Tue Nov 05 01:48:31 UTC 2024: ## Drought Worsens Across U.S. as October Brings Record Dryness

**Washington D.C.** – Following an exceptionally dry October, the United States is facing a significant increase in drought conditions, with nearly 54% of the country experiencing some level of drought. The month saw record dryness across the nation, with only limited areas receiving significant rainfall. While Hurricane Milton brought upwards of 6 inches of rain to peninsular Florida, the rest of the contiguous U.S. saw less than 50% of normal precipitation, with some regions receiving virtually no rainfall.

**NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC)** released its monthly climate outlooks for November, predicting continued drought in the West and development of new drought areas in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast.

**Temperature Outlook:**
* The temperature outlook for November favors well above-average temperatures across the central and eastern parts of the nation, as well as northern Alaska.
* No parts of the lower 48 states are favored to have a colder-than-average month.

**Precipitation Outlook:**
* Above-average precipitation is favored across parts of the central U.S., the Pacific Northwest, and southern Alaska.
* Below-average rainfall is only slightly favored along parts of the Eastern Seaboard and in extreme southern Louisiana.

**Drought Outlook:**
* Drought improvement is predicted from Texas northward to the Great Lakes due to above-average precipitation in the region.
* Broad-scale drought persistence is expected for most of the West.
* Drought persistence and development are forecast for parts of the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast.

While the La Niña pattern is expected to develop soon, its impact on the November outlooks is relatively minor. The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), which typically brings cooler conditions to the East, is out of phase with the current model guidance.

**Data Availability:**
Please note that NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information were affected by Hurricane Helene in late September. Products and services are now available, but many data products are still being updated.

For more detailed information about the monthly climate outlooks, visit the NOAA Climate Prediction Center website.

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