Parts of the State Easing into Drought

By Jay Grymes

Louisiana State Climatologist

The weekly update of the U.S. Drought Monitor was released Thursday morning ... and that corresponded with the issuance of burn bans in Caddo and DeSoto parishes.

Burn bans were already in effect for Acadia (since mid-September) and St. Landry (as of Oct 8)  parishes.

The weekly U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) shows several pockets of "Moderate Drought" (D1) in the Bayou State as of October 7th.  The USDM depiction for Louisiana is produced through the collaboration of several agencies and includes direct input from the Louisiana Drought Team.  The Drought Team is coordinated by the LA Office of State Climatology and includes representatives and input from the NWS, the LDAF, and the LSU AgCenter.

Much of Louisiana is drying out.  Below-normal rainfall over the past several weeks coupled with above-normal temperatures and falling dew points (low humidity) creates an environment that rapidly dries the upper-soil layers and causes shallow ponds to shrink.

The recent frontal passage has provided a welcomed break from the long-persistent summer-like heat and humidity.  However, it was a "dry" front for much of Louisiana, and the clear skies and dip in humidity promote evaporation from already-dry fields and pastures.  

Expect to see expansion of areas tagged as "Abnormally Dry" (D0) and "Moderate Drought" (D1) with next Thursday's USDM update.