Dry/Drought Development for Louisiana

By Jay Grymes

State Climatologist

The Louisiana Drought Team continues to expand areas suffering from rainfall deficits in recent weeks, with the first signs of drought developing in the Florida Parishes.

In addition to what is displayed with this week's Drought Monitor (LA-DM), there are some areas in Louisiana not included as "Abnormally Dry" that are on the cusp of dry/drought, such as a stretch of Louisiana's upper and middle Red River Valley.

Just as importantly, given a mainly-dry forecast into early next week, expect to see some expansion of D0 and D1 with next week's LA-DM.  

In addition, note that the NWS Climate Prediction Center (CPC) 3-month outlook (Oct-Nov-Dec) leans towards a continuation of below-normal rainfall, largely tied to the expectation of the onset of La Niña conditions in the mid-to-late fall.  (La Niñas typically lead to drier-than-normal conditions, especially across the southern half of the state during the winter and early spring months.)

Given the guidance, the current dry/drought situation is unlikely to improve significantly through the remainder of 2025.