Although recent storms have brought slight improvement to the region and forecasts point to normal to above-normal precipitation during the next several months, the bulk of the snow season is over and it is too late to make up for the rain and snow deficits that have built up since autumn. Hydrological drought is likely to continue through the summer, with low streamflows and reservoir levels a continuing concern. In the Southeast, recent storms have reduced drought conditions, although hydrological drought, affecting lakes and wells, remains a problem from Florida to the Carolinas. Improvement has been especially notable in Georgia, which recorded its fifth wettest March on record, according to preliminary data. The seasonal drought outlook is mixed for the Southeast, as a forecast tendency for warmth and dryness may cause dryness to worsen in Georgia and Florida into May or June, but overall long-term prospects are for more normal conditions and improvement as summer progresses.
Drought is most severe in Florida.
The summer rainy season will ease dryness there starting in May or June, but it will likely take at least several months for lake and well levels to recover. Wells and lakes typically reach seasonal lows during the May-June period. Elsewhere, the long-term drought continues in Hawaii, particularly over the leeward areas. The drought is likely to persist. Publication of the web team, Climate Prediction Center.