Latest U.S. Drought Monitor for Louisiana(LA/USDM)
Latest U.S. Drought Monitor for Louisiana(LA/USDM) … released Thursday morning … based on data through Tuesday morning
(Remember, the LA/USDM depicts a regional perspective of dryness/drought and may not show localized drought ‘hot spots.’ )
With the exception of SE Louisiana, there has been less than 1″ of rain over the past 4 weeks for most of the remainder of the state, with some locations recording ‘zero.’
At the same time, warmer-than-normal days and abundant sunshine through most of that 4-week period have kept ET rates elevated, drying soils and vegetation and enhancing the state’s wildfire threat.
As of Thursday evening, 21 parishes have declared Burn Bans … with more parishes likely to be added by week’s end.
Most of Louisiana is likely to remain rain-free through the next 7 days or more … so expect to see additional drought degradation in next week’s update.
However, this is NOT a repeat of the critical drought conditions that developed in 2023 … and is not expected to reach the severity experienced in western and northern Louisiana last year.