaving its May I, 1998 - February 26, 2001, precipitation at 101.11 inches (70 percent of
<br />normal), a deficit of 43,11 inches in less than 34 months, An area of severe to extreme drought (D2 to
<br />D3) continued to affect areas from northern Georgia, northeastward through the western Carolinas, into
<br />southwestern Virginia,
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<br />Meanwhile, Florida's drought situation grew increasingly serious due to persistent dryness and record
<br />warmth, resulting in diminishing freshwater supplies, heavy citrus and vegetable irrigation requirements,
<br />and the threat of additional wildfires, Year-to-date rainfall through February 26 remained as low as 0,08
<br />inch (2 percent of normal) in Ft. Myers, where a daily-record high temperature of 880F was reported on
<br />February 24, and 1.33 inches (25 percent) in West Palm Beach, In the South Florida Water Management
<br />District, which includes Lake Okeechobee, rainfall for the period from October 8, 2000, to February 27,
<br />2001, totaled 2.35 inches (20 percent of normal). Okeechobee itself fell to record-low levels for this time
<br />of year, As of February 27, the average elevation of the lake's surface stood at 10,56 feet, down from
<br />12,50 feet as recently as early October 2000, Wildfires continued to bum a large amount of Florida
<br />underbrush that was initially stressed by drought, then further browned by repeated freezes in late
<br />December and early January, During the 30 days ending February 26, more than 1000 Florida wildfires
<br />consumed nearly 100,000 acres, boosting the state's year-to-date total to 104,191 acres,
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<br />The Central Appalachians: An area of abnormal hydrological dryness (DO) continued to affect
<br />southern West Virginia, where only light snow fell during the week, Little precipitation fell from
<br />western and central Pennsylvania northeastward into New York's Finger Lakes region, leaving an area
<br />of abnormal dryness intact. ..-
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<br />The Plains: In western Texas and southeastern New Mexico, a mostly dry week brought little change in
<br />the long-term hydrological drought situation, A pocket of severe drought (D2) continued to affect areas
<br />in and near Midland, Texas, where staggering precipitation deficits have accumulated over a 7-year
<br />period. Midland's precipitation from January I, 1994, to February 26, 2001, totaled 70.92 inches (67
<br />percent of normal), or 34,78 inches below normal. Farther south, early-season heat aggravated the
<br />effects of abnormal dryness (DO) in southernmost Texas, where February 24 high temperatures soared to
<br />920F in McAllen and 91 OF in Cotulla. Meanwhile on the northern Plains, a cold, dry week produced few
<br />changes to a drought that remained severe (D2) in central Montana. Elsewhere, a major winter storm
<br />tracked northeastward across the east-central Plains, providing additional long-term drought relief,
<br />Although some hydrological drought concerns linger across southern and western Nebraska, the
<br />remainder of the state is drought-free. As much as I to 2 inches of rain left only a pocket of abnormal
<br />dryness in northeastern Kansas. A pocket of moderate drought (01) persisted in west-central Iowa due
<br />to long-term precipitation deficits,
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<br />The West: According to the California Department of Water Resources, the average water equivalent of
<br />the Sierra Nevada snow pack increased to 18 inches (75 percent of the late-February normal) on
<br />February 26, up from about 9 inches (approximately 50 percent of normal) at the beginning of the month
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<br />3/6/200 I
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